New Zealand Outfitters/Hunting
 

The Wife and I are definately booking a New Zealand tour and hunting trip for March/April this year depending of Outfitter availability.

We want to do three weeks touring and then at the end of our trip a 6-7 day hunt for Red Stag, Tahr and Chamois.

It's narrowed down to two Outfitters, Cardrona and Gary Herbert.

Has anyone been with either outfitter, and if so I sure would appreciate you testimonial to either and your experiences with them or in fact of New Zealand.

If it fits in we are also going to try to get some fishing in.

Are you doing Farmed or wild stag? They don't get that big wild but it would be quite the hunt in those hills.
You taking a chopper up for Tahr? That would be an experience in itself as well.

For stag we will probably go with whatever is on the estate's boundaries. Whether you consider that "farmed" or not is up for interpretation. Both of us want to get one in the 420 plus range. Next year we plan to go to Scotland for a "wild" stag anyway.

We're going to try to not use the helicopter but we will definately be taking a couple hour tour with one just to see some of the country.

Yes that would be considered farmed but each to their own. Should be a big stag.
If you havn't flown in a chopper before I recomend something for sea sickness. The last ride in one I took the family and most of us got real sick and headed for home shorter than expected and it was a calm day. I don't usually get sick sick on the ocean fishing but that chopper was something else

I am from NZ, and have spend hundreds of days, with a rifle, wandering the mountains,
As Nube said, many of the large red stags are farm raised and released in to a restricted area or a controlled access area, i.e. big sheep station.
A nice even 12 or 14 pointer Red stag is consided a trophy by most Kiwi hunters,
I have seen as big as 18 point, in free range areas,
Some day, I hope to hang a red stag royal head, on the shed wall, ( 12 pointer so even, that a wine glass will balance in the top three tines.)
I don't like the multiple 30-40 point heads at all, think they are ugly, unbalanced and not a true repesantive of the animal, But, There is guys who do. sum very nice looking heads in the 25 point range,
NZ Hunting free range is very good, due to export meat, and wild game market drying up, currently the best hunting in 30 years, in many areas, but I already know of areas, with reduced trophy potential, due to excess animals.
Sika deer, Red deer, Fallow deer, chamois and thar, offer word class trophy, free range.
I really like Fallow trophy heads, I recommend you look into one, at the same time you do for a red stag.
The only outfitter I know is "wildside" in central north Island, there is tons down, south in the southern alaps, many are part of a working sheep station.
Wanaka, and South Canterbury areas, a great place to start looking.
Good luck, on thar and chamois, they are very tough trophy, to get on foot,

But sum unscrupulous outfitter, chase them with a chopper until too exhausted to run any further, before dropping of a shooter, to collect there trophy,
Distasteful, in the eyes, of pretty much all Kiwis, and moves are being made, to stop this practice.

If you get the chance to go out for a day fishing, I recommend chasing yellow tail king fish, epic charters out of Tairua, Corrmandle. have treated me and mates very well. I have twice come back after catching 20 plus 20-40lb kingfish, with arms so hurting, it was an effort, to pick up a beer. brilliant day out.:sHa_shakeshout:
I see you had listed a couple outfitters, don't know either, but I have heard of Gary before.
The roar, (rut) for red stags is only a 4-6 weeks away, It may be a case of having to take, who ever has a spot, more than choosing.
You will be struggling, to do a good trip of NZ, with only three weeks, I think it may be wise, to pick one island, and cover it well,
South Island is much more scenic, grander due to the souther alps, North island for beach, dense, lush fern bush, and costal beauty. better sea fishing.
Chamois and thar, South Island only.

If you find your self in Taranaki, West cost North island. NZ, I am heading back for 6 weeks, Late March, and have a house there, (Bell Block) drop me a PM message, and I will show you around, Perhaps go for a quick shot for a goat, or a fish of the Islands,
Steering wheel belongs in the middle of the road, all other road rules are secondary to this one. Drive safe, kiwi drivers are aggressive, tailgating *****s.
southernman.

What would a ball park cost be on a hunt like that

For all 3 species and capping the stag off at about 360 about $16000 usd.

A 420 stag is gonna raise that price considerably:thinking-006:

Thanks very much for the info and the kind offer. It looks like I'm going to be doing alot more research! No doubt we will be in touch.

We figured ballpark around the $25,000.00 mark each just for the hunting.

We both have our private rotary wing licences and have flown quite a bit but I know what you mean. I see some of the Outfitters run the Hughes 500's which are not the nicest to tool around in if you are not use to it.

Choppers are a great way to access the back country,
The Hughes 500C,or D is a very good chopper, for NZ conditions, and has plenty of reserve power, NZ weather conditions, are very variable, with high wind shears fog, heavy rain etc. combined with steep mountians and limited safe landing spots.
I would be Leary of the Robinson esp the R22 and to a lesser extent the R44, there have been multiple Fatalities in NZ with these, and they have been grounded at least once, in my view a bit underpowered, if conditions turn sour.
I love traveling in a chopper, great way to see country up close and personal,
My favourite chopper to travel in is the squirrel, but its also twice the cost per hour as a R44.
If you want to do a bit of reading, on the development of live deer capture, pioneered by New Zealand Helicopter pilots and shooters, you will find stores of one of the worlds, last great adventures, and the mountains, have plenty of wrecks and grave stones to prove it.

We may opt to use the helicopter to get our butt up the mountain but that's it other than touring. I have looked at some videos of the herding of tahr and chamois and find it totally distrusting.

Both of us have a rule and that is we don't fly or ride in anything that isn't turbine. That being said the R66 would be the exception. No thanks.