Wellsy
19-09-07, 08:16 AM
Just returned from a family trip to New Zealand, where I managed to get out for a hunt for two days at a place called Clements Mill Road.
This area is probably one of New Zealand’s most hunted public blocks because it is so accessible from Taupo, on the road in I passed 5 cars parked along the road( hunters )
Unfortunately I didn't get to loose an arrow, but I did manage to see 1 Sika stag at around 40 mtrs before it disappeared into the thick scrub, also heard another 3 deer break from their beds at close quarters but the bush was too thick to see them.
The first day I arrived it was around 2.00pm and I thought I would take a quick look from the hill (read big hill) behind camp. Being excited about my first NZ hunt I left my GPS in the camper, big mistake.
The walk to the top of the hill took about two hours and I thought I had plenty of time to return to the camper before dark(around 6.30) so I had a short scout to the east and found some very fresh sign, tracks and scat everywhere. I thought this place would be worth a look in the morning and started to make my way north back to the road and camper when I came across a very steep creek between me and camp, I tried to find a way across the creek to no avail.
I sat down and pulled out the topo map of the area to try and work out where I was and incorrectly worked out my location to be the eastern side of a single creek to the south-east of camp, when I was in fact two klms further to the west and on the eastern side of quite a number of creeks. I decided to head back uphill until I could get around the creek and then take the easy route downhill to camp. After finding a way around the creek I thought everything was fine until I hit another impassable creek, so I repeated the process of heading uphill and westward until I could cross it. By this stage it was around 6.00pm and in the thick forest it was already quite dark. It was time to decide on whether to look for a place to hold up for the night or push on. The idea of spending the night in a forest with the temps expected to be zero or less wasn’t appealing so I pushed through the thick scrub having lost any sign of a trail and found myself on a high ledge between two creeks. It was now almost 7.00pm and common sense told me to stay put, but I climbed down into the creek bed and followed the creek for about 1klm until I could find a way up the bank. While I climbed the bank I decided that I would find somewhere dry and wait until morning, it was dark and starting to get very cold. Once at the top of the bank while searching for somewhere to spend the night I found a game trail that I followed for a short distance before it started uphill, I backtracked on the trail and followed it in the other direction, before long it became a well used track that lead to the road quite some distance from camp. The long walk along the road back to camp is one that I really enjoyed, knowing I would spend the night in the camper not huddled under a log.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz6.jpg
Almost was caught by stalking on this...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz4.jpg
Being far more careful the following day....
Only regret was not having more time, next year I might try to arrange a week long hunt in a more remote area (via helicopter) to one of the many remote huts that are available to hunters. I'm told the tops are far better to hunt.
Wellsy
This area is probably one of New Zealand’s most hunted public blocks because it is so accessible from Taupo, on the road in I passed 5 cars parked along the road( hunters )
Unfortunately I didn't get to loose an arrow, but I did manage to see 1 Sika stag at around 40 mtrs before it disappeared into the thick scrub, also heard another 3 deer break from their beds at close quarters but the bush was too thick to see them.
The first day I arrived it was around 2.00pm and I thought I would take a quick look from the hill (read big hill) behind camp. Being excited about my first NZ hunt I left my GPS in the camper, big mistake.
The walk to the top of the hill took about two hours and I thought I had plenty of time to return to the camper before dark(around 6.30) so I had a short scout to the east and found some very fresh sign, tracks and scat everywhere. I thought this place would be worth a look in the morning and started to make my way north back to the road and camper when I came across a very steep creek between me and camp, I tried to find a way across the creek to no avail.
I sat down and pulled out the topo map of the area to try and work out where I was and incorrectly worked out my location to be the eastern side of a single creek to the south-east of camp, when I was in fact two klms further to the west and on the eastern side of quite a number of creeks. I decided to head back uphill until I could get around the creek and then take the easy route downhill to camp. After finding a way around the creek I thought everything was fine until I hit another impassable creek, so I repeated the process of heading uphill and westward until I could cross it. By this stage it was around 6.00pm and in the thick forest it was already quite dark. It was time to decide on whether to look for a place to hold up for the night or push on. The idea of spending the night in a forest with the temps expected to be zero or less wasn’t appealing so I pushed through the thick scrub having lost any sign of a trail and found myself on a high ledge between two creeks. It was now almost 7.00pm and common sense told me to stay put, but I climbed down into the creek bed and followed the creek for about 1klm until I could find a way up the bank. While I climbed the bank I decided that I would find somewhere dry and wait until morning, it was dark and starting to get very cold. Once at the top of the bank while searching for somewhere to spend the night I found a game trail that I followed for a short distance before it started uphill, I backtracked on the trail and followed it in the other direction, before long it became a well used track that lead to the road quite some distance from camp. The long walk along the road back to camp is one that I really enjoyed, knowing I would spend the night in the camper not huddled under a log.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz6.jpg
Almost was caught by stalking on this...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wellsyinoz/nz4.jpg
Being far more careful the following day....
Only regret was not having more time, next year I might try to arrange a week long hunt in a more remote area (via helicopter) to one of the many remote huts that are available to hunters. I'm told the tops are far better to hunt.
Wellsy