this year myself and mark pitts once again allowed ourselves to be lured to the southern alps in search of tahr and adventure.
it turned out to be an uncanny trip in many ways with weather and bad luck conspiring against us.
the weather forecast for westland looked terrible but we decided against our better judgement to drive over to the valley we were going to hunt but the river was in flood and we would never have got past the first side creek and it was meant to continue raining for the next 5 days. it takes us 2.5 days each way to the hunt area so it wasn't an option to wait it out since that would leave us with zero time to allow for poor weather if we did get in there. realising our mistake in wasting time driving to the west coast we were left with no option but to drive around to the east coast and hope to find somewhere to spend 12 days.
(for the benefit of those who don't know what the weather is like on the western side of the NZ south island and how the alps effect the weather it can be compared to the pacific north west and SE alaska. westerly weather comes in from the coast and when it hits the mountains it rises up, condenses and falls as rain and snow...lots of it. however the mountains form a huge barrier for that moisture, alot of it doesn't make it over the divide between western and eastern drainages causing a profound rain shadow on the eastern side where it is generally alot drier)
so we were forced to turn '180 degrees' and hunt the east. we were both disappointed and excited. disappointed in that we wouldn't be able to have a look at some new areas we had been planning to go to but excited in that we would be hunting somewhere in the east which would be completely new to us.
so the next day we drove to wanaka and updated our hunting permits at the DOC (dept. of conservation) office. we needed to add potential areas in the east to our permit. after getting some info there we drove to twizel for some more local knowledge on hunting in the region. they were most helpful in suggesting where to go, so armed with some info and new maps we drove off and camped at the trail head ready for an early start the next day.
packing the packs for a 12 day hunt-
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3372_zps7wkiu5mw.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3372_zps7wkiu5mw.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3371_zps5dewwyuj.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3371_zps5dewwyuj.jpg.html)
not long after this photo was taken mark went to lie down in bed because he was sick. i was packing by pack when the ground shook beneath me. it took me a moment to register what was going on. then i realised this was a earth tremor. (christchurch has been having tremor ever since the bad earthquake in 2011) it only lasted a few seconds and was enough to wake mark up thinking i was shaking the bed. it marked the first unusual event for the trip.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3375_zpscke6f0hg.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3375_zpscke6f0hg.jpg.html)
upon arrival at the trail head of the west coast valley we intended to hunt we were greeted by a flooding river. we took this as a sign that the mountains wanted time to themselves this year.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3378_zpspse1jd7t.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3378_zpspse1jd7t.jpg.html)
we camped in a DOC reserve near a trail head and got going the next morning. the weather was a bit better as could be expected on the eastern side of divide but we still got rain for a couple days at times.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3382_zpsxshlb41x.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3382_zpsxshlb41x.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3399_zpsferwcali.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3399_zpsferwcali.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3402_zpsrztn3w5z.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3402_zpsrztn3w5z.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3392_zpsj4xlytur.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3392_zpsj4xlytur.jpg.html)
I look forward to reading these stories every year Clint. Planning the same for next year and hope yourself and Mark have some luck.
Memo
Looks Absolutely Beautiful.
:campfire:
Cool stuff as always....... :thumbsup: :campfire:
Aliens permits available? I would love to trek that terrain with bow in hand
Aliens permits available? I would love to trek that terrain with bow in hand
:campfire: :coffee:
:thumbsup:
Great stuff,I can't wait for the rest of the story.
roadkill- ANYONE can get a permit to hunt public land in NZ. it is free and instant. you could have a permit in the next 5 minutes. it's all on the department of conservation NZ website.
non resident aliens included (me). no draws, no tags, no seasons. the only limits......are your own! no once in a lifetime hunts. hunt when and as often as you please.
ever wanted to hunt Mt goat or sheep? watched your youth fade away while waiting for a draw? haven't got $20-40K? NZ is the place for you. anyone can take up the opportunity to hunt tahr, chamois, red stag etc, etc. it is one of the world's great mountain hunts and it can be all DIY on your terms (that is what makes it such a unique and appealing opportunity), no guide holding your hand.
think of it as mt goat or sheep hunt for alot less dollars and whenever you want.
more to come soon everyone
it started to rain after midday and we setup camp at 2pm. it was fine in the morning but the overnight wind had not given up. we glassed till lunch time when the rain returned. we saw a nice bull above camp and decided to climb up after him the next day but the rain had other plans. it continued all night and into the late afternoon of the next day. this gave us plenty of time in my new tent.
there was a 24F degree frost overnight and the weather was fine. we started glassing from camp again when a helicopter flew up the valley and proceeded to haze every face in the catchment. we recognised it as a local tourist glacier flight operator but figured DOC must have been counting tahr or something. there would be no other reason for it to fly so close to the faces. after it left we went for a walk but began to notice regular chopper flights high over the valley and we realised that we were under a flight path for tourist flights. after the hazing of the first chopper everything went to ground and with the regular fly overs we soon came to the conclusion that we were wasting our time there.
we walked back out to the car, drove to town again, had a burger and chips then went back to the DOC office for advice on plan C.
with another valley picked out we drove to the trail head and camped in another DOC reserve ready to walk in again the next day.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3408_zpsq1iabuho.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3408_zpsq1iabuho.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3421_zpshgpp0cza.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3421_zpshgpp0cza.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240631_zpsrsd9rliz.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240631_zpsrsd9rliz.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3428_zpseyuxz52l.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3428_zpseyuxz52l.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240642_zpsdhbwpf41.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240642_zpsdhbwpf41.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240687_zps0jpchox6.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240687_zps0jpchox6.jpg.html)
more on the chopper hazing later. upon returning back to australia there was a stunning revelation about it......
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240680_zpsp9aw3aci.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240680_zpsp9aw3aci.jpg.html)
the walk out was pleasant enough. the creek we descended would best be described as an escalator compared to what we are familiar with in westland. we over budgeted the time to walk out by several hours. when you see the same distance on the map in westland you allow half a day for it. we were at the car in 2 hours!
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240707_zpsd3jraefl.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240707_zpsd3jraefl.jpg.html)
after driving to town and back out to another trail head we camped in a DOC reserve for the night. marks kifaru supertarp notched up another night in NZ, this time on the banks of a lake gouged by glaciers in the last ice age.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3429_zpshfl1cfg7.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3429_zpshfl1cfg7.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3431_zpsrrmvkj4l.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3431_zpsrrmvkj4l.jpg.html)
so next day we walked into another valley.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3447_zpswa2qpv4f.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3447_zpswa2qpv4f.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240745_zpsidypndlj.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240745_zpsidypndlj.jpg.html)
photo by mark.
next day we spotted some tahr above camp and decided to head up towards them.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3450_zpsolhqj1qc.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3450_zpsolhqj1qc.jpg.html)
mark takes a breather-
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3451_zps3illr6vk.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3451_zps3illr6vk.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3455_zpsu49ajkfo.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3455_zpsu49ajkfo.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3461_zpsbtuin9ak.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3461_zpsbtuin9ak.jpg.html)
camp is down near the creek on the edge of the shadow.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3459_zpsibsk6z4a.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3459_zpsibsk6z4a.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240757_zps56kvzfat.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240757_zps56kvzfat.jpg.html)
photo by mark.
Good stuff Clint, Keep it coming! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Looks awesome, mate!
Great story. :campfire:
Boy do y'all know how to live!!!
Great pics, & great story!
Sorry guys my wife and I just had a baby girl last week, so finding time to post is somewhat of a challenge.
As we sat up high glassing, we spotted a mob of tahr north west from us most were feeding on the other side of a deep creek, but there were a couple of nannies on our side. The only trouble was the lack of cover, we dropped some elevation and sidled out of view to another steep wall creek on the edge of the open expanse that the tahr were feeding on. The wind was good, blowing from them to us so we decided to wait for a while and see what would unfold.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240842_zps37rcp8up.jpg)
After a while a young bull revealed himself, and ended up bedding in the sun on the sparsely tussock covered shale slope. with no way to cover the ground un seen we waited. We had lunch and enjoyed our time glassing the tahr, waiting for an opportunity to arise.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/IMG_3466_zpsrz06mpfj.jpg)
When the young bull and a few nannies fed off towards the far creek we decided although not ideal this would be our best chance. We climbed up and skirted the base of the cliffs closing the distance carefully while still being in view of the tahr on the other side of the
creek Clint graciously offered me the stalk and wouldn't have it any other way, so off I went with Clint following behind taking pictures.
During the stalk another mob of tahr had started feeding up the far side of the creek a lone bull was lower in the creek heading in the same direction, I thought to myself, if he stays low in the creek and if I can head him off and still be in range then I might have a
chance.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/IMG_3472_zpsv5joixll.jpg)
Photo by Clint.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/IMG_3473_zps4nb3fmkt.jpg)
Photo by Clint.
As I closed in on the bull trying to head him off was a bit of a race, I decided to go high around a cliff and see if I could gain some
ground. It wasn't very high and when I rounded the point there was a path down all be it a narrow path about 18" wide I was fixated
on the tahr and I cant recall looking down, I can remember my pack getting caught on the rock and thinking this isn't fun.
Hi Mark! Congratulations for the new arrival to your family! I'm really liking this adventure story and have been checking regularly for updates! Cheers, Ben
I am really enjoying this thread. Thanks very much for sharing a hunt that iin all likelyhood is no longer an option for me.
Please keep sharing the experience.
Greatness...
,,Sam,,
Love these threads.
:campfire:
Awesome stuff guys!
Bisch
I'm so glad to see this thread again this year! No matter the results, just being in that country would be a dream come true!
Spectacular!
Great thread as usual! Beautiful country!
Awesome! Bless y'all for sharing!!
I just love reading about this adventure every year. Thanks for taking us along :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great post!
Still more to come guys. Mark is busy as he said and I'm not at home for a little while to download more pics etc.
Best thread so far in 2016!
:readit:
ttt
Nice story and congrats on the new addition!
That countryside is amazing........
well told story. Welcome to the little lady!
Okay, since the Dual Survival show has gone down the "loo" and can't seem to keep a cast since the Dave and Cody days, Clint has my vote to replace Grady next season....with him and Josh it will be the "Kiwi/Oz Survivor"! Love the accents, mate.
Amazing stuff, can't wait for more.
Awesome so far guys! Thanks for sharing and keep it coming!
Mark, congrats on the addition to your family!
Thank you guys for the kind words, ive passed them on to my wife also.
So now lets continue.......
I froze on the thin ledge. The lone bull looking my way, he knew something was up but didn't know what.
After a while he started feeding again but this time he was feeding up out of the creek towards a mob of nannies above us, I smiled and thought these animals know when they cant be touched. I kept going off the ledge and although my intercept plan had failed, I was comforted by the realisation on seeing that side of the terrain, that the closest shot would have been to far and the wind barreling down the creek wouldn't have done much for my arrow flight! I went as far as I could go to the creek and was content to take a few more pictures to add to my growing collection of Tahr photos.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240784_zpsj46zp5de.jpg)
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240763_zpsp83hlshx.jpg)
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240782_zpsgbkh9vqr.jpg)
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240775_zpsrlp6dkal.jpg)
Good job I didn't look down. The view back to the ledge I descended.
After deciding to re group with Clint, I cut back round the bottom of the shale slide, a safer option I thought.
Clint was just rounding the bottom also, I relayed the story and we soaked up the mountains around us and it was decided that we should start the decent back to camp as time was getting on.
We used scree slopes to descend where we could, this is is the first time we have encountered these bush escalators and boy did they save us some time.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/IMG_3474_zpsx2aaj9in.jpg)
We sideled the whole face to get back to camp then dropped into the creek and descended to the tent,.
This is where the whole trip changed for me.
upon arrival at the tent Clint decided to take a few practice shots, its always good to to shoot with a mate, especially if its a good mate you only see once or twice a year. So I decided to join him, as I focussed on the tussock we were to shoot at and drew back.......
I was met with 100% let off, and here's me thinking I was shooting trad gear.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240796_zpsrgz6b4ox.jpg)
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/P1240852_zpsqxqzjrky.jpg)
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g463/markpitts1/NZ%202016/IMG_3502_zps1h7na5xk.jpg)
Bugger..... a nut bar, will make it better.
Man that stings.......
Brutal!!!
mark's apparent calmness after the event is testament to his attitude towards hunting. of course i could see his disappointment, but it was tempered with his acceptance that this is just another trial to overcome before the mountains will give up their bounty for him.
i'm not sure i would have been as willing to accept that fate as readily. mark's reaction taught me that anger wouldn't have helped the situation at all, so there is nothing to do but enjoy the mountains for what they are. these trips are so much more than simply hunting, it is a life journey.
i will personally be as happy to see mark and paul rea (he couldn't make this trip) claim the mountains prize as if i had myself. i couldn't think of people more deserving.
I've been there....LOVE NZ threads!!!!
Didn't kill anything on the two days I hunted...but KILLED the trout!!!!
i can't remember exactly but we probably drowned our sorrows that night with an extra hot drink and a mars bar.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3504_zpscdp25g0y.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3504_zpscdp25g0y.jpg.html)
the next day the weather was fine and it didn't take long to spot some animals. we glassed for a while, content to try and formulate a plan for a stalk. however it wasn't long before there were so many tahr visible from camp that we were literally unable to move from camp to stalk any.
here's a photo i took from camp-
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3492_zpskulkdf77.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3492_zpskulkdf77.jpg.html)
now here's the same photo with the tahr marked with dots-
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3492_zpsix24dta4.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3492_zpsix24dta4.jpg.html)
there's about 80 tahr there! so, with little hope of a stalk because they would see us coming and for their numbers we had no choice but to hope they all fed into a better location where an approach was possible, which they didn't.
that night we thought we had patterned their movements somewhat and decided to glass early, spot them, then quickly make a move. except we only briefly saw about 6 tahr early in the morning which soon disappeared into the crags. after that we didn't see another tahr all day anywhere in the valley. so much for having patterned their movements.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/P1240859_zpsour6iy1x.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/P1240859_zpsour6iy1x.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3507_zpskrk6lfi2.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3507_zpskrk6lfi2.jpg.html)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_3520_zpswdg0ac7b.jpg) (http://s530.photobucket.com/user/ozyclint/media/IMG_3520_zpswdg0ac7b.jpg.html)
That's a pretty impressive mob! What happened next?
:campfire:
Go on Clint!
Just Getting caught up. Bummer about the bow but what beautiful country!