NEW ZEALAND: Crate Unpacking Day New Zealand Hunt Trophies With New Zealand Safaris

[cpr0312]

I was able to finally go to NZ earlier this year after many years of watching many hunting show about it! I just got my crate with horns and hides back from my hunt in late April! I am nowhere near the story teller some of you are, as I have read many entertaining and detailed reports on here recently. I will try my best to tell a small part of the story and post some pics. The first pic is of the crate and contents, I was fortunate to harvest 2 stags, a fallow, and a tahr. I lucked up for the most part with weather, as 5 of my 7 hunting days were sunny, the other two were pretty wet. Luckily I was able to harvest all animals in the first 4 days, the other days were spent sightseeing and hunting wallaby. I hunted the south island with NZ Safaris, they were awesome and had lots of private land. Tons of game, including stag, tahr, chamois, fallow, and ram all within 45 minutes of the lodge! If anyone is thinking of going to NZ, I would definitely recommend it and certainly recommend NZ Safaris! More pics to follow.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Looks like you had a great hunt, congrats!

 

[Royal27]

Nice!

I'd love to do that hunt someday. Tahr in particular intrigues me.

 

[cpr0312]

Thanks guys, yeah Royal, the Tahr was just as high or higher on the list than stag for me!

 

[johnnyblues]

Nice!

I'd love to do that hunt someday. Tahr in particular intrigues me.

Do it buddy. I've hunted NZ twice. I just love it there.

 

[cpr0312]

I was fortunate to get the Tahr on the first day! Figuring this would be the hardest trophy to get, It was a big weight off the shoulders so to speak. By lunchtime, we were skinning a tahr on day 1. Really cool as we were above some of the clouds that day!

 

[cpr0312]

Day 2 we started out after a big fallow buck, could not get on him though, so we switched to stag and got on this guy. After a long stalk up some steep terrain, we set up just a hair under 300 yards. First shot I pulled and shaved some hair off his neck, next shot to the lungs, third shot 1 inch away from second shot, we were able to recover both bullets within 1 inch of each other!

 

[cpr0312]

Day 3 was another long stalk after the fallow we spotted on day 2, he was very evasive, as the saying goes they don't get that big by being stupid. We went to some other property looking for fallow, but could turn anything up that was quite big enough. I have failed to mention to this point that the lodge was very nice and comfortable, I stayed with my guide and his family. The food was very good, they lived on a creek which was also very nice and pleasant at night.

 

[cpr0312]

Day four we started out after fallow again, and got on this one and had to shoot from about 250. After skinning the buck we had some lunch and were heading back to go to the lodge when another stag presented an opportunity to good to pass up. The rest of the trip was dedicated to mostly sightseeing, and shooting a few wallabies. I took a few days in Christchurch and did some touring around there. I would highly recommend NZ Safaris, if you have any questions about them please feel free to PM me and we can discuss.

 

[Redruff]

That's a nice fallow but I can't help but drool over that big boy of a red stag!

Always been a bit of an antler junkie. Glad to see I am not the only one.

Thank you for sharing.

R.

 

[thi9elsp]

Great trophies and great hunt! Congratulations. Just got my stag antlers last week. The Tahr will be a few months yet.

 

[RogerHeintzman]

Congrats Reedy0312, New Zealand is a awesome destination.
Received my trophies, 402" SCI Stag, 12 1/2 yr. old Tahr & Paradise Ducks few weeks ago from my May trip. Just have not taken the time to post report and pics.

 

[cpr0312]

Agree with you all, NZ is awesome, hope to get back someday and maybe throw in a week is Australia as well

 

[CAustin]

Congrats these are great looking trophies! Hope you will post some more pictures when you have the taxidermy work done.

 

[cpr0312]

CAustin, you bet. I just have to decide on how to mount them now! I believe one stag I'll get done roaring, and definitely going for the full body tahr, cant wait!!

 

[cpr0312]

A few more pics to share, one is what I'll call the rainbow cloud, another of one of the many creeks/rivers in the area, and other is a pic of my guide/outfitter, Jim Gibson. Everything about NZ Safaris was great, from answering emails/calls, to answering many questions, from the time I was met at the airport to time of return, I was treated like a friend and a family member! If your thinking about NZ, look them up and give Jim a call, he is very knowledgeable and professional, will get you on the game, and is fun to be around!

 

[adgunner]

Reedy, congrats on the return of the crate from that hunt, and thanks for sharing some of the photos.

 

[Buckdog]

congrats on great hunt I love NZ especially the south island, if any of you get the chance go there. the stag in my avatar is 507sci! they know how to hunt on that island, night vision, silencers, helicopters you name it they do it, pure shootin fest!

 

[dory]

Love the trophies .
Who shot the lawnmower ????

 

[cpr0312]

haha Dory, I'll also take credit for the lawnmower