Red Deer:

Reds are common over most of the country except for some isolated areas and occur almost wherever any land is in bush and on scrub areas of large farms.  They are still in large numbers and can be hunted at any time of the year without a licence or permit, although a permit is required to hunt on Department of Conservation land. Average trophies in the wild are 8 – 10 points, with a number of 12 pointers about 35 inches long shot each year.  They are very vocal during the roar and are usually stalked by following the roar or brought to the hunter by emulating the roar.  They inhabit dense bush country and in many cases the shot is taken at 25 yards or so.  Guides generally hunt safari parks or protected herds on private land.  It is usual to find visiting hunters free range wild trophies of 10 to 12 points plus but with few guarantees of success.  These wild animals usually stay well hidden until the roar when they are at the most vulnerable.  The safari park hunts tend to obtain much larger trophy heads with a guarantee of success.

Wapiti:

Once released to the wilds of the central North Island they colonized in record time.  Within 30 years they had taken over an area of several million acres and driven out the resident Red Deer.  Today Sika inhabit all of the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Mountain ranges and much of the fringe country.  They have a distinct liking for dense scrub athus becoming difficult to hunt.  This herd of Sika would be the largest and most important herd available to hunters worldwide.  Like other deer, their antlers exceed anything grown in their home country.  They are the most sort after trophy and exist in large numbers.  Antlers grow to eight points (with some exceptions) and anything twenty five inches long or over are considered a good trophy.  Sika are pretty deer, being slightly smaller than Red, and have a small petite face.   They are also considered to be one of the most cunning of all deer species.

Rusa Deer:

This species inhabit a small area within the Urawera National Park and every year several good trophies are taken.  They are best hunted during the roar which for these deer is between August and October.

Whitetail Deer:

Stewart Island at the bottom of the South Island is the home of the Whitetail although some other herds do exist and produce good trophies around Queenstown.  They live within dense bush coming out to feed at night on seaweed etc along the beaches but do not grow trophies to equal those of the USA however as a South Pacific species they are important.  Hunts to Stewart Island are very popular with Kiwi hunters.  They often provide good fishing at the same time as Stewart Island is still an untouched southern ocean fishery.
Huge blue cod can be caught straight off the beach, and the crayfish and paua (abalone) grow to massive proportions in these colder untouched climates.

Fallow Deer: 

Again these deer had their origin on English parks and from these bloodline releases some exceptional trophies are to be had.  They inhabit several areas of both the North and South Islands in fairly substantial numbers however most good trophies are shot from safari parks.  The wild stags vary a lot in quality and the herd best known for palmation are in the Blue Mountains of the South Island.  There is also a large herd in the North Island at Wanganui which produce some good trophies however a lot of these stags tend to have split palms.  A number of smaller herds occur all over both Islands.

Himalayan Thar:

Considered a premier trophy.  The Himalayan Thar is found high in the mountains of the central South Island especially around Mount Cook.  Be prepared to climb hard and have a good head for heights although guides tend to have a few easier places lined up.  The best time to hunt them is May to June when their coats are rich and dense.  Trophies are amongst the best available in the world.  They are indeed a challenging hunt just from the fitness level alone.  They also require long range flat shooting rifles.  They live high on the rocky bluffs and are extremely wary being blessed with exceptional sight.  They have specially adapted feet and are adept at scaling the sheer cliffs with ease.  One of the considerations taken into account before shooting a Thar is if it will be recoverable from where it may fall.  Access to the high country by helicopter will save time and those legs.  A very exciting experience and one you will never forget.

Austrian Chamois:

The Austrian Chamois has totally colonized the mountains of the South Island and although heavily hunted by sportsmen they continue to thrive.  They are found from the far south of the island right up into the Northern Marlborough region of the South Island.  Again they are best hunted in May/June and trophies are world class.  Much of what applies to Thar hunting also applies to Chamois although they will and often do inhabit the upper bush line and rough broken creeks and gullies, lying out on steep rocky outcrops where man dare not step.  They are real speedsters and while the Thar is a marvel on the sheer cliffs it is no match for the Chamois and its shear speed  across flat tussock country which some have described as almost as ‘fast as a bullet’.

South Pacific Goat: 

The New Zealand South Pacific Goat were released by the early whalers and sealers to supply food should they become shipwrecked.  These gregarious animals spread like wildfire and are now found in huge numbers in many areas.  They grow horns up to forty-five inches in spread and make a desirable addition to any trophy collection.  Many hunters enjoy a goat hunt as a change to the rigors of deer hunting.  For one thing you get to see a lot of animals during the course of the day and they can be most difficult to get within shooting range.  They are regarded as a pest and many a young hunter has been blooded on wild goats.  They don’t like wet weather and tend to be found lying in the sun high on rocky faces especially after a period of unsettled weather.

Wild Pigs:

We refer to our wild pigs as Captain Cook razor backs.  They are a short, lean and black in colour with an aggressive nature.  Tusks are exceptional and to be avoided when at Close quarters.  The wild boar is in fact a very popular game animal in New Zealand.  A big Boar can weigh up To 300lb and sport 3 inch ivory tusks.  With very good eyesight and sense of smell the wild boar is a very challenging animal to hunt.  Stalking on foot with rifle or bow is a popular method of hunting along with hunting with dogs.

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