New Zealand Elk and Sika in 2001!


Somethings in life are indeed worth repeating. After visiting New Zealand to hunt in 2000, I could only wish I would have spent more time chasing other game that this paridise offers.

Thus began the plan to return in 2001 to try a different area and different game.






Returning to Thailand from a Wyoming Mt. Lion hunt in December 2000, I could only cross my fingers and hope that with the applications submitted, I would draw either a Wyoming tag for elk, antelope or a mule deer. Little did I know at that time, I would indeed draw all 3 tags in July! However that is another story.

New Zealand offers a large variety of game on both the North and South Islands. Red Stags, Wapiti (Elk), Fallow deer, Sika deer, sambar deer, Spanish goats, feral rams, wild boars, turkey and various species of fowl can be found on both islands. The South Island offers these as well, in addition to a limited amount of whitetail deer. However, the higher mountain altitudes or what is referred to as the New Zealand Alps, is the only area in New Zealand were you can find Tahr and Chamois.

I am no expert on New Zealand hunting, but from my experience, there are three methods of hunting. Free range hunts in the wilderness areas or southern mountains; game preserves that offer trophy game under fair chase conditions and ranches that offer a combination of both.

During my New Zealand trip in April of 2000, I met Wayne McPhedren, a local taxidermist from Hawke’s Bay. As he is indeed a “horse trader,” we stuck a deal for discounts on my mounts in exchange for building a web site for Kaweka Taxidermy and New Zealand Hunting Consultants. Through the year, we exchanged e-mail on a constant basis and the thought of returning grew stronger as each week passed.

It seemed that July would be a long wait, to see what the Wyoming draw would produce, if anything at all. However, I wanted to hunt elk more than anything. But as most of you know sometimes hunters will go years without drawing a bull tag. Wayne informed me of an operation that was in the start up process and it offered a combination of both free range and trophy class ranch hunts. The operation, Big Rock Safari, owned by Rob Holt offered trophy class red stag, ram and goats on the 3500 acre ranch and free range hunts for Wapiti, Sika deer and wild boar in the Kaweka wilderness area that encompasses over 10,000 acres of thick timber wilderness on rolling hills.





In addition, Rob has access to plenty of areas that provided great waterfowl and turkey hunting. During the rut or what Kiwi’s call the roar, free range game on the outside of the game ranches will fight through the fence to attempt to get to the females. This is not good for the fencing, but an advantage to hunters, as game on the outside tend to concentrate around the fence lines, making them easier to locate. Besides ranching and running a hunting operation, Rob has been a member of the New Zealand deerstalkers association for many years. He has definitely taken his share of record class Sika deer and wild boar in the adjoining wilderness areas. After talking with Rob, I felt that I would have a better than average chance at taking a nice bull elk and possibly a respectable Sika deer in his hunting areas.

Again, here I stood ready and in the hunt planning mode. I confirmed with Rob that I would come in May, to hunt wapiti, Sika, duck and turkey and that I wanted to invite another “Kiwi Mate,” Davie Hughes, to duck hunt with. Davie, is the owner of Swazi outdoor apparel in Levin, New Zealand. I met him through other hunting connections and was offered to field test some of his cold weather garments on other hunts. Although we had yet to meet in person, I knew from our phone conversations, that it would be a blast.




It seemed that time passed slowly, but here again I found myself stepping off the plane in mid-May. The crisp clean fall air was a dramatic change from humid temperature of Thailand. After being greeted by Rob, we headed back to his home for a good rest and to start planning our hunt. The hunt would be based out of the comforts of Rob’s home. A cozy 120-year-old farm home, with well-manicured lawns, was more than I expected. Considering my last New Zealand hunt was from a 1 bedroom shepherds shack with limited comforts!




The two weeks prior, Rob had guided a hunter from South Island who killed a nice free range Sika deer and a hunter from California who took a trophy red stag, wild boar, several turkeys and a few ducks.




During the following two days we glassed several elk, but did not connect. As luck would have it, we located a record class Sika along Rob’s property boundary. When comparing this one to those Rob had taken, I knew this was indeed a true trophy. As he slowly strolled along grazing at 150 yards, my first shot from the .270 grazed his brisket and sent him into a full run. Leading him with the second shot and hoping for a chest hit, the bullet found its mark on his spine at the base of the neck. No need for a follow up shot after that luck shot!



Now we had to locate one of the bulls that had wreaked havoc on Rob’s red deer fences! After yet another fantastic evening meal and a good night of rest, Rob and I headed out to the back boundary of his property to try some cow calling and hopefully locate a decent bull. With the morning mist rolling in from the hills, I made a silent wish that the rain would stay away. However, the mist turned to steady drops and the rain was upon us. Thinking about it now, many successful hunts from the past occurred during or right after a good rain. Rob and I continued to stalk below the ridge stopping to make a few short cow calls. I was starting to wonder if the elk we were after had not decided to relocate to another part of the world. However, as we looked at a clearing the movement from a large bodied animal was spotted.

We had located the elk and were in good range! Rob and I moved in position on a point below the elk to wait for them to cross a small opening on a ridge. As we waited and watched the cows and a smaller bull move across the opening, I started to wonder if a nice bull was with this herd. Rob motioned for me to glass a ridge above the areas the cows were crossing and as soon as I focused in, I could see the bulls heavy horns slowly moving through the brush, but the bull was well hidden by a small ridge.

In our position, the bull could have dropped below the ridge and left without providing me the chance for a shot. I figured my best bet would be to use the cow call to try and get the bull to come over the ridge. This would be risky, as the bull’s in this area had not responded to bugles or cow calls previously. Was it possible that my bugles and cow calls had a North American accent that a Kiwi bull could not understand? Who knows! Taking the chance, I called out with three short cow calls. The bull stopped behind the hill and as his horns were turned our direction, we could tell we had at least captured his attention.

I knew I would be taking an additional risk, but I went ahead and let 1 more cow call out. The bull slowly eased up to the top of the ridge and started to walk down towards his cows. With his full body offering me a quartering shot at approximately 220 yards, I placed the cross hairs 3 inches or so behind the point of his shoulder. As he continued to advance, I let out 1 last cow call and the bull stopped. I squeezed the trigger and watched the bull hump over as the thud of the well placed shot followed the sound of the blast. The bull ran full speed down the ridge and stopped on an open hillside less than 150 yards away from our position. As he stopped, the bull lifted his front leg, as what looked like an attempt to stretch out his shoulder. Knowing the hit was good, I was not going to take any chances and when he attempted to lift his front leg again, I sent a second round directly to his exposed vital area. This fatal shot dropped him immediately and he rolled 30 yards down the grass-covered slope to a small flat spot on the hillside.



Rob and I hurried up to the bull and watched as he let out his last breath of life. This was indeed a very impressive animal that deserved respect. Not just for its beauty, both in life and in death, but also as my first bull elk. I counted each point of its 5x6 rack and after taking a few photographs, it was time to go to work on quartering and packing him out.

After returning to Rob’s home and hanging the elk in the cool shed, a vehicle pulled up in the drive. To my surprise it was Davie Hughes. At first glance, the casual observer would think he was a mountain man from the early 1800’s who had just traveled out of the Mountains and forward in time. However, you should never judge a book by the cover and from the many phone conversations I had with him over the past year or so, I knew this hulk of a man was a gentle giant!

Over the weekend we had a fantastic time, “attempting” to fill our limit on ducks and exchanging stories on many hunts from the past. Little did I know at the time, Davie had once gained local fame from taking a year off and walking across Africa! Not on safari or to tour, he just decided to walk across Africa and meet the locals along the way. With each story, it was clear that this outdoor garment maker, is also a well-traveled man with a passion for conservation and the outdoors.

To save embarrassment, on both of our behalves, I will not discuss our “Duck Hunt.” However, I can assure you we did get a few birds and had a blast in just hunting together to meet each other in person. Today I am proud to test his garments and pass them along for others to test. I do not gain anything other that the chance to test his gear, but I would recommend all of his outdoor clothing line over others I have used over the years.

As time passes so quickly, Davie had to leave to return to his family and business. As I can not import much meat into Thailand, both Rob and I were happy to load his truck down with an entire elk and half of a red stag left from a previous hunter. With Davies departure, it was time to head out to another property and try to find a decent bearded turkey. I have hunted turkey ever since the southern states opened a season. The North American wild turkey is a very weary bird with keen senses. Calling them in during the spring can be as exciting as hunting most big game.



To call a turkey in and away from his hens is a true challenge for even the most skilled hunter. I have always found turkey hunting to be a real challenge. However, this is definitely not the case in New Zealand! Although I would not consider this as a true “turkey hunt,” it is part of the adventure and some information I would like to share! The turkeys in New Zealand look just like the North American Merriam breed. However, they lack the weariness of any North American turkey species to a great degree. I would assume that since most ranchers consider New Zealand turkeys, in most part as a pest and thus are not hunted on a seasonal basis, they are accustom to being in close proximity of humans. A second assumption would be due to the lack of predators on the island these birds live throughout the year without pressure. So be it, I had to see what a New Zealand turkey shoot was like. I now understand the true meaning of the term “A turkey shoot!”

Many ranchers are more than happy to allow hunters to enter their property to shoot turkeys. I was a bit shocked at first when Rob asked if we could hunt on an adjoining ranch for turkey and was told to, “Kill as many as you see, just don’t leave them laying around!” I was even more surprised as we drove through the property and in many cases watch as turkey hens casually stroll within 30 yards of the truck!

We spotted the first group on a ridge at a bit over 200 yards away. We could not spot any gobblers as they strolled over the ridge top. So we stopped the truck and made a stalk on the edge of the brush. As we topped the ridge the turkey’s spotted us and took off running in various directions. With a quick shot at the two larger turkey’s, I was amazed to watch two drop with one shot. Never seeing this before, I was ecstatic. However, I was a bit disappointed to find the larger turkeys were two jakes with only 4-inch beards! Regardless, the breast would prove to make fantastic eating!

As we continued to drive along the ranch, we spotted many groups of hens and smaller jakes. Rob, decided we would drive to a more remote area of the ranch where he had saw long bearded gobblers before. As we drove across a cattle guard, we could see a large group of turkey’s walking along the timberline and sheep fence. Looking through the binoculars, I could see 4 decent gobblers and a few hens. I wanted to get out and attempt a stalk, but as the pasture was open, it was certain that as soon as they spotted me they would cross the fence and enter the timber. It was clear that these turkeys had little fear of vehicles, but would head to the high ground when spotting a person walking.






We continued along at a normal pace in the truck and closed the range to less than 50 yards from the birds. At this range the turkeys decided it was too close for their comfort and started to run right across the middle of the paddock. Rob said, “The one in the front is the one you want, he has a good beard.” I jumped out of the truck, as the turkeys attempted to cross the road into the timber. Aiming at the lead bird, the number 4 shot dropped the lead gobbler and the one following behind him. This was a true first for me! 4 birds with 2 shots in one day! With the excitement, I pumped a second shell into the gun and dropped the third gobbler as he attempted to fly across the sheep fence to my left.

Of the three gobblers the beards ranged from 7 to 10 inches. I had always wanted a turkey mount, but had never killed one that I thought was nice enough to be mounted. Considering the way I took these birds, I knew that I had some exceptionally well feathered turkeys. Regardless of the method in which they were taken, I indeed wanted one of these fine birds in my trophy room to remind me of a great hunt! In addition to the one that I sent with the Taxidermist, the breast from the others we “culled” made for some fantastic eating!




I had planned on visiting the Taxidermy shop with Wayne. However as this would be my last night in New Zealand, I wanted to go out help Rob cull as many brush tailed opossums as we could in one night! The brush-tailed opossum is considered as a serious pest in New Zealand. They plague the land by damaging prime vegetation that both livestock and wild game depends upon. From a previous experience, a night out culling wild hares and opossums from quads is a fantastic way to not just assist in controlling vermin, but a great way to sharpen ones shooting skills at moving targets in low light conditions.

To many, this may not sound as exciting as hunting larger game, but one would have to experience such and decided for themselves. Riding along the trails at night on quads, looking for varmints is a good way to enjoy an evening and see other game at night. The brush opossum ranges in color from solid black, red, and gray. The pelts are often sold to various fur companies, who make everything from coats, handbags, slipper shoes and even blankets. These sell for top dollar, as they are very soft, durable and warm.

As the clouds rolled in from the higher elevations, I knew the night and my 2001 New Zealand trip was coming to a close. We returned to Rob’s place just a bit after midnight. I had already packed earlier in the day and laid out my “travelling cloths” for the return trip to Bangkok. As normal, I was unable to have a sound sleep knowing that I would be leaving the clean country air of this wonderful place to return to the congestion of Bangkok. As we drove to the airport, I took mental pictures of all the sights. To me, leaving is always the hardest part of any hunt! But then again, it is time to start planning my next adventure!


I hope return again and if you would like to contact Wayne to plan a New Zealand Adventure, or just to check out his services click below.

Happy Hunting.






If you are interested in top of the line outdoor gear for all seasons, but are tired of what you can find at your local sports shop or catalogue! Contact Davie Hughes of Swazi Apparel on the e-mail me link below! I am sure you will be impressed with the quality and prices.

Tell Dave Thumper sent you!




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