Close And Personal With A Wapiti Bull
The mountain tops were dressed in white and I had to quickly adapt to an upcoming winter in NZ’s South Island. Only yesterday I had landed in Queenstown, the fun capital of the South Island. I love coming here, but the plane navigating between clouds and sharp mountain tops always makes me clench my fists. Heavy, grey clouds were rolling over the sky and dragging a misty fog behind them while the ground was half frozen. A sporadic cold rain couldn’t decide if it was going to turn into sleet or snow while visibility was miserable.
I WAS wet but warm as I climbed steadily into the hills, looking for a wapiti stag that had been seen in the area. Steve, a friend of mine, had seen him a few times when he was passing through the gorge. The roar was in full swing, so he had probably found the roaring place and was hanging around his territory, warning challengers with deep and aggressive calls. The local population is frequently a mix between elk and European red deer and you can find unique and outstanding trophies if you work hard and have enough patience.
The original herd of elk arrived in NZ many
