The area decided upon is widely renowned for producing Red stags of a quality not commonly seen in New Zealand. This aspect of the hunting requires consideration of variables such as timing, pressure and weather. We agreed on that time of year as we wanted to assess stags in the area before anybody else. The risk with this period is that if the hinds weren't cycling due to climatic conditions, or whatever gets them ‘in the mood’, we may not see the more cunning and sought after mature stags that would otherwise be entranced by their female counterparts. At the time of this trip both Harry and I were extremely eligible bachelors and therefore did not need to get permission to head hillside for a ten day trip.
Day I:
After a couple of puddle crossings, a quick 4WD and a short walk, we were into it. A group of hinds with a larger bodied animal in tow were spotted at 2pm, which was a promising start. Unfortunately, these animals were about four kilometres away and our spotter (as good as it was…) could only make out body size. The group were not in our intended direction and were labelled ‘Plan B’. The remainder of the day saw us set camp in the river bed, mindful of the wind and tucked up at the base of the hill opposite the face where, ideally, we would soon be spotting deer. The evening produced a multitude of The evening was topped off with American hotdogs supplied by Cured in Christchurch - Harry seemed to think the taste-to-weight ratio was high enough to warrant carrying them all the way in!
