 HuntingReport.com |
Subscriber-Written Trip Report
On Tahr, Himalayan Hunting in South Cantebury New Zealand |
Below is one sample of such a Report which is made available to you FREE of Charge.
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DATE
AND PLACE OF HUNT |
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| Report
ID: |
8923 |
Weapon
Used: |
Rifle |
How
Hunt Was Conducted? |
Guided |
| Date
of Hunt: |
May 14, 2012 to May 18, 2012 |
| Place
of Hunt: |
New Zealand South Cantebury South Island, North of Fairlie (Approx. center of S. Island) |
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OUTFITTER,
GUIDE AND BOOKING AGENT DETAILS |
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| Outfitter
(or safari company): |
Donald and Barbara Bray; Lilydale Wilderness Hunting. 2035 Clayton Road, R.D17; Fairlie; 7987; New Zealand; Tel. 64 3 685 4856; Email: lilydale@xtra.co.nz; Web lilydalewildernesshunting.com |
| Personal
Guide (if any): |
Donald Bray |
| Booking
Agent (if any): |
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Trip
Arrangements
(if self-guided): |
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| License
Required: |
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GAME
DESCRIPTION |
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| Major
Game Animals Taken: |
Chamois - Availability: Abundant - Trophy Size: Est. 23 6/8 SCI |
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Tahr, Himalayan - Availability: Abundant - Trophy Size: Est. 43 3/8 SCI (lengths: 12 7/8" & 13 1/4") |
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| Game
Sought But Not Taken: |
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| Game
Condition Comments: |
Appear to be healthy herds, well-managed |
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SERVICE
RATINGS (excellent, good, fair or poor) |
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| Quality
of Outfit: |
Excellent |
Guide/PH
Ability: |
Excellent |
| Condition
of Camp: |
Good |
Condition
of Equipment: |
Excellent |
| Quality
of Food: |
Good |
Trophy
Care: |
Excellent |
| Name
of Airline: |
American to LA, Qantas to Christchurch via Sydney |
Airline
Service: |
Excellent |
| Airline
Comments: |
Qantas required pre-approval to carry ammunition; done by email (per their website baggage info) |
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COSTS |
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| Hunting
Fees: |
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Amount: |
$6800 |
| Trophy Fees: |
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Amount: |
$0 |
| Permits/Licenses: |
NZ$25 Firearms Import Permit (see comments) |
Amount: |
$25 |
| Commercial
Airfares: |
Frequent Flier Miles |
Amount: |
$0 |
| Charter Airfares: |
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Amount: |
$0 |
| Other Costs: |
Tips, motel and meals in Christchurch |
Amount: |
$0 |
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SUMMARY
REMARKS |
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| Problems
of Hunt: |
None |
| Highlights
of Hunt: |
Seeing lots of animals, including tahr bulls fighting; getting up to where the big tahr live and taking one. |
| Equipment
Recommendations: |
Boots with maximum ankle support; wood hiking staff (ask Donald). |
| Would You
Recommend This Hunt to a Friend? |
yes |
| Why? |
Abundant animals, great scenery. Donald knows his mountains intimately and loves to hunt. |
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HUNTER
INFORMATION |
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| Hunter
Name: |
Brian Gooding |
| Contact
Information: |
Tel. (860) 644-5307 - 359 Avery St. | South Windsor | CT | USA | 06074 E-mail: goodingfam@cox.net |
| Hunting Experience: |
1 or 2 travel hunts per year since 2001 |
| Physical Condition: |
Very good for 70, slow but good endurance, experienced in the mountains |
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IMPORTANT
NOTES (actions taken if hunter unhappy with hunt) |
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| Notified Outfitter? |
Notified Personal Guide? |
Notified Booking Agent? |
| Seeking any
kind of restitution or other settlement from agent, outfitter
or guide? |
| If Seeking Restitution, What is Sought? |
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ADDITIONAL
HUNTER COMMENTS AND/OR OUTFITTER/BOOKING AGENT REBUTTAL |
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A great mountain hunt in beautiful but rugged terrain. Donald Bray owns a vast chunk of land that includes his sheep and cattle ranch AND the mountain range where the tahr (and Arapawa sheep) live. He has an exclusive lease on another mountainous property for chamois. (And other leases for a variety of other game.) Both species were in the rut so there was a lot of activity. The chamois country was pretty thoroughly covered with low but thick and frequently sharp-pointed vegetation. The tahr range was similar, but rockier, probably because of higher elevation. (Maximum was maybe 6500 feet.) The tussock grass was so tough that I could grab a handful and trust it to hold while I hauled myself up the steepest sections. I borrowed an old-fashioned wooden hiking staff from Donald - you hold it horizontally, push it against the slope, and lean on it - telescoping aluminum staffs would bend (permanently) pretty easily. I elected to go high in steep country to try to improve my odds of finding a big tahr bull and had a long day of it. Didn't get down until after dark. Worth it! Saw a variety of tahr along the way, including bulls in butting contests. The bull I eventually shot was mounting a female while another big bull was using his horns to try to scrape him off. I had the unexpected benefit of two guides for most of my hunt - Stu Marr had been guiding a previous client of Donald's, and Donald asked him to stay on as he expected to have to absent himself for some farm responsibilites. Obviously not a normal circumstance. We were based in an older ski lodge part way up in the mountains. Generator for electricity and a big oil stove for heat in the main room - lounge/dining/kitchen area. Individual bunk rooms were unheated once the generator was off, but a sleeping bag worked fine. Hot showers across the hall. The NZ Police website has a form for the import permit to fill out and email to them before you leave. They had it waiting for me at the airport and simply checked the rifle's serial number and collected 25 NZ$. Because there were 2 airlines involved (even though they were code-sharing partners) I had to collect my luggage in LA, walk to the international terminal (fortunately nearby) and check my bag and rifle in again at the regular Qantas counter. I had scheduled a layover of about 4 hours, so I had plenty of time. I also had a copy of my email from Qantas approving my ammunition. I recommend contacting a NZ taxidermist before your trip so you know what your options are and what to expect for costs. Donald can give you a name or names.
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