NZ Hunter

New Zealand’s premier hunting and outdoor magazine . For everything hunting - adventures, tips, how-tos, and reviews of the latest products. A great read with something for everyone.

NZ Hunter

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR • Well, back in 2007 when Fi and I first made the jump from primary production and agriculture to magazine production, who would have thought we'd still be here 17 years later producing our 100th issue!

SHE'LL BE RIGHT • A SEVEN-DAY ADVENTURE WITH RECURRING THEMES OF SLEEPING UNDER ROCKS AND IN SWAMPS, WISHING FOR A ROPE, AND WALKING LONG INTO THE NIGHT

A WEST COAST DOUBLE • IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE WEST COAST FOR ME. I'M SURE I CAN SPEAK FOR PETE AND SAY THAT HE FEELS THE SAME. GROWING UP OVER THERE HAS GOT A BIT TO DO WITH IT

THE UNFORGETTABLE • MOST OF US SIKA HUNTERS DREAM ABOUT FALLING ASLEEP IN THE KAIMANAWA TO THE SOUND OF SINGLE-CALLING SIKA STAGS. THIS NIGHT IN PARTICULAR, WE COULD HEAR THEM GOING VERY WELL IN THE DISTANCE, AND AS WE LAY IN OUR SLEEPING BAGS UNDER THE FLY, PLANS WERE HATCHED TO GO AFTER THEM IN THE MORNING

SIKA TIPS

HARD LUCK STORIES • The Roar of 2023 will go down in the memory banks as a series of hard luck stories

THE ULTIMATE, ALL-ROUND NZ HUNTING CARTRIDGE IS IT THE NEW 7MM PRC? • Most of our readers will be aware I think the 7mm is the sweet spot for a mountain hunting rifle between the light recoiling but accurate 6.5s and smaller, and the punishing in front and behind 30 cals and bigger

LOOKING BACK • In celebration of 100 issues of publication and over 16 years in the print game, I thought it would be of interest to share some of my behind-the-scenes insights of this quite remarkable journey my parents Greg and Fi have all taken us all on

THE MID BURN MONSTER • “Congratulations, the 2023 FWF ballot has been drawn and your party has been allocated a block.”

HUNTING WITH THE TAHR FATHER • “IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD PUSH 15 INCHES”, SAID THE VOICE ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE. IT WAS SNOW HEWETSON WHO HAD CALLED ME. HE SAID HE HAD SPOTTED THE BULL TAHR THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WAS PRETTY SURE IT HAD SURVIVED THE RUT AND SHOULD APPEAR AGAIN SEEKING NANNIES. NOW, AS HUNTERS, WE ALL KNOW OF MATES RENOWNED FOR YARNS AND STORIES ABOUT A HUGE TROPHY THEY GLIMPSED THAT ELUDED THEM, BUT SNOW KNOWS HIS TAHR

WĀHINE AND WAPITI • NO ONE RETURNS FROM FIORDLAND UNCHANGED. WHETHER IT'S CHERISHED TIME WITH GREAT MATES, EXHILARATING ADVENTURES OR HUMBLING MISADVENTURES, OR BEING AWESTRUCK BY THE GRANDEUR OF THIS UNTOUCHED WILDERNESS, FIORDLAND LEAVES AN INDELIBLE MARK.

SUB-SEVEN ADVENTURES ALWAYS GETTING READY • I recently set out on a three-day alpine hunting trip with all my gear weighing less than seven kilograms. This included everything from my pack, food, clothes, shelter, sleep system, first aid kit, electronics, and hunting gear (excluding the rifle)

Better Hunting Aotearoa GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR MAPS • Most hunters and outdoors people have basic map skills. But there's so much depth we can add to our hunting through closer inspection of what a map is telling us

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY • We've all got to be humbled every now and then, and some situations are a bit more painful than others

ONE MORE ROAR

GAME ANIMAL COUNCIL NEWS

ADAMS RANGE • The steep and rather scenic Adams Range towers above the Barlow River to the south and the Poerua River to the north, with the landing site on the northern side, about halfway up to the 2000 meter peaks above

20 YEARS OF PERMOLAT • Congratulations to NZ Hunter as it celebrates its 100th issue and for the well-deserved popularity it has garnished along the way

KIWI ULTRALIGHT SINGLE QUILT • Kiwi Ultralight are, as the name suggests, a kiwi company - based in Nelson who...