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Hunting serves as a hobby for many, but Liam Tomlinson and Noel Roberts of Warkworth are passionate about hunting for meat. They talked to Mahurangi Matters about how people can get started, and their recent hunting trip in the deep south.
Do the paperwork
The first thing you need to sort out if you’re interested in hunting with a gun is your firearms’ licence. You must be at least 16, and you need to do some reading before completing a written test. You also need to provide two references and have a safe for the gun.
Choose your weapon
The main things you need to think about when choosing a gun are the cost of ammunition, its range and recoil. The bigger the calibre of gun and rarer it is, the more expensive the ammo. Required range will reflect what you are shooting and where. You don’t want to be shooting further than about 300 metres or so with any gun. Recoil is not usually an issue, but if you plan to fire many shots, perhaps steer clear of a bigger calibre gun. The advantage of the bigger calibre is that you have a higher chance of killing the animal. Beginners will only require a single shot rifle. Popular choices are a .243 calibre or .308 calibre, either of which will kill any animal with a head or heart shot. A scope to magnify the target is also a great piece of equipment to have. You could be looking at $1500 for a reasonable starter’s package comprising a rifle and scope.
Practise, practise and practise
Once you’ve got a gun, it’s essential to practise using it at a shooting range. The main thing is knowing how much the bullet will drop over certain distances, as this will make the difference between hitting or missing the animal in the field. You can also get familiar with the recoil and scope or fixed sights.
Know your target
You can either hunt on private property or Department of Conservation (DOC) land. You will need a DOC hunting permit to hunt on public land. Animals to hunt in New Zealand include deer, goats, possums and pigs. Safety is top priority when hunting, especially on public land. You can never shoot within 200 metres of a path and should always have a high chance of hitting your target. You also need to think about what is behind the animal in case you do miss. Always know exactly what you are shooting at before you fire to avoid hitting other hunters.
Make the shot
First sight your animal and then get the gun in a comfortable position for shooting. Load your gun. You should never move around with it loaded for safety reasons. Then aim for the animal to hit the heart or the head. Any other part of the animal and it could escape injured, which you want to avoid. Be calm when firing and squeeze the trigger as opposed to pulling it.
Finish the job
When dealing with the animal it’s best to have an experienced hunter with you if you’re a beginner. With bigger animals, like deer, you will have to remove the guts so it’s light enough to carry out. You need to be careful not to puncture the stomach as it will spoil the meat. Some hunters also like to take the animal’s head as a prize. A headlight is also essential. By the time you’ve finished dealing with the animal, it could be dark. For further information on hunting or to get a DOC hunting permit visit doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/things-to-do/hunting/
Tracking tahr in sub-zero season
Thick snow and steep terrain made for a challenging hunt.
Waist-deep snow and mountain terrain is what stood between Liam Tomlinson, Noel Roberts and the tahr they shot on a recent hunting trip.
The pair spent nine days chasing the animals after helicoptering into a location on the West Coast of the South Island, where temperatures were below zero degrees.
“The terrain made it slow going, as you would be walking on pine forest and then sink into the snow up to your waist,” Noel says.
“There were stages where we were going up steep faces covered in ice so we had to use crampons,” Liam says.
The pair travelled with two other hunters and stayed in DOC huts overnight.
“We did have one night where two rivers flooded either side of us, so we were forced to make camp with the two tents and bivouacs we carried,” Noel says.
Between the four hunters, they shot a total of seven tahr using .243, .260 and .300 calibre rifles.
“We spent a lot of time traversing through the mountains, but when we took a shot, we usually hit our target.
“Tahr are something you only get in the south, so we were specifically going to hunt them.”
Liam recommends only tackling the colder conditions if you feel confident and says late summer is an ideal time to hunt in this location.
