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 • No doubt most are now back at the grindstone after a good break over Christmas and New Year.

TV SHOW UPDATE • ALL NEW SEASON 11

RIPPER ROAR 2024 • TOWARDS THE END OF MARCH, AS THE EVENINGS STARTED TO BECOME COOLER, I WAS STRUGGLING TO THINK ABOUT MUCH BESIDES THE LOOMING SIKA ROAR. IT WAS ONLY WEEKS AWAY AND MAN, WAS I LOOKING FORWARD TO APRIL. I HAD PUT MORE PREPARATION INTO THIS ROAR THAN ANY OTHER

Living the DREAM Part One • Yes, indeed- no place I’d rather be than flying into the Southern Alps for another Red stag roar! It was the 25th of March 2024 and over the next seven days things should be hotting up nicely in the tussock basins

ROY SLOAN TALKS WAPITI an interview by Hannah Rae • It was a privilege to sit down with Roy Sloan, who was recently awarded Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation and game hunting and is currently General Manager of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation (FWF).

Third Time's The Charm • Beep beep beep… The alarm rang, jolting me awake. In a sleepy haze, I reached for the snooze button and squinted at the time. “2:30 am…”

Roaring Stags in FIORDLAND • Dad and I have been on two trips to Fiordland in the roar. Usually Dad takes a wooden longbow, but this time we were taking a 223, and I was doing the shooting

Last Call Before The Roar A QUICK BUSH HUNT OVERNIGHTER • It’s that time of year - the last days of summer. And let’s be honest, it’s often a time when, while hunting through pristine New Zealand native bush, you start stumbling across fresh tuna cans left by fireplaces, full of melted food packaging, with the odd beer can lazily discarded beside them

A LIFETIME OF BOWHUNTING • MY LIFELONG DREAM IS TO BOW HUNT AND KILL A TROPHY-CLASS SPECIMEN OF EVERY BIG GAME ANIMAL IN NEW ZEALAND.

Lessons From the Other Side: A Rescue Helicopter Crew • New Zealand's vast wilderness offers hunters some of the most challenging and rewarding outdoor experiences in the world. However, the same remote and rugged terrain that attracts hunters can also become dangerous when things go wrong

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE POINTS • EARLY ON THE WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE EASTER WEEKEND, I OPENED METVUW AND CHECKED THE WEATHER. BLUEBIRD, RIGHT THROUGH TO EASTER MONDAY. IT WAS MY FIRST ROAR AND – EVEN BETTER – MY SHOT. MY HUSBAND JAMES AND I OFTEN GO HUNTING TOGETHER, AND WHEN WE DO WE JUST TAKE THE ONE RIFLE.

Breaking Wind Assess wind to give yourself the best chance at finding an animal

NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED • After hunting certain areas over the years you figure out a few patterns – or at least think you do… We hunt a lot through a farm that backs on to a big limestone maze of public land native. I’ve talked about it a lot, and as far as can be done, have a pretty good handle on the area. When one of the shepherds mentioned a solid boar turning up on a trail camera we started rubbing our hands together! With an absolutely screaming team of dogs for 2024 we were confident that if we could do our part, the dogs would do theirs

Chasing the Perfect Hunt Balancing Skill and Technology • Clear skies, big country, the wind against your face, and animals in motion—these are the dreams of every hunter

GAME ANIMAL COUNCIL NEWS • Navigating the future of game animal management

OCEAN HUNTING SPEARFISHING THE BAY OF ISLANDS • AT LEAST ONCE EVERY YEAR I AIM TO LEAVE THE MURKY WATERS OF BANKS PENINSULA BEHIND FOR A SPEARFISHING TRIP UP NORTH. BLUE WATER, WARMER WEATHER AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BIGGER FISH AND MORE VARIETY. I'M LUCKY TO HAVE A MAD KEEN SPEARO,...