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Comments 0 | Posted by: Global Administrator,
This is a sample of the best trophies taken in 2011, some for their SCI score, others for their proportions and quality. We had a fantastic year and really enjoyed meeting some new people and some new challenges. We're sure 2012 will be even better, thanks to our quality deer management practices, and we will be updating our Trophy Gallery over the next few weeks, so check it out again to see more magnificent trophies soon!
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Comments 0 | Posted by: Global Administrator,
Twelve sika stags (six mature stags and six sub adult stags) have now been carrying radio for almost two years and the results are fascinating to say the least! Now that two ruts have past what have we learnt?
The first thing is the commonly held view that stags stay on Poronui all their lives is wrong! One stag has travelled 14 kilometres each March to rut in the same gully. In fact in the first year the mature stags all left the property. Another travelled 15 km in the first year but was shot before we found out whether he made the same trip in 2011. To show that you can never take anything for granted one of the stags that left Poronui to rut in 2010 decided to stay home this year.
To add to the confusing picture most of the younger stags have chosen not to leave their summer ranges despite the fact that some are now more than three years old. Once again there was an exception! In this case a young stag - collared as a spiker in November 2010 moved 12.7 km between 7 April and 18 April to a rutting territory in the Te Matai Stream catchment.
What have we learnt so far? Firstly the grass on Poronui is incredibly important to sika stags in a large area of the Kaimanawas with animals consistently occupying summer territories on the property before moving up to 15 km to rut. The deer management practices employed on Poronui are benefiting hunters over a large area of public hunting land. The second thing is that while there seems to be constant behaviour individual animals will still decide to do their own things from, time to time. Whether this is due to changing social circumstances or it is simply random is too hard to tell at this stage.
As might be expected being a sika stag in one of the most heavily hunted parts of New Zealand is hardly a safe occupation. Two stags have been shot to date with another now on the missing in action list. One stag was shot by a Poronui client its collar indistinguishable under the heavy mane early one April morning. With the older collars now fading it is getting harder for hunters to identify a collared stag. If you do shoot a collared stag please return the collar intact so we can reuse it.
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Comments 0 | Posted by: Global Administrator,
The value of a good hunting dog was underlined one day last season when Poronui guide Dave Sharp and his vintage Hungarian Vizsla Gem were out with a client. Dave was with Poronui client John Roberts when they came upon a trophy stag. While we all like to see animals killed quickly and cleanly, every experienced hunter knows there are times when it just doesn’t work out that way. And this was one of those times.
John’s shot did not stop the stag. In fact, for a while they were unsure whether a hit had even occurred. Gem had other ideas though, and convinced Dave to look close to the river, where he found sign the stag had been hit. That started a tracking session of truly monumental proportions.
Gem followed the stag for more than two hours taking Dave and John 2.5 km before they caught up with the stag and John was able to secure his trophy. While Dave was aware of Gem’s abilities and experience, this performance exceeded anything he had come across. Not only did Gem follow a track with only limited visible sign, she avoided other deer they encountered on the way - and stuck to her guns even when the hunters felt she was going the wrong way. John was well aware that without Gem there was no way he would have taken home his trophy.
Awesome work Dave and Gem! Poronui hunters will be reassured to know that they have the back up of a good team of hunting dogs just in case.
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Comments 0 | Posted by: Global Administrator,
Hunting during the rut definitely delivers on the hype. Roaring stags, clashing antlers, and the chance of an enraged stag charging in to check out the stranger, definitely makes March and April in New Zealand an exciting time to hunt. It certainly attracts most of the hunting pressure and there are some great trophies taken as well as some wonderful hunting experiences obtained. When you cut to the chase, some of the best opportunities come during the winter months when most hunters have given up for the year.
During the rut, red stags - and particularly sika - head off on their own looking for females, and will hold territory that often has plenty of cover. As a result it can be difficult to look over big numbers of stags in a day. However, once the rutting is out of their systems for another year, they happily team up with the very same stags that only weeks earlier they would have fought with to the death. These bachelor groups hang around the open or fringe country as the stags take every opportunity to feed on the last of the grasses as they look to regain condition. During this time the animals are very visible morning and evening and there are opportunities for some great trophies. It is incredible how many animals turn up that certainly weren’t there during the rut!
In the steeper country at Glazebrook in the South Island, the red stags head lower and frequent the valley floor - often lingering to enjoy the morning sun before heading back up the hill for the day. This provides one of the few opportunities to get a stag without having to negotiate the famous Glazebrook slopes!
There is no getting over the fact that winter weather can be cold and a bit of dry fishing on the side is also not going to work. But for sheer practical opportunity to get a good trophy, a winter hunt is worth considering, just remember to wear a couple of extra thermal layers in case!
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Comments 0 | Posted by: Global Administrator,
In mid-April Greg Morton visited Glazebrook Station in inland Marlborough in the South Island with Poronui Hunting. Here is his account of the visit as a PDF supplied by NZ Outdoor Hunting (1.3MB).
If you are interested in finding our more about red stag hunting or fallow buck hunting at Glazebrook, please call Steve on +64 21 888 669 (locals +021 888 669).
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