Winter Hunting - A Wealth of Opportunity

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!