March 2022 heralded the early days of the deer rut and spawning run of brown trout at Poronui. It should be no surprise that it was also a good time for a celebrated wildlife videographer to be on-site filming the creature and client magic that occurs at Poronui at that time of year.

His name is Steve Couper. Steve lives in Queenstown and has a reputation for unzipping the best elements of places he films. His camera, his video, and his drone are extensions of his observant and critical eye, and his work presents to viewers glimpsed images of what they, too, will witness when they follow in his footsteps.

In terms of the film industry, he has ‘been there, done that’ — though lately he has become more specialised. Over the last few years he has been profiling hunting and fishing operations, and documenting through photography and video the essence of the place and adventures of clients who visit those spots. In the business world they call it ‘unpacking the product’.

I was on-site as well that week, hunting and fishing, so we often crossed paths while pursuing our objectives. Years ago I had written an article about him in The New Zealand Fishing News in relation to his efforts to locate moose in Fiordland and to film a trout fishing DVD. It was good to catch up.

While at Poronui he filmed the accommodation options, the property and landscape, the wildlife and big game, the lodge, stalked red stag, sika, and fallow with hunters, and went heli-fishing with clients.

Steve liked to get close to deer, wanted to remain undetected, and wanted the herds interacting with each other, unaware he was there. He wanted his efforts to present an undisturbed natural world. This takes great patience.

The cameraman always carries more gear than anybody else, has to be fit, get the shot when the opportunity presents itself, provide crisp, sharp footage, and edit the raw data late into the night. Carrying a camera doesn’t provide much protection either, and his tales of global near misses with angry quarry had me shaking my head. In New Guinea, a client from his hunting party was seriously injured when charged by a buffalo.

I have only glossed over his amazing visual work. You’ll have the chance to see a lot more when you follow Poronui Hunting’s social media (click on the icons below). The material is stunning.

Greg Morton

One of New Zealand’s longest established hunting/fishing profile journalists. Outdoors writer since 1987. Past positions include New Zealand correspondent for The Hunting Report; The Bird Hunting Report, and The Angling Report, and writing a regular hunting article for New Zealand Outdoor for 30 years. Presently writes a monthly article named Fair Chase for New Zealand Fishing News and a hunting blog for Poronui, while continuing his passion for hunting, fishing, and wildlife photography. Lives in Alexandra, Central Otago.

Steve Couper

Steve is an award-winning photographer with more than 15 years of professional experience capturing stunning images of remote wildlife and landscapes of New Zealand. He believes each photograph tells a unique story, one that evokes the imagination and the senses. More of his work can be viewed at https://www.stevecouperphotography.co.nz/