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Trophy Fees |
Hunting With Donald Bray
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Top Property |
The properties hunted by skilled guide Donald Bray are situated in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, near the town of Fairlie, which is in the Central South Island of New Zealand. The main Wilderness Hunting Area is alpine terrain situated at 2,500 to 7,600 feet above sea level: snow can be expected from the middle of June onwards, so cold weather clothing and good boots are essential. Guests can be met at Christchurch International Airport and accompanied to the hunting area or alternative travel arrangements can be made to suit individual needs |
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Information |
The tahr and arapawa
ram hunting area
is situated on 12,500 acres of privately owned land with a
wilderness area of 10,500 acres. |
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| Rare Quarry |
The elite big game trophy in New Zealand is the Himalayan tahr. It is the fair chase hunter’s Mt Everest. Its status derives twofold. In the first place, the bulls are magnificent, maned masters of the craggy peaks, while secondly, only the elite of national and international hunters ever secure one. They are only found in the South Island of this country, and then, only in limited locations. Tahr country here is alpine terrain: 3,000 to 7,600 feet above sea level. The winter months, June to August, can experience heavy snow, but this cold does create the magnificent pelt and mane, bull tahr are famous for. |
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Trophy Quality |
The country is steep, and strewn with shingle scree faces and native vegetation. There is no bush, so all hunting is in open terrain. Three large valleys dominate the tahr range, each with its resident animals. Trophy quality is excellent, and the securing of a representative 12-inch bull is a high possibility. The best bull taken by a client thus far was slightly less than 14 inches. Chamois quality is also good. The red stag block holds a good population of free range red deer, and regularly produces stags in the 10 to 14 point class. They are in the bronze medal class because of the fact they live wild and free, while gold medal bull tahr and chamois buck are often taken. |
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Tactics |
The best tahr hunting technique is to climb high, as bulls expect danger to approach from below. Many hunters, who travel up the valley, see animals, but those animals have also seen them. A whistle of alarm signals the end of the hunt for that day. By staying on the lee side of the ridge, the hunter can appear above animals, and stalk down on the selected bull. Vehicle tracks can get you well up the hill before you start walking, but you will still have 1500 feet or more to climb. One successful hunter was so elated with what he had achieved that he had his walking pole mounted on the wall, alongside his trophy. Helicopter access is not used. |
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Bull Tahr |
A dominant bull tahr is the undisputed, alpine king of the mountains of New Zealand. The first sight most visiting hunters have of one is of a grizzly bear like animal peering down upon them from a lofty crag. The alpine breeze will be rippling his mane and short sturdy horns will sweep back into his ruff. A big bull rolls as he walks, with the heavy shoulder muscles creating a definite boxer’s strut. For most of the year the bulls are in small bachelor groups, but at the onset of the ‘rut’ in early May, they join the female groups. A mature bull can weigh up to 300lbs and can be tough to kill, so heavier calibre rifles are needed. |
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Best Time |
The
best time for the capes is from May through to October and it is
possible on this property to see in excess of 50 tahr a day with
many trophy bulls among them. Bring good binoculars: have a
rifle that is accurate at ranges out to 300 meters, wear
wind-proof warm clothing, and have sturdy mountain boots.
The farm’s
location is also nestled in the middle of good fallow deer
country, trout fishing lakes and rivers, small game hunting for
hares and rabbits, and skiing opportunities during winter. To
shoot a trophy tahr is still the pinnacle of alpine fair chase
achievement. |
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Contact |
Greg: fairchase@paradise.net.nz index / gamebird hunting / big game hunting / fishing / australia / outfitter profile / about us / fair chase hunts / free range hunts / |
