New Zealand Red Stag Hunt

[fly]

My lifelong dream came true on April 8th as I harvested a royal free chase free range (wild) red stag in the Pisa mountain range of the Otago region on the south island of New Zealand. It took a single shot from 290 yards from a .65 PRC rifle to  bring the majestic stag down. My hunting companion Dave was to get his stag on day 4. The hunt was the most challenging of my life. We covered 5-10 miles a day on foot through deep creek crossings, steep inclines (including some easy rock climbing) and briar navigation that produced numerous superficial cuts. We had sunny skies on day 1, turning to rain then snow and then sun again.jnh Below are some of the better pics from the hunt and vacation that followed. I also took my first Miriams turkey.

[Ravin R10 man]

Congrats Frank! Wow, that is some gorgeous country...more open than what I would have thought it to be. 

[fly]

Thanks - there were some areas that got very thick, but 75% was open. Here is a link to my bungy jump into the Kawaru river.

 

 

[Ravin R10 man]

Houston.....WE HAVE SPLASH DOWN!!

[wtnhunt]

Thanks for sharing Frank.  Great pics.  Don't know much about red stag, but that looks impressive to me.  Congratulations.

[fly]

I have read up on the red deer introduced to New Zealand back in 1871. The Otago region of NZ are descendants of 6 genetically superior red deer from the highlands of Scotland. Arguably, trophy stags are classified as Royal (12 points), Imperial (14 points), and Monarch (16 points) that score around 300 total inches on the Douglas scoring scale. Boone and Crockett is not used for red deer as they are not native to North America. Anything with more than 16 points or scoring more than 320 inches would be a genetically modified stag much like the HIGH FENCE deer here in the states.  It was quite difficult for me to find a guide that had permission to offer hunts for wild stags on private land. Our guide grew up in the Otago region and knew a lot of land owners. We had sole access to hunt 25K acres that bordered national forest. The property was beautiful, but produced the most challenging hunt of my life. The terrain was very steep with multiple water crossings each day (at times waist deep). The stag I took is classified as a Royal (12 symmetrical points). Our guide estimated him to score 290 inches. Dave's stag lacked a 12 point on one side but had a huge frame and was likely 8 or 9 years old and 280 inches. My stag was estimated to be 6 years old. I pulled the front incisors on both and will send off to be aged. Both stags are being officially scored and mounted in NZ and will be shipped back in about a year.