Mid Summer Lake Tekapo Tahr Hunt – New Zealand

[NZLongBowMan]

#2516

Hey all,

*Quick note, you may have to click on the image again once you’ve clicked on the link to see the full sized image!*

This is my first hunting story so forgive me if it is bad

It was a hunting trip from the beginning of last summer.

I had a 4 day trip planned to Lake Tekapo which was actually a fly fishing weekend but knowingly took my bow/hunting gear with me in case the weather looked dandy for a day hunt!

After 3 days of fly fishing around Lake Pukaki I decided to check the weather forecast for the region and was pleasantly surprised the last day looked like a cracker! Up at 4am the next morning having slept in my car near where I wanted to go I quickly inhaled my bowl of bircha oats and started my trek up the mountain.

4 hours and several mountains later I reached where I thought I’d see something and edged my way slowly over the ridged, sat quitely with the binos and glassed, within a minute I picked out 2 youngish bull Tahr laxing out in the sun and planned my stalk. They were pretty much opposite the small gully below me so I had to back over the ridge, saddle along it heading towards the top of the mountain and drop down on top of them.

http://img51.imageshack.us/i/p1010560q.jpg/

Anyways, whilst making to the top the wind blew across me making that venture fruitless. After finally reaching where I had seen the Tahr I decided to have a quick snack and glass some more. Much to my delight about 1km away I saw another bull sleeping under a small rocky cliff and decided to make way over and come down on top of him.

In this photo you can’t see the sleeping giant but he is further back in the valley.

http://img708.imageshack.us/i/p1010568a.jpg/

I finally made it to the rock where I’d see the Tahr sleeping under, slowly crept over him and stood above where he was and sure enough no more than 5 meters away there he lay fast asleep. I could have jumped down off the rock and stuck him with my knife, he was half covered by the rocks between us. But there was one problem he was directly underneath me meaning if I were to take a shot with my bow I would be shooting verticle and with a longbow that is damn near impossible as everytime I tried to aim up the arrow would fall off the shelf the arrow sat on. I tried many different angles but all with the same result. I deliberated for about 5mins what to do. I decided to take the shot, stupid decision… I shot and the arrow clipped the rock just above him and land just next to him… up he got and ran about 50 meters wondering what the hell had just happened, he ran up wind from me so he couldn’t smell me and my camo did its job and made me look like a rock… He kept looking around for something but saw nothing so just assumed it was a rock that had fallen and sat back down, but 50 meters is too far to shoot (for me to be comfortable with anyway) especially against the wind.

And a wee close up pick of the lucky basket!

http://img190.imageshack.us/i/p1010577d.jpg/

All in all it was a lovely day and I covered some decent ground, I was gutted I missed as that would’ve been my first Tahr with my longbow! I will definitely go back there some day and right my wrong!

Here is a signing out shot as I made my way back again!

http://img580.imageshack.us/i/p1010581x.jpg/

Hope you enjoyed my first story

[Ralph]

#10168

Hey, good job. Good story. That is big, rough country. Beautiful too. I imagine getting that close to a Tahr is a major accomplishment in itself.

Good huntin’,

Ralph.

[Wexbow]

#10989

Thanks for sharing that NZ. Awesome country and a great stalk. Hopefully you’ll claim your prize next time. Just make sure to let us know about it 8)

[skifrk]

#11314

Enjoyed the pics of NZ takes me back to my travels there for my honeymoon. Will need to take a trip back for the hunting since the last time the wife and I hunted wines and hiking trails:D

[David Coulter]

#11715

That’s a great story. I’d be very pleased to get close to an animal in such stark country. Excellent! dwcphoto

[kellydockter]

#11954

great job great pics thank you

[WICanner]

#12395

Man I guy can really breathe fresh air up there, no? Good pics, and good stalks too. Those Tahr sure are wooly creatures. You’ll get the drop on them again. 🙂

[wildschwein]

#20261

Great story and pictures. Gotta put New Zealand on my bucket list for sure.

[Author]

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