New Zealand Hunting Scene

Current hunting situation in New Zealand

At present wild game animal populations in New Zealand are as good as they have been for a long time. All of New Zealand's game animals were introduced in the late 1800's and early 1900's, prior to these liberations our only land mammal was a small bat. New Zealand was a land of birds.

Different types and ways of hunting in New Zealand

Did you know that In New Zealand their are five different ways to hunt:

1. Private game estate (behind high fence on a private esate)
2. Private land free-range (free-range hunting on private land eg, farms or pastural lease where access is controlled by the land owner)
3. Public land with foot or 4x4 access.
4. Public land with helicopter access.
5. Public land heli-hunt/helicopter hunt/helicopter assisted hunt. 

Many overseas hunters are not aware of these different types/areas/ways of hunting as typically most New Zealand guides/outiftters will specialise in one form of hunting. We like to offer our hunters a range of options and allow them to book the hunt which best suits them, not which best suits the outfitter, this is one of our big strengths.

How do locals hunt in New Zealand

Most kiwi hunters will hunt public land with access by foot or 4x4. This is a low cost way of hunting, keen hunters who spend the time getting to know their animals and areas are able to take good trophies, but it takes time.

Other options for local kiwi hunters are to hire a helicopter and get flown into the mountains for any number of days and either walk out or be picked up again at the end of their hunt.

If local hunters do not wish to hunt public land they can build a relationship with a private land owner and gain access to hunting private property.

Helicopters & hunting

Helicopters are an essential tool in New Zealand for managing wild game populations, each year 1000's of animals are shot out of helicopters for their meat by commercial operators. Our government also culls 1000's of animals, annually from helicopters to keep game populations at their target levels.

Many outiftters and guides will heli-hunt our 2 alpine species the tahr & chamois. A helicopter is used to locate a trophy animal, the hunter and guide disembark  to shoot the trophy animal,  the helicopter then retrieves the hunter guide and trohpy. We prefer to locate animals  on foot and  hunt them by traditional means.

The deer species which were introduced and managed to establish themselves are Red, fallow, whitetail, sika, sambar, rusa and elk (wapiti). Chital/axis deer, mule deer and moose also established themselves for a time but died out. Two alpine species the tahr and chamois were liberated at Mt Cook in the Southern Alps both have flourished and survive in healthy populations today.

Unfortunately our current government and all that have gone before have failed to recognise these wonderful animals as a resource. Change is in the wind but at present all the species mentioned above have no status as game animals and are classed as pests.

Outfitter qualifications

There is no process by which outfitters/guides have to be registered in NZ. There is the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides association of which I am a member. Around 80% of outfitters in NZ are a member of the NZPHGA. A member of this association must hold a current drivers license, first aid certificate and be accepted by his peers to be running a business of high standard. The association has a blanket concession to hunt DOC (Department of Conservation) lands across NZ.

The future

New Zealand has long since been renowned as a hunters paradise, we are a country that is very fortunate to have some of the finest game animals in the world yet we do not seem to able to agree on what to do with them. Alongside a busy guiding schedule I am working very hard to have our game animals recognised as such and ensure they are here for future generations to hunt and enjoy.