Tahr Hunting
Tahr hunting encompasses everything that is hunting in New Zealand; our majestic mountains, spot and stalk hunting, the planning of the climb, the climb itself and the shot. We have multiple options for hunting bull tahr, hunt our exclusive private land or hunt the wilderness from remote spike camps; we will have a tahr hunting option that suits you.
Private Land Tahr Hunting
Private land access is by 4×4 or side by side buggy, we drive up the mountain to glassing points, taking out a lot of the ‘grunt work’, hunting is on foot from there. We take the time to evaluate trophy males, ‘spot then stalk’ is the main method employed. Observe and hunt tahr and chamois in an unpressured environment.
A hunt for a bull tahr on our private land can be added to a free-range Otago red stag hunt from Mid April or hunted as your primary species from Early May.
Wilderness Tahr Hunting
Wilderness tahr hunts include helicopter access to the Southern Alps. Expect breath taking views, pristine alpine hunting terrain, bush clad river valley’s rising up to snow-capped mountain peaks. Wilderness tent camps are basic, ‘everything you need and nothing you don’t’, air mattresses, simple meals, quality alpine tents and tarpaulin covered cooking / eating area.
Mountain hunting at its best
Tahr hunting in New Zealand with Lake Hawea Hunting Safaris is a must do, your ultimate alpine hunt. We have the knowledge, options, areas and expertise to help you be successful. Your outfitter has an extensive knowledge of tahr and their habits and has been on over 100 bull tahr kills.
Tahr bulls are large animals typically weighing around 220 pounds, pre rut bulls can weigh up to 300 pounds. Tahr bulls have a thick skin and muscular forelegs, generally a minimum bullet weight of 150gns is needed for tahr hunting; hard hitting .300 calibres are ideal for longer range shooting and somewhat negating bullet deviation from mountain winds.
After guiding seasons on Rocky Mountain goat, Dall rams and Fannin rams, we know for fact that hunting tahr in New Zealand with Lake Hawea Hunting Safaris measures up with hunting any North American alpine species (and without causing an argument may even be better!).
Book a tahr hunt and come and hunt New Zealand’s Southern Alps with your alpine hunting specialists, Lake Hawea Hunting Safaris.
Tahr Trophies
We consider bulls of around 12 inches to be trophy size and consistently take tahr bulls of up to and well over 13 inches each season, 14 inch bulls are possible.
Tahr Hunting Dates
Tahr Bulls start to join with the nannies in late April and rut right through May and June and into early July. Tahr are best hunted over these months to experience the rut, the tahr bulls are also in their peak winter capes at this time. Tahr capes are good from April until around mid October. Tahr hunting over the summer months is possible but the tahr’s big bulky mane is reduced to a collar of long hair on the neck, which is comparatively no where near as impressive as the bull tahr’s winter cape.
