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Old 05-18-2018, 11:19 AM
southernman southernman is offline
 
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Location: Fort Mc Murray/ Bell Block New Zealand.
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Default Thar Hunt, (New Zealand)

Figger I post up a bit of an trip report on a Thar hunt, from march in the MacAuley river, South Island.
After attending the south island big bore shoot in Kurow and shooting a few Hares and wallaby's , Myself, Foster and a Dane (peder), headed over to Lake Tekapo, for a trip into the MacAuley, river Conditions dependant,
Lunch at the Pub, and a drive up the lake had us at the first river crossing, this was deemed to deep as neither my old Isuzu SUV or Foster's Mazda were fitted with snorkels, found a crossing further, an were were on our way.
3 hours latter of river crossing, and bouncing up the rocky river bed, had us pulling into MacAuley hut, wow what a place,
For years a Good Mate Steve, had been saying "you got go up the MacAuley" for a thar, he never say why, just you got go, Looking at the big wide open country, I kicked myself for bringing the 2506, should have bought the 7x57 or .264 win,
A brew at the hut and settle in, pick a bunk, and have a nosy at the finest hut in the mountains of NZ I've ever been in,
running water, two sinks, solar lights, gas stove and cook top, fire place with a baking oven, all done in a 16 bunk, slab stone and wood hut, a massive slab wood table, in the living area, large porch, and plenty of room, Amazing open south Island high country views,
We had seen a mob of thar in the Bluffs on the way in, several younger bulls on the true left, so the next couple days showed lots of promise,
That evening I went for a bit of a scout around below the hut and up the river, see if any deer or chamois near buy, very limited sigh was seen,
Day two say a lazy start buy all, and couple pleasant hours were spent laying about glassing the bluffs and peaks for Thar from around the hut, Nothing seen, I wandered of up streem and scouted around the first set of bluffs, on the true right, Nothing was seen for the day, but I was whistled at by a chamois, but was in able to locate the noisy bugger. Tired and weary I ambled back to the hut on dusk.
Foster and peder, got on to a mob of a dozen Thar in the creek head behind the hut, but were unable to get with in shooting range, due to steep terrain.
A fine feed at the hut, consisted or Hare and wallaby stew, thanks to Peder,
Next day dawned fine, I discarded, much of the day pack cutting down to bare essential's, took the suspressor of the rifle, and headed off on a final full day, aiming to hut the bluffs, 5km or so up river,

I blasted straight up the river, crossing backwards and forwards onto the easy flats to make good time, not far from the hut I spooked a red hind, in a small pocket of matogouri scrub, bugger easy deer missed,
I spooked a few hares on the river flats, and stopped to glass likely bluffs and rocks, a New Zealand falcon circled lazy above me, I seen one lonely Thar high up under the glacier, and was deciding weather I felt like climbing that high, and into suck steep bluffs alone,
When a young hare, spooked from under my feet, racing across the river flat, dodging threw tuffs of grass and rocks, I watch it run, a hiss of wind, and a brown blur, entered into my peripheral vision, the falcon bared down a great speed on its target, an audible thud, and a blur of brown, carried on another few meters, tuffs of hare hung in the gentle breeze, drifting down toward me, the hunter had taken her prey, not more that a 6-7meters in fount of me, I marvelled at what I had just seen, and then took a couple steps to the side and wandered past, she looked up with those piercing dark eyes, as I tipped my head, and watched, as the blood flowed out from under the hare, and spread across the ground, Amazing experience,
I worked further up the valley, keying in on a likely set of bluffs, I worked my way up onto the gravel fan, and spotted the ass, of what I figured was a deer, brilliant, 800m above, further glassing, and it appeared to be a dark coloured Thar, perhaps two, right I ducked down below the massive boulder I was leaning against, swapped my black bush shirt for the tussock swandri, pulled the hood up, and sleeves down, I had to work up under a mountain animal, difficult, I worked my way up threw a boulder garden of scrub and rubble, the matagouri thorns, digging into my legs and arms, 600, 500, 550m, I felt the slight shift in the wind, the sun now moving of the tops cooling them,and the warm air in the valley begins to rise, I hoped it would hold off for longer yet, I closed to 400m and glassed up, the winds had now started to really swirl, Dam!, Two thar (half grown bulls)were heads up looking down towards me, a large bolder ten meters in front offered a decent shooting position, I made my way forward and glassed up, still there but now fully alerted,
390m, **** much further than I wanted, decision time, right, I have a go, Peder had never tried thar, and it had been a few years since I hunted them, I lined up on one looking down at me, side on, with its head down over its shoulder, boom, the rifle bounced up, and I wasn't happy figured shot went high, I tucked the sling between the rock and rifle and lined up again, the Thar was still standing there shaking its head, second shot felt good, and the Thar disappeared, the second one ran a bit higher, and stopped, so I leveled the duplex with the top of the back and fired, heard the thawk and the thar stumbled and ran down the bluff and disappeared, appearing again 50m closer and ran onto the top of a ridge, I lined up to shoot again and with one jump down, it was gone. several other thar ran up the bluff, I elected to shoot no more
(Thar were in the bluffs, high and to the left of the waterfall)
I picked up my brass, gathered my thoughts, 3 shots, two had felt good, but 400m is a long way, second thar was hit, but still ran 70m or so, wasn't sure about the first, I thumbed a few more rounds in the sako, and worked my way up under the bluffs, closed to with in 300m, and I heard rocks falling in the gut the second thar had run into, I found a rock to shoot of and waited, the sound seamed to move up, at the top of the gut the thar appeared again, I fired twice at the shoulder, for no seaming result, just squeezing the trigger for the third shot and the thar disappeared, the shot hit the bank, were it was standing, **** even more unsure now, I never used more than one shot before on any game with the 2506, now I fired six, and still wasn't sure of results, I climbed higher up toward the first thar, I was about a hundred meters below and to the left, when with a crash, A Thar cart wheeled down toward me, 30 meters of so, I made my way up, much steeper that I had expected, and very unstable ground,
I cut the throat of the Thar, and checked it over, a graze below the right eye, and past the ear, explained the head shaking, there wasn't much of an exit wound, I took the back straps after a photo, and rolled the animal over to lake the back legs, reached around for my knife and with a crash the thar, disappeared rolling down the hill 70m or more, to slide under a very big boulder, packed with scrub dam,
I let the back straps cool for ten minutes and packed them in the day pack and made my way up to were the thar were first shot at, plenty of blood spatters against the rock, indicated both animals hit, I cut left to were the second was last seen, found the spot and could see, blood splatter against the rock, looking down I found a Accubond, with little other than tip deformed,
Found the second Thar, but was unrecoverable, at least, while alone, at least a 2m drop into the gut, with no way out either top or bottom, I worked my way down the very steep face, onto the easier valley sides, stopped and took a photo and had a drink, bloody steep country, I need to get in much better shape, Still it was a very rewarding day.
I made my way down to the river, and in fading light headed down river to the hut.
Foster and Peder, both had seen thar, but were unable to get a shot.
visitors in the hut a family on a 4x4 trip and several motor bikes had made there way up.
Out the next day, after a mid morning, start, for the 4x4 trip down river,
Great place, I be back again sum day.
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Old 05-18-2018, 08:48 PM
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3blade 3blade is offline
 
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Brilliant as always! Beautiful pics
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Old 05-19-2018, 09:37 AM
grouse_hunter grouse_hunter is offline
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Great story and beautiful scenery! The hut certainly seems upscale. Who owns and maintains it?
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Old 07-17-2018, 01:17 AM
Anotherkiwi Anotherkiwi is offline
 
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The hut is owned by a trust and they look after it. Visitors are asked to donate when they stay.

NZ also has about thousand public huts / cabins that are available for anyone to use for a small fee.
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Old 07-17-2018, 05:44 AM
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58thecat 58thecat is offline
 
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Location: At the end of the Thirsty Beaver Trail, Pinsky lake, Alberta.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anotherkiwi View Post
The hut is owned by a trust and they look after it. Visitors are asked to donate when they stay.

NZ also has about thousand public huts / cabins that are available for anyone to use for a small fee.
That is awesome, thanks for sharing.
Always nice to see how other countries do things too.
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