NZ Outdoor Magazine

18/07/2025

WAPITI SERIES
Douglas McDonald proudly holds his big head from the Edith, a block that animals use when heading up from Oilskin Pass where many heads over 400DS were taken. At the time it was the longest length wapiti recorded to ever come from Fiordland at over 60 inches and 460DSD.

16/07/2025

An Irish Red for an All Black

Craig (Newby) and I approached the fallen stag with a beautiful head that arguably could be a 12-point depending on how generously you like to count a point. I set to work breaking the animal down and loading it into game bags to pack out back to the truck. At this point Craig let me know that years as a professional rugby player had done a number on his knees and that he was due a double reconstruction in the not-so-distant future. I gladly volunteered to carry the heavier meat pack and loaded him up with the loins, the head and the rifle. Thankfully, we made it back to the truck with no incident requiring more work for an orthopaedic surgeon, and headed for home.

Back at base I had a dig around in my collection of cast antlers and found one that I believe came from Craig’s stag the previous year. I had found it 200m from where the stag had been that morning and felt that even if it wasn’t, it added to the tale. Not that it was lacking!

For a first hunt in Northern Ireland this was going to take some beating.

Ross Scott, NZ Outdoor Magazine



All Blacks AllBlackFans New Zealand Rugby NZ Rugby World

12/07/2025

Dear friends, the givealittle campaign to raise funds for the book on the Deer Cullers is progressing well. With $8382 of the $12,600 goal raised so far. A huge effort, and shows the amazing support that’s out there from around the country.

I ask you to please share the givealittle link with others. This is an important project, and will be a book for all New Zealanders to enjoy.

Thank you everyone for your support let’s keep the momentum going, spread the word and also, importantly, stay well and enjoy each day, where ever you are!

Warm regards
Louise, Frank Erceg Project

No book has been written on the NZDC Inc. and its history. I aim to get this done.

11/07/2025

FLASHBACK FRIDAY
Ken Dairymple’s 1946 head taken from the Large Burn, Caswell Sound area - a massive 460 DS.

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07/07/2025

Have you ever eaten limpits?

02/07/2025

If you could only hunt one species in New Zealand for the rest of your days, what would it be?

What’s the one species of animal that ticks the most boxes for you?

For me, I find it hard to look past fallow deer. They have to be one of the coolest-looking deer species, with multiple colourations and antlers that each have their own unique characteristics. They can rut with aggression and when the bucks are croaking, the sound echoes through the valleys and right into your soul. There's nothing like it! They are adaptable to most landscapes and can be found throughout the country, from farmland to the mountains. Best of all, I find they taste the best of all our deer species - although that’s an opinion that could be argued all day long.

Fallow draw me to the kind of country I like to hunt - broken marginal farmland and scrub, valleys of the North Island, mānuka and papa soils. Valleys and ridges that have reclaimed themselves and resisted cultivation. Country that speaks of rewilding, where nature is king.

I achieved what I had hoped for this rut - a nice old chocolate buck and my best to date.

Rory O'Brien, NZ Outdoor magazine
Rory O'Brien

Attitude Archery PointsSouth

30/06/2025

Day two dawned fine but freezing cold. We left Twizel in darkness and headed to one of the nearby canals to do battle again. Ants was first to hook up on another solid brown, followed by Wiremu and Nicor. It is important to point out that whilst fishing the eyes of our fishing rods were slowly filling with ice. The four northerners were wearing most of the jerseys and jackets they owned as they walked backwards and forwards along the beaten track where most of the trout were to be caught.

Sunrise was a beautiful affair with snowcapped mountains and crystal blue waters that we were in awe of for a short period, before again resuming walking up and down canals following our bobbing baits deep within the canal. When trout fishing canals, you need a certain amount of fitness and a fair amount of skill. You will walk miles each day so it is important to have decent footwear. We were all in gumboots, which is standard attire for up north but probably not the best choice here. The weather experienced was four seasons and as soon as the sun disappeared it got incredibly cold. So, if you are considering a similar trip I would recommend packing plenty of thermals and warm clothes.

Matt Hata, NZ Outdoor Magazine
Eastcoast Hunters

27/06/2025

FLASHBACK FRIDAY - WAPITI
Jim Muir with one of Herrick’s bulls. The famous hunter Eddie Herrick along with his wife Ethne enjoyed considerable success taking some superb heads and Jim was also a true legend in NZ deerstalking lore. Jim was Eddie's great friend and guide who he hunted with for twenty years. He reckoned Ethne was a better shot than he was. She was quite a tough woman in those days … can you imagine? Not many women were down there in Fiordland then.

NZ Outdoor Magazine - supporting hunters since 1937.

25/06/2025

This year's Sika trip was like a lot of people this year. A few stags were making noise, but for the most part, it was really quiet.

The second day saw me stand on a large wasp nest and proceed to get stung multiple times, which left me mostly bedridden for the following day.

One up close and personal encounter in a bush lawyer filled creek had me get to within 30 yards of an angry stag before he winded me.

I did manage to see 8 deer and shot a really poor condition hind. Not only were her teeth buggered, but she was blind in both eyes.

You can read all about this trip by Cams food adventure in this issue of NZ Outdoor Magazine

This trip wouldn't have been possible without the support of the following

Tatonka Hunting Domex AUNZ
Ledlenser COBB Grill NZ
Helisika Sika Foundation Sika Show

23/06/2025

How did your roar go this year?

Sometimes I think hunting on public land is more about patience than it is about animals. Because the animals don’t always show. Or if they do, someone else gets to them first. Or a helicopter does. Or it’s cloudy. Or loud. Or there is some competition in the area you weren’t aware of. But that’s the game.

You learn to find wins in other places - in the silence of a canyon, or the first breath of mountain air before the sun breaks the horizon. In the way a stag roars back at you even if you’re standing in the wrong place. And yeah, sometimes in the story you return home empty-handed.

This year’s roar didn’t give me meat, or antlers, or even a shot opportunity. But it gave me plenty of experience. And honestly, that’s not a bad trade.

From 'When the Roar Roared Back' by Daniel Lastovicka

17/06/2025

"After crossing the Kaipo half an hour north of camp, we stumbled upon a dead stag. He was a seven-point sika in late velvet, hard underneath, so our guess was that he had probably died in January. A nice memento for Keagan to take home..." Reuben Jane.

NZ Outdoor ... June issue.

Reuben Jane