Big Game Hunting New Zealand Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 40

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rowing up as a kid
on the foothills of
the Ruahines it was
inevitable that one day I’d be
learning my trade amongst
the steep leatherwood choked
gullies and beautiful rolling
tussock tops.
Over the years I’ve spent
a lot of time travelling and
hunting my way around this
magnificent piece of North
Island high country, my
favourite time would be during
summer as I’m searching for
some Christmas venison high
above the bush line. However,
of course I love it in the winter;
lower down hunting the riverbeds and the many
slips the Ruahines is well known for.
I’ve spent many weekends hunting up above
the Rangiwahia hut usually just overnight
trips when the weather allows. Anyone that’s
been up here would understand how great this
place is, golden tussock stretching as far as the
eye can see. Looking east towards the Hawke’s
Bay I often wondered what was over that last
ridge 15km on the horizon. The country looks
amazing, big but amazing and I have said to
myself numerous times that one day I’ll get over
there for a look.

Ruahine Crossing

Written by Ben Tumata

Summer Bow Hunt
40 BGHNZ Issue 7 Jul/Aug 2015

www.bghnz.co.nz

Camp right in the heart of the
Ruahines

Sunday evening and immediately hit the track
racing along to make it to the first hut for the
night. A couple of deer were spotted in the
distance as the light faded and it was dark by
the time we got to the hut. We had a quick feed
and hit the sack as the next day was to be a big
one and we were keen to get going early.

“as the sunset hit, the red
deer started appearing
all around us”

We were up at about 5am and out the door half
an hour later in the dark. Over the next 7 hours
we walked, hunted and glassed our way up the
Fast forward a year or 3 and I was talking to a
leading ridge from the hut and worked our way
good friend Mark about getting back up there
around the tops then down onto a small saddle,
for a look. Mark being a bit of a Ruahine veteran about 2hours past the triangle hut turn off. This
of 30 years had mentioned to me that there
saddle was the only spot we could find with any
was one part of the area that he’d yet to walk,
water as the summer had taken its toll on the
the section Rangi hut to the Mill Rd car park. It
tops with the usual reliable tarns all but dried
was the same area I’d often wondered about
up. So far we’d seen a couple of deer but being
myself so I said to Mark “well lets bloody do it
so early in the trip and with many kilometers still
then”! Over the next few weeks we waited for
to walk, we elected to leave them in the hope
a window of fine weather that would hopefully
that we could find something a little closer to the
allow us 3 clear days to hunt our way across.
car. The day was pretty uneventful although as
Eventually we saw a big high that was going to
the sunset hit, the red deer started appearing all
park himself in the Tasman so we were off.
around us. Most were young velvet stags and
hinds with fawns, but it was enjoyable to see a
The start of the trip was driving to our
few roaming around and venturing into the open
destination at the end of the walk; Mill Rd
tussock.
car park to drop a car off for our ride home.
We then drove a second vehicle around to
This trip was my first Ruahine hunt with my bow
the Rangi car park arriving at about 8pm on a
and I was hoping to make my first bow shot
www.bghnz.co.nz

41 BGHNZ Issue 7 Jul/Aug 2015