Great Vid and awesome watch. Keep them coming.

We hunted the whymper glacier country at the head of the whataroa in 2008,we shot quite a few animals and a couple of chamois seen,but not shot. I thought it was bad country until we climbed over into the Callery river and that still gives me the shivers,it was terrible country,but hundreds of Tahr seen,shot lots of nannies,but none recoverable.

Visited this hut in Aug 1976 on a day trip up to the Top Hut and Ice Lake from Butler Hut below, having walked in from the Road Bridge (ex the bus) - a 6 day trip altogether with 2 guys hunting chamois. One of them fell and twisted his ankle on the way in up the Whataroa River boulders, so after 6 days he and I got a chopper ride out, thanks to Search & Rescue. In those days, Top Hut was painted silver with dark red trim and had a fireplace with standard external chimney, about where the 2nd window is now. Awesome video - thank you guys - great to see more hut detail than I remembered - and, especially, your adventurous explorations of the surrounding country. Wonderful Thar shots! There was no talk of Thar there in those days - don't know whether they had penetrated thru to that area then. Thanks a ton!

@johnmead8437

Жыл бұрын

The tahr had been reduced to a fraction of their earlier population in most areas by commercial carcass operations with helicopters by 1976. Those smart remaining kept well out of sight from the air, although the unwary ones still got a trip to the factory & an OE. Surveying them through the 1980s population recovery was interesting, the hunting pressure was off with the carcassing moratorium (1983-1990s) but finding them was difficult for most. Once how to detect them was figured out it was surprising just how many were actually around, and getting abused by rec hunters who were not up to it after giving them exact sites to hunt (some with lots of tahr) was a pattern, not exception. They weren't only good at sh**ting up huts and littering, blaming competence was sell developed. While very subjective, looking at this area it is likely there are now as many tahr in the South Butler as were in the entire Whataroa in 1987. This hunt here has missed seeing a lot, which is to be expected in the current situation. For DoC & GAC to expect any useful control from that (GAC represented) group is delusional unless huge leaps forward in skill have occurred, & have seen no evidence of that. There are a few effective tahr hunters, and incentivising them & carcass recovery seems the easy way.

Close but no cigar ay! Good mission all the same, enjoyed the watch! I’d watch out for the old fella and his banana smoothies around camp though😂

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Yupp unfortunately the bull below us on day 4 Wasn't worth shooting and missed some good photo opportunities on him! Until next time ! Old fellas aye ! Always a good laugh at camp 🏕 🤣

Good job sorting out the hut. And re your comment below referring to First Lite. Agree 100 percent. Switched to first Lite from Sitka 2yrs ago. No regrets, first class gear.

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Yupp bit of a clean freak old Timmy 😅 Yeahh man moved away from some other gear and now putting first-lite to the test soo stick around 🤙

Great vid mate, man I love that area, lots of great memories up there 😎

Cheers good vid, some rough country. Old mans kickin arse. Wouldnt wana walk underneath any one one that stuff tho. Cheers

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Not actually to bad in that part of the butler ! Step but huntable . The old boy did extremely well for having a knee op late last year. Cheers for the comment mate 👍

Nice to see the climbing rope I left half way up the tracks still there haha

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

There are about 3 ropes. 1 main climbing rope that was prefect and seemed safe there was another 2 that really should be removed as they are aged , split, and definitely unsafe.

Good watch man! Just finished a 5 day tahr trip myself. Crazy country they live in!! Until you get right up in it you don’t realize how bloody steep/tough it is! Keep it up!

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah man ! Bloody go pro makes it look flat lol 😆 They always seem to be where you can not retrieve them! Thanks man will do ! Look forward to seeing your trip 🤙

After seeing your old boy with that smoothie he's officially now "Bad Grandpa" 😆

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

I will remember that for our next trip In !

Been twenty years since I was last in Ice Lake area thanks for [posting this video

Exactly 15 years ago I was in the same car park heading in! Scotty made it look easy. Sure beats walking in!

@flyingfox7252

2 жыл бұрын

I went in with MountainMan himself Jamie Carle. I recall the challenge of the terrain, weather, heights and avalanches. At night they sound like a 747 landing up the valley. We were both successful over four days. A life’s memory and an adventure to savour till the day I die.

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

@@flyingfox7252 Couldn't agree more !! amazing terrain up there . The avalanches are definitely another experience! some of them got me a little bit worried with how loud they came down ! definitely got close to running

@johnmead8437

2 жыл бұрын

@@NzWildBoyTim The avalanches are the reason we seldom worked that country in spring, a lot of places were seriously risky, right down to the Butler. Seemed to be much more snow then, there has been a few light years recently. Something that hunters need to understand. But the animals are often a bit easier to get at, so it's care rather than don't.

Awesome spot that, Definitely gets a hiding. Was a heap of young bulls in there a few years back so DOC have done some work in the catchment for sure.

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely gets smashed ! But there is the odd decent bull around.. Wicked spot tho 👌

@johnmead8437

Жыл бұрын

@@NzWildBoyTim Very likely more than the odd one if you look hard enough and perhaps have some luck. They don't get old due to being stupid, and the abundance of good ones being shot tells the story. It's not possible to give accurate numbers, but the appearance of the area shown within glassing range here would likely have at least 50 resident tahr, and due to different hunting pressure stirring them up recently, possibly 2-4x that. Higher population sites are about, as the Butler is relatively easy going. Still a long way down in many places.

Great adventure

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks matey 🤙

Great views up there.

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more 👏

Can you tell me what is that first light rain jacket you have on

@NzWildBoyTim

Жыл бұрын

Hey mate . That is the new omen jacket

Try the Bushbuck water proof pants they perform really well

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers man! Have heard good reviews about them aswe ll Going to get the first-lite ones and give them ago ! I'm really impressed with there gear atm 🤙

I think those discarded dehyd meals are American brands

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Not to sure but disappointed In finding them up there ! People should always take there rubbish out as Kea will eat anything..

far---ta--roar..is how you say whataroa..so sad ..

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Hahaha sorry mate ! No disrespect not good with the Maori names . I'll know for next time huh Not sad at all . Just never been taught how to say the name. Cheers 🍻

@barryandrews4316

2 жыл бұрын

@@NzWildBoyTim chur just say it the way ive written it and bam done...far-taa-roar and taupo is said...toe--poor

@barryandrews4316

2 жыл бұрын

trust me try it

@johnmead8437

Жыл бұрын

@@NzWildBoyTim "What". How is what pronounced, by those who know what's what?

Good to see a vid showing the scenery and area well, it's educational returning to many places from the armchair. It's also a snapshot of the vegetation and animal population (and physical access/snow cover etc), & one day a history record. & it's refreshing having polluters and hut pigs called out. Introducing the ballot blocks was an invite to fly rubbish into those sites and "hide" it, took helicopter loads out after only 2 seasons. Many hunters earn the description Sage coined, she got something right about some of them. There are evidently quite a few tahr there still (more than my last visit 15 years ago, & they were getting up then. Not high like around the Scone. Blaming others and having the truck sticker gets empathy from the like minded, doesn't compensate for mediocre hunting technique or biological and behavioral understanding (when discussing consequences). Peer approval and correct differ at times. Vastly. As does observation quality. Good chance a lot more saw you, (which is standard), and that's the easier country. They get hard to find & it's a learning curve, they've changed (& increased) a lot. Scone always had a few, lots by the mid 2000s when I was last there, but is dodgy until the snow is gone and is steep and tight where a lot of them are. Might be worth a look. Compliments for the good vid.

@wolfferguson1293

2 жыл бұрын

Just about no nannys around now thanks to continual arial shooting. Most of the tahr sign is residual bulls left from the over population of nannys. Once they die from hunters or old age the tahr numbers will be quite low. This isn’t just my observation in whataroa but chopper pilots as well.

@wolfferguson1293

2 жыл бұрын

Peak rut we had twenty different bulls for the trip and only 2 where holding nanny groups. This is last hunt.

@johnmead8437

2 жыл бұрын

@@wolfferguson1293 There is a gulf between being unable to find them and being none there. Those concerned about tahr becoming scarce are bluntly deluded, starting with the ex Minister of Conservation (who was told that personally, back in the early 1990s). The idea they are scarce will perpetrate the problem (which many deny) and conflict. Hunting and working with them (including the Whataroa) since the early 1980s when they were scarce and localised, enabled observing their effect on vegetation and behavior changes. It seems personal agendas and behavior understanding (including DoC) is still flawed. One thing is evident, there is little challenge today getting them if you put a bit of effort in, due to there being so many so widespread. Bounties and poison are still options, and the latter could possibly be selective (e.g. minor impact on bulls) done right. The tahr plan objective is actually sound, its' management and support has been abysmal from all sides.

@johnmead8437

2 жыл бұрын

@@wolfferguson1293 They don't hold harems, several bulls will attend a mob, like cattle bulls or billy goats

Awesome 👍 love the whataroa, my favorite place, done a lot of hunting in there, shot my best stag bull tahr buck cham in there, always provides a opportunity/ experience 🏕

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful place in there ! Lucky bugger! I'm back down soon for another adventure 🤙🤙

@Sako75.7mm08

2 жыл бұрын

@@NzWildBoyTim sweet lucky you, had 10 years of solo hunts in there until the mrs and kids came along, theres good chamio hunting in the creeks down low off the rivers, one trip my bro got a stag chamio bull tahr and I got a stag and 13.5 inch bull, my 2nd chamio I shot was a 10.25 buck, thought it wasn't that good until I seen the look on my bros face when I pulled it out of some scrub on a chute face, few years back waiting all day in carport for wind to drop to chopper in talking to 2 overseas tourists who were going in where you just been pilot told me on way out they got 11 inch buck, that trip I was lucky to get a 10 point stag first light roared in to 35 yards from my tent, 71 kg boned out meat, weather can go feral but that adds to the experience 🌄

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

@@Sako75.7mm08 Yeah we counted 5 chamois on the way out in the lower creeks above swing bridge . That's wicked man ! Unfortunately there was hunters & zip invasions up in that valley not to long ago soo the animals had been pushed up and out of there .. That's all about hunting aye why I love it soo much. Just never know what you are going to bump.into up in the hills ! Hopefully have some better luck next time 🤙

@Sako75.7mm08

2 жыл бұрын

@@NzWildBoyTim yep caught a nice trout in there to, 🎣 the zip 1080 bombarding bullshit and culling was a waste, was lucky to get a old going backwards 12 point stag from there before they ruined it, goodluck and look forward to watching the next one 🏕

@NzWildBoyTim

2 жыл бұрын

@@Sako75.7mm08 Thanks Simon!! Make sure you jump over to my Instagram. Have some giveaways packages coming up . Good for the kids or someone new starting out