Bull tahr hunting in New Zealand delivers one of the most demanding and visually spectacular mountain hunting experiences available anywhere in the world. Himalayan tahr were introduced to New Zealand’s Southern Alps in the early 1900s, and the species quickly adapted to the extreme alpine environment. Steep rock faces, expansive basins, snow covered ridgelines, and unpredictable weather closely resemble their native Himalayan habitat, allowing tahr to thrive in some of the most rugged terrain in the country.

BULL TAHR HUNTING IN NEW ZEALAND

An Epic Mountain Hunt

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.

Hunt Options

Wilderness Spike Camp Hunts

Wilderness tahr hunts include helicopter access to the Southern Alps.

A wilderness spike camp hunt is a simple and rewarding way to experience true backcountry hunting. Instead of returning to a lodge each night, hunters stay in a small camp set up close to where the game lives. This means more time hunting and less time travelling.

Spike camps are usually placed in remote valleys or high basins, within walking distance of good glassing spots. Days start early, watching the hills come alive at first and last light and are spent spotting and stalking through open country.

Life in a spike camp is basic but comfortable. The focus is on the hunt, the landscape, and the experience of being fully immersed in wild country. For those who want adventure and a deeper connection to the mountains, a wilderness spike camp hunt delivers exactly that.

Exclusive Private Land 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 and 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.

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.

For All Fitness Levels

Our wilderness tent camp hunts are accessed using a helicopter right in amongst the Bulls, once camp is set up we are on foot from there.

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.

Helicopter access

Vehicle Access

For more information contact me below.