Tragic Deer Stalking Accident in NZ
- Thread starter @theroedeerguy
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HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
Beyond words how this even materialised
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
Been a while since I last hunted in Nz.
But my mates say it can be pretty dodgy in some popular areas during the roar/rut.
So dodgy they won't go to popular areas while rut is on.
I can always remember reading some old kiwi hunting mags at his house.
And quite often articles at this time off year advising them if packing out trophies to carry them upside down on ur rucksack and attach a hi via vest too them.
Say it happens too often, folk strapping antlers to rucksack right way up and folk just see the antlers moving behind a bush and shoot at them.
They always wore orange ammo too.
Last time I was out he had just about to buy either a semi auto or lever action for shooting running deer in the bush.
But my mates say it can be pretty dodgy in some popular areas during the roar/rut.
So dodgy they won't go to popular areas while rut is on.
I can always remember reading some old kiwi hunting mags at his house.
And quite often articles at this time off year advising them if packing out trophies to carry them upside down on ur rucksack and attach a hi via vest too them.
Say it happens too often, folk strapping antlers to rucksack right way up and folk just see the antlers moving behind a bush and shoot at them.
They always wore orange ammo too.
Last time I was out he had just about to buy either a semi auto or lever action for shooting running deer in the bush.
22xm1
Well-Known Member
Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire
treat every gun as if it's loaded
know your target and what's behind it
Never point it at anything you're not willing to destroy.
4 rules that rule my life whenever I have a gun in my hand
What happened to know your target and what's behind it? It's not exactly difficult to spend an extra couple of seconds to make sure it's a clear shot.
treat every gun as if it's loaded
know your target and what's behind it
Never point it at anything you're not willing to destroy.
4 rules that rule my life whenever I have a gun in my hand
What happened to know your target and what's behind it? It's not exactly difficult to spend an extra couple of seconds to make sure it's a clear shot.
I never go in for the roar, on public land there are far to many inexperienced hunters, or come to that to many experienced hunters looking for that trophy stag.
Most are using callers to imitate stags or hinds to draw in other deer usually in very dense bush, I once heard a sika eeowing, so went for a look knowing there was a hut a couple of Ks away, I stayed in the open, on a ridge, it was as I guest another hunter hiding behind a log, I new all along it was not a stag as it was a good two weeks before the start of the roar.
I headed back to my camp and hunted the opposite direction for the rest of the week.
Most are using callers to imitate stags or hinds to draw in other deer usually in very dense bush, I once heard a sika eeowing, so went for a look knowing there was a hut a couple of Ks away, I stayed in the open, on a ridge, it was as I guest another hunter hiding behind a log, I new all along it was not a stag as it was a good two weeks before the start of the roar.
I headed back to my camp and hunted the opposite direction for the rest of the week.
No mention of the possible out come of such an event? Will he be prosecuted, banned from having guns ever again?
BC.
BC.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Sang-froid; wonder if there’s a Māori equivalent… certainly seems to be a cultural blind spot/deficiency down there, according to many.
Such an entirely avoidable tragedy.
Such an entirely avoidable tragedy.
Mountain Bug
Well-Known Member
We don't wear blaze orange just so we can hide in a pumpkin patch. I go so far as to carry hot pink flagging to wrap an animal if hunting on public land. One of the few seasons that orange is not required is turkey season as they can see color, and often calling hunters end up stalking each other. Not a good day to wear your red and blue ball cap.
Scott
Scott
I would think living with what has happened, would be enough punishment.
Not over here it would'nt!
BC.
BC.
Ranger22
Well-Known Member
Hunted once in NZ, where we were safety was extremely high. The forest we were in was shut down, no workers just us hunting. In any scenario, not knowing what your shooting at is very very poor. I feel this will happen more with more people having thermal kit and the quality of image not being great at higher mags, lack of experience will be part of it too
If I recall correctly, & hopefully one of our Kiwi members can correct or give more detail, there was a study carried out in NZ a few years back following similar incidents. The outcome of it was that it appeared that the use of blaze orange actually seemed to make the issue worse, can’t recall whether it was because movement but no visible blaze = safe to shoot or whether the blaze itself triggered something that made the hunter believe it was an animal?
Mountain Bug
Well-Known Member
I would be quite interested in reading this study if anyone can find a link. Curious as to what or how they were wearing orange. Below is straight out of my new big game regs and works very well for us. We can talk of safety protocols that we are all taught in our Hunter Education course (required) but these are not idiot proof.
Scott
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
I don't know how representive my mates are with normal hunters in kiwi.
But I suspect they might not be far away from many hobby hunters.
Their gun safety is absolutely terrible plus a fair bit of drinking culture involved too.
Which to be fair was why I was mates with them in 1st place.
But I never mix alcohol with guns even in my younger daft days.
I've seen vids of them on opening day off duck season in their moi moi?sp duck hide blind drunk falling over each other with loaded semis in hand.
They scare the he'll out of me.
Another 1 of their mates has shot sheep before more than once, accidentally when out lamping
2 off the keener hunters they do wear orange camo when they hunt together.
But quite often will hunt as a pair, working 1 side of a valley so might move deer to each other.
Just things u'd never dream off doing from a uk perspective.
Woods are like a jungle a right thick mess and they often take pot shots at running deer.
Added together ur always going to get accidents.
Don't get me wrong on paper having the freedom to hunt as much DoC land as they do would be brilliant.
But some off the more popular areas it can be pretty dodgy.
And that's in a country with very small rural population.
When u see posts calling for similar access in uk.
With the massive population density and folk walking everywhere it would be a recipe for a potential disaster.
But I suspect they might not be far away from many hobby hunters.
Their gun safety is absolutely terrible plus a fair bit of drinking culture involved too.
Which to be fair was why I was mates with them in 1st place.
But I never mix alcohol with guns even in my younger daft days.
I've seen vids of them on opening day off duck season in their moi moi?sp duck hide blind drunk falling over each other with loaded semis in hand.
They scare the he'll out of me.
Another 1 of their mates has shot sheep before more than once, accidentally when out lamping
2 off the keener hunters they do wear orange camo when they hunt together.
But quite often will hunt as a pair, working 1 side of a valley so might move deer to each other.
Just things u'd never dream off doing from a uk perspective.
Woods are like a jungle a right thick mess and they often take pot shots at running deer.
Added together ur always going to get accidents.
Don't get me wrong on paper having the freedom to hunt as much DoC land as they do would be brilliant.
But some off the more popular areas it can be pretty dodgy.
And that's in a country with very small rural population.
When u see posts calling for similar access in uk.
With the massive population density and folk walking everywhere it would be a recipe for a potential disaster.
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