The Sika Foundation has launched a competition to encourage hunters to learn more about their hunting locations by studying the Sika hinds they shoot, then submit a story and photos for our website and Faccebook page. The competition will run all year, but it will be on hold between November 20 and March 20, for ethical reasons. More details on the competition and how to enter here…
These are the Hind Sight stories we’ve received so far:
Matt Rice harvested this hind on Saturday morning, 3rd October at a popular Kaweka Doc Hut. It was a ‘lockdown delayed’ trip and just happened to eventuate on a Sika Foundation management hunt weekend. They had flown in a couple of days earlier and had spent most of the time in the open country, with relatively warm weather for that time of the year.
Read Matt’s findings here…
Dustin Murdock harvested a Sika hind on May 22, 2020 on a clearing in the silver/red beech bush of the upper Mohaka River. The clearing was heavily grazed and he suspects deer numbers in the area are generally high or too-high. After watching for a while, Dustin decided to take her for meat. In preparation for his new career as an amateur biologist – he carried a lightweight, digital luggage scale and recorded 15.3 kg without guts, head and hocks.
Read Dustin’s story here…
Steve White shot a Sika hind in tight bush off the end of Clements Mill Road in June. He saw the head and neck of the animal from about 50m through a small corridor of foliage. Only when approaching after the shot, he noticed she was old and thin. He says her paunch was filled with fibrous and stick material. Many dead leaves and lots of deer hair were also present. There were unchewed Pepperwood leaves in small numbers which he was amazed to find.
More about Steve’s hunt and his deer assessment here….
Matt Rice harvested this hind on in July in the afternoon after a wet, windy morning, in the Northern Ahimanawas (roadside public area). Matt says she was in reasonably good condition, with a nice winter coat and she had last year’s young with her. Her young was well grown, and did not hang around. In this public area typically the animals will be in average to good condition and there is enough hunting pressure to ensure a relatively healthy heard.
More about Matt’s findings here…
Mike Clinch shot this hind in June, 2020 while on a hunt with Helisika on the Mangaroa Private block. Mike says she was in good condition overall, although there was no consistent fat covering on the meat or organs. She was not in milk, but pregnant from the 2020 roar. He explains that no stags were roaring at all, which may indicate an early roar in this particular location. He collected the hind’s jaw for aging, and estimates she was 3 to 4 years of age.
Read Mike’s story here….
Henry Melville went out for a quick overnight hunt on the North Eastern faces of the Kaweka Range in July. He spotted a hind and yearling on a small alpine clearing at around 11.00am. They began browsing as they couldn’t resist the food and sun after a week of wet winter weather. He says he got the hind with a clean shot while the yearling disappeared into the scrub below. He was surprised the hind and yearling were still living at 1100m which seemed quite high for July.
Read all about Henry’s findings here…
Ross Gibson joined a Sika Foundation team into the steep sided Ecology stream. From the chopper, he could see a small mossy clearing next to the flowing water, cloaked in shade and dusted with ice. The words from Cam Speedy just 30 minutes earlier started to make sense. “You guys are in for an interesting time”. Due to its remote location and challenging contour, Ecology stream sees few hunters and even less trampers. If you want an insight into what overpopulation does to Beech forest and the resident herd, head for Ecology stream.
See his full story here…
In his second Hind Sight story, Dustin Murdock explains what he experienced on a hunting trip early September. He says targeting Sika hinds again resulted in some educational observations. He started in the high-country red/silver beech, exploring head guts and broadleaf areas with no deer sighted and very little sign to show for a day’s effort. But that all changed the next day, when he decided to target lower altitude scrub country with northern exposure.
Read how more productive is was here…
James Grant picked up his boy Logan from school early on September 8 and they scooted up to the western edge of the Ahimanawa range for a poke around. He says there was a small bit of deer signs present, with fresh prints spotted in the soft damp soil and five finger plants freshy chewed in front of them – enough to keep their senses on full alert. After an hour of careful bush stalking had past, Logan whispered “Dad, dad, dad”.
Read all about James and Logan’s hunt here…