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STEWART ISLAND
Special Feature:
Brilliant wilderness hunting for whitetail trophies
Rugged, windswept Stewart Island contains Rakiura National Park,
a wilderness renowned for its unspoilt nature and scenic beauty.
Stewart Island is blessed with a natural habitat that is still
largely intact, even with the introduction of species like red
and whitetail deer. Steep, inhospitable bush clad ranges centred
on Mt Anglem (1000 metres) dominate the northern coastline, and
rounded granite domes like Gog and Magog and the Raggedy
Mountains, stand out on the surreal central skyline. However,
around the bays and harbours in rata-kamahi hardwood forests is
where the fleet-footed little deer with the flashing white tails
live.
Whitetail deer were introduced in 1905 and soon colonised the
entire island. In recent years trophy quality has improved,
particularly on the east coast around Port Adventure and Port
Pegusus. All the prime hunting blocks are occupied throughout the
year and DOC has set up permanent campsites around the most
productive coastal scrub zones.
Whitetail offer an excellent challenge for hunters as the deer
blend in very well with the dense cover and disappear as fast as
a lightning bolt. Whitetail have two weakness that work in the
hunter’s favour. They have a liking for certain seaweeds
including bull kelp so are often spotted on the beaches at
daylight . Also, unlike other deer species, they are creatures of
habit and often return to the same feeding spot. Whitetail are a
very attractive deer with lithe bodies, and long slender necks.
They can live up to 20 years, which is unusual for deer.
Red deer are also widely spread in low
numbers and prefer to occupy the mid-altitude habitats, leaving
the coast to the whitetail. Some hunting blocks are allocated by
ballot and some are offered by the Rakiura Maori Land Corporation
in return for a hunting fee. Private charter transport can be
arranged from Bluff and Oban in Half Moon Bay (the main
settlement on the island).
Helicopter fly-ins for guided red and whitetail hunts can be
arranged in Invercargill, Te Anau and Queenstown.
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