Every New Zealand red stag hunt with Four Seasons Safaris is priced by one number: the stag’s SCI score in inches. So pick your class before you pick your flights, and the rest of the trip falls into place, from your budget to the week you book. Here is what each class means, what it costs, and how we help hunters land on the right stag.
Red deer are the most widespread deer species in the country, according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. The South Island hill country around Kaikoura grows them big. The question is never whether you will see a good stag. It is which stag is right for you.
How a New Zealand Red Stag Hunt Is Priced
Our red stag package runs 4 days and 3 nights. It includes your professional guide, daily rates, the trophy fee, accommodation, meals and beverages, field preparation of your trophy, and delivery to the taxidermist for export. The only thing that changes the price is the size of the stag you take.
| Trophy class (SCI inches) | Package price (USD) |
|---|---|
| Up to 360″ | $7,500 |
| Up to 400″ | $10,000 |
| Up to 450″ | $15,000 |
| Up to 500″ | $20,000 |
| 600″+ | Price on request |
Rates are in USD and may be subject to change. The current numbers always live on our rates and packages page.
What the SCI Score Actually Measures
SCI adds up the length of both main beams, the length of every tine, and a set of circumference measurements. It does not deduct for a lopsided rack. As a result, long tines and heavy mass score well even if the two sides don’t match.
That is why counting points on the hill can fool you. For example, a 12-point stag with short tines can score less than a 10-point stag with long, heavy crowns. Length and mass move the number far more than the point count does.
Why your guide does the judging
Field judging a stag in the roar takes years of looking at them. Our guides watch him move and look at his crowns from more than one angle. Then they estimate his class before you ever touch the trigger. Your job is to tell us what you want before the hunt. Our job is to put you on that stag.
Which Trophy Class Fits Your New Zealand Red Stag Hunt
There is no wrong class. There is only the right class for your goals, your budget, and how you want the week to feel.
Your first stag: up to 360″ or up to 400″
This is a mature stag and a true roar experience, with a price that leaves room in the budget. Many hunters use the savings to add a second species, bring a partner along, or extend a day. If this is your first trip to New Zealand, this is a smart place to start.
The wall hanger: up to 450″
This is the class for hunters who have taken good elk and whitetail at home and want a stag that stops people in the trophy room. The crowns get wider, the tines get longer, and the mass is obvious from across the valley.
Record book territory: 500″ and beyond
These stags are the reason serious collectors fly halfway around the world. Our Pinnacle Package is built for this hunter. It covers a red stag up to 600″ plus six more species, helicopter time, a professional cameraman and a finished film of your hunt, with a non-hunter included. For anything above the 500″ class, we price it with you directly.
Timing Changes What You Will See
Red stags are in hard antler from February to August, so you have a long window for a New Zealand red stag hunt. However, where you land in that window shapes the hunt.
March: first pick of the season
March is the start of the roar, and the hunters who know our season book it first. You get first pick of the stags before a single one has been hunted, with little to no antler breakage and no hunting pressure. Also, stags head to their wallows in the heat of the day, so we know where to find them even at midday.
April: peak roar
The roar is at full volume from March through April, and these weeks book out early. If you want stags answering your guide at close range, this is it.
Late April into May: the post-roar
Once the roar winds down, mature stags are still on the ground and hunters consistently do well. It is a quieter hunt. It is also a good fit if you want to pair your stag with a winter-coated tahr or chamois.
See our full red stag hunting page for more on the season.
Set Expectations Before You Land
The best hunts we run start with a clear conversation. Before you book your New Zealand red stag hunt, tell us three things.
- The class you want, and the most you are comfortable spending on the stag.
- How you want us to handle it if a bigger stag than planned walks out.
- Whether you are hunting with a rifle or a bow, since that changes how close we set you up.
Agree on this up front, and there are no surprises on the hill or at the end of the week.
Adding a Second Species or a Non-Hunter
A lot of hunters build out from the stag. Fallow deer start at $7,500 and fit naturally into a red stag week. Extra hunting days run $650 a day for one hunter with one guide, or $550 a day each for two hunters sharing a guide.
Plus, a non-hunter who comes along is $250 a day, with whale watching, wine, the coast and the South Island waiting while you are on the hill. You stay at the lodge or one of our four luxury cottages, so each week only holds a handful of parties. That is good for the hunting and good for the people.
New Zealand Red Stag Hunt FAQs
How much does a New Zealand red stag hunt cost?
Our 4-day, 3-night package is $7,500 for a stag up to 360″, $10,000 up to 400″, $15,000 up to 450″, and $20,000 up to 500″, with 600″+ priced on request. Your guide, lodging, meals and beverages, field preparation and delivery to the taxidermist are included. Flights to New Zealand are extra.
When is the best time to hunt red stag in New Zealand?
Stags are in hard antler from February to August. The roar runs March through April, and March gives you first pick of the season’s stags with no hunting pressure.
What does an SCI score measure?
SCI totals the length of the main beams, every tine, and a set of circumference measurements, with no deductions for an uneven rack. Your trophy class is set by that total.
Can I bowhunt red stag in New Zealand?
Yes. The roar is one of the best times for archery, because roaring stags come in close and give away where they are.
Ready to Pick Your Stag?
Tell us the class you are after, the weeks you are looking at, and who is coming with you, and we will tell you honestly what is open. Send us your class and dates and we will put your whole New Zealand red stag hunt in one written quote.
