If you have been following our adventures to date, you will know that we are big fans of harvesting our own food. And as meat eaters, this includes hunting. We have recently had the opportunity to spend some time on a private hunting block in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand. Funnily enough, Clare spent two years living and working on this very block in her twenties. These days the block is owned by a successful NZ businessman and managed by a friend of ours. The block is being used primarily as a kiwi breeding ground. The neighbouring forest block, owned by the same man, is being replanted in manuka to be used for the harvesting of honey once the manuka becomes established.
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| The view as far as the eye can see |
In December we took the opportunity to make a short trip to hopefully shoot a deer. Deer are considered an introduced pest in NZ. They destroy the native forest, rubbing the tree trucks raw with their antlers and eating the foliage, especially of your trees.
But first, we wanted to take a look around the block.
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| Out and about on the Polaris |
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| Rifle always at the ready |
The Hole Hut down beside the Waiau River
The guy who lives here full time feeds the deer around the main accommodations. It is a special experience to be able to sit quietly and watch them. There is no hunting within 100m from the huts.
Whilst out driving in the forest, we came upon the perfect opportunity to shoot a deer, the meat of which we would share with the family for Christmas.
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| Dressing out the deer ready to carry to the vehicle |
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| Ready for the big carry |
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| That's about the size of it ... |
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| Skinned and ready to joint out |
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| Harvesting the meat |
We also helped out with some rat monitoring. We laid some ink pads out on some lines one day, in the pissing rain! and went back the next day to count how many rats had walked across the ink. It's good to know that the rat baiting is actually working. All part of the myriad of pest control projects that go in to keeping the forest healthy and developing.
In February 2020, we made a second trip to the block. This time to help out with a different kind of pest control. Rabbits and hare.
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| The boys ready for a night of spotlighting |
Not being ones to shoot animals for the sake of it, we picked up as many of the rabbits and hares that we could during the three nights we went out hunting. We love to eat rabbit and hare and it has been a nice opportunity to introduce this rarely eaten (in NZ anyway) meat.
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| It takes a bit of work, but James is pretty happy with his meat packs. |
On one of the nights we were out we came upon a couple of youngish female pigs. Again, considered a pest in the native forest, we took the opportunity to harvest a different kind of meat.
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| Wild pork yum scrum! |
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| Still more work to be done |
There is nothing quite like a sunset in a place unsullied by artificial light ....
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