Contact Us
4323 Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road, RD1
Staveley, 7771, New Zealand
PHONE: +64 21 644 507
EMAIL: mail@backcountry.co.nz

 New Zealand Big Game Hunting outfitters and professional hunters.  Download our current brochure of New Zealand hunting trips in the South Islands Southern Alps with Backcountry New Zealand's hunting guides and outfitting service.  We are members of the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides association and make it our promise to you to deliver an exclusive and authentic hunting experience in New Zealand.  We offer one hunt at a time to ensure you are the sole focus of our company while you hunt with us.

 Download our current brochure on guided fly fishing trips in New Zealand's South Island with Backcountry New Zealand Fly-fishing professional guides and outfitting service.  We offer you a service that designs a tour to suit your personal requirements. We are members of the New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides association.

Hunting in New Zealand, New Zealand hunting gun laws, New Zealand hunting permits, New Zealand hunting books, New Zealand hunting magazines, New Zealand hunting guides, New Zealand guided hunting, New Zealand hunting outfitters, New Zealand hunting articles, New Zealand helicopters, New Zealand helicopter hunting, New Zealand trophy red deer hunting, chamois, Himalayan thar, fallow deer, whitetail deer, sika deer, elk, wapiti, sambar deer, rusa, wild goats and wild pigs and boar in New Zealand. New Zealand hunting clothing, New Zealand woolen hunting clothing,Hunting is a recreational pursuit and a tourist activity in New Zealand with numerous books and magazines published on the topic.Introduced species Prior to human settlement New Zealand had no land based mammals other than bat species. European settlers introduced a wide range of animals including some specifically for game hunting. Acclimatisation societies Acclimatisation societies were active for a period of 60 years from the 1860s in having introduced animals established in New Zealand. The majority were introduced for food or sport. Government sanctioned deer culling By the 1950s red deer were recognised as an animal pest which damaged the natural environment and the government began employing hunters to cull the deer population to prevent this damage. Networks of tracks with bridges and huts were set up to gain easy access into the backcountry. These tracks and huts, now maintained by the Department of Conservation, are popular for tramping. Commercial hunting operations Foreign tourists come to New Zealand for hunting as part of guided tours or as independent hunters. Types of hunting Chamois Chamois is a goat-antelope native to Europe. Alpine chamois arrived in New Zealand in 1907 as a gift from the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I. The first surviving releases were made in the Aoraki/Mount Cook region and these animals gradually spread over much of the South Island. They are often referred to colloquially as "chamy" (pronounced "shamy"). In New Zealand, hunting of chamois is unrestricted and even encouraged by the Department of Conservation to limit the animal's impact on New Zealand's native alpine flora. Deer Fallow Deer (Dama dama) A smaller species of deer in New Zealand. Various genotypes exist with differing colour phases: (i) Common, (ii) Melanistic, (iii) Menil and (iv) White. They are often found in bush closer to pasture/farmland, as prefer grazing on grasses. Major herds are found in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) The red deer in New Zealand produce very large antlers and are regarded as amongst the best in the world by hunters. Along with the other introduced deer species they are however regarded as a pest by the department of conservation and have at times been heavily culled using professional hunters. Additionally many hunters and outdoors enthusiasts class deer in NZ as a resource, for both food, hobbies, and an economic (tourist attraction). Ongoing issues over their pest status continue to be debated between parties.  

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In fly fishing, fish are caught by using artificial flies that are cast with a fly rod and a fly line. The fly line (today, almost always coated with plastic) is heavy enough to send the fly to the target. This is one of the main differences between fly fishing and spin or bait fishing; in fly fishing it is the weight of the line that carries the hook through the air, whereas in spin and bait fishing it is the weight of the lure or sinker that gives you casting distance. Artificial flies are of several types, some imitating an insect (either flying or swimming), others a bait fish or crustacean, others attractors are known to attract fish although they look like nothing in nature. Flies can be made either to float or sink, and range in size from a few millimeters to 30�cm long; most are between 1 and 5�cm. Artificial flies are made by fastening hair, fur, feathers, or other materials, both natural and synthetic, onto a hook. The first flies were tied with natural materials, but synthetic materials are now very popular and prevalent. The flies are tied in sizes, colors and patterns to match local terrestrial and aquatic insects, baitfish, or other prey attractive to the target fish species. Dry fly fishing is done with line and flies that float, joined by a leader, usually made of fine polyamide monofilament line. The tapered leader is 3 to 5 meters long, thus nearly invisible where the fly is knotted, and the angler can replace the last meter of nylon as required. Unlike sinking fly (nymph) fishing, the "take" on dry flies is visible, explosive and exciting. While trout typically consume about 90% of their diet from below-water sources, the 10% of surface-level consumption by trout is more than enough to keep most anglers busy. Additionally, beginning fly anglers generally prefer dry fly fishing because of the relative ease of detecting a strike and the instant gratification of seeing a trout strike their fly. Nymph fishing may be more productive, but dry fly anglers soon become addicted to the surface strike. Dry fly fishing on small, clear-water streams can be especially productive if the angler stays as low to the ground and as far from the bank as possible, moving upstream with stealth. Trout tend to face upstream and most of their food is carried to them on the current. For this reason, the fish's attention is normally focused into the current; most anglers move and fish "into the current", fishing from a position downstream of the fish's suspected lie. Trout tend to strike their food at current "edges", where faster- and slower-moving waters mix. Obstructions to the stream flow, such as large rocks or nearby pools, provide a "low energy" environment where fish sit and wait for food without expending much energy. Casting upstream to the "edge" of the slower water, the angler can see the fly land and drift slowly back downstream. The challenge in stream fishing is placing the fly with deadly accuracy, within inches of a protective rock for instance, not long range casting. Done properly, the fly seems to be just floating along in the current with a "perfect drift" as if not connected to the fly line. The angler must remain vigilant for the "take" in order to be ready to raise the rod tip and set the hook.

New Zealand hunts and trout fishing are one of the most memorable travel experiences for the hunter or angler.  Now you can be rest assured that while traveling to New Zealand, your next hunting trip or fly fishing experience will be Carbon Neutral or better! © Backcountry New Zealand Fishing and hunting guides