BIG OLE DONKS off the Main Divide New Zealand

Public land red stag hunting high in the Southern Alps during late summer at velvet stripping time. We use the Garmin InReach to send out text messages to a helicopter pilot for remote location pick up at the end of our hunt.

[@gregoryross.303]

Excellent video, excellent hunting, and an excellent trip. When I was hunting in the Southern Alps during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, there was of course no GPS, no cell phones, no locator beacons, and no digital cameras. And virtually nobody used a chopper to get them into and out of a hunting area. We tramped in, or used 4WDs sometimes. Things have changed since then! But, the venison market has virtually disappeared since then, so, there are far more deer and chamois around now than then, and using all the modern technology to hunt deer now helps to compensate for the lack of heavy commerical chopper hunting that there was in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, which kept come control on deer numbers. It's a great NZ heritage to be able to go out on any day of the year and shoot all the deer you like, as many as you like, and do whatever you like with the meat. Good hunting!

[@southislandriflewalkers5545]

Bloody hell monk, finally got round to watching this- what a trip! That country looks wicked to climb around in

[@reubenhawtree380]

Good to see Simon and Heath flying you around mate. They are top men.

[@CaptainBowman]

Well that just crabbed me by the horns! Very enjoyable watch and something to aspire to,thanks.

[@trusty2222]

Just watched again, classic nz hunting KZbin mate👍🏽

[@trusty2222]

Top stuff, as usual, another good leg stretch for a few days , super country. keep em coming, hot barrels

[@NZWildThings]

Cheers are you getting down here at some stage?

[@trusty2222]

Will be heading down early April for a jaunt, been a good growing season, bloody nice animals you fellas tracked down there, do you have your roar plans nailed down?, hot barrels

[@bendb_wildaboutnz]

Good to see the windsor great park bloodlines still going strong in that area. Awesome to see the big boys sticking to scrub = no chance of a chopper picking them up!

[@henrywills2326]

Awesome video guys! Great to see some true wild trophies are still out there and captured with some spectacular footage. Well done

[@sparrobirdman9621]

Great hunt with a bloody good result. Well done and thanks for sharing a ripper video.

[@sam70856]

Great effort boys. I was stoked to see you post another video. Cheers.

[@NZWildThings]

cheers, yeah been off the filming for a while, hope to get back into a bit

[@leeharri8925]

Awesome video brothers. Beautiful animals and some stunning country. Great effort.

[@aaronpeacock7645]

Awesome video as usual good to see the duck getting out n about

[@roarsomehuntingnewzealand6322]

Top effort mate a couple of thumper stags in wicked country awesome 👍

[@NZWildThings]

Cheers mate, hope you've got some good trips lined up

[@Full_Pack_Adventures]

Awesome stuff guys,a great watch.Great heads too,cheers

[@waikarimoana]

Great video, awesome footage, thanks for the trip, thumbs up and best regards.

[@SouthernAlpsHunter]

Awesome effort mate, some cracking timber there. We've all been sucked in by the squatting chamois buck!

[@KF-og4pd]

Great video! Top class optics on the guy. Leica rangefinding binocular and spotting scope. He means business

[@NZWildThings]

He sure does

[@charlessmith4100]

Great video mate, Amazing animals shot also! true public land trophys. keep up the great content

[@nzdochunts34]

Still haven't hunted the South , I think you just gave me a million more reasons why I need to sort that out cheers

[@simonminchiny60]

Bloody awsome! Really like your camera/presenting/hunting awsome to watch cheers

[@themish30]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing the experience. Anybody that has walked mountains like those knows why you choose the meat or the trophy and those are definitely trophies that will be remembered for a lot longer than a couple of steaks and a stew. The fact that half these whinging keyboard warriors call the ANTLERS "horns" shows there complete lack of knowledge. Keep up the good work, I'll be looking forward to the next adventures.

[@NZWildThings]

Thanks mate, I can see how its hard to understand for some people that haven't ventured into that type of isolated country. There are huge numbers of "easy" deer for meat and I will respect the antlers on my wall for my whole life time remembering a great stag.

[@HillDogTV]

Yeah this is a bloody ripper video! Great Stags! good effort. good vid! good huntin mate

[@NZWildThings]

good on ya mate, cheers

[@bigtmccrea3225]

Another great video. hope you have a good session as are session is moreless over Will get out a few more days with the dogs and then roll on the summer 😎

[@NZWildThings]

good luck for you last few hunts

[@keithwise2855]

Mean vid, whopper stag. Cheers for sharing

[@richardjackson3939]

Great hunt, after you strip the velvet do you stain the antler, potassium permanganate works, just wonder what you do if anything? Cheers

[@NZWildThings]

yes KMnO4 treatment to stain them up, works well

[@HuntingCreed]

Cheers for putting that up - keeps ya keen aye! (and "go the duck")

[@hectorlawson9283]

Holy shit those are big heads for public land. Beautiful shot with the 308!

[@NZWildThings]

Ha ha the second shot between the eyes... oops

[@thenorthernhuntersnz8770]

Awesome video, whopper stag!!!

[@joshjameskiwibushman]

bloody spot on lads

[@matthewthekiwispearo9800]

Josh James Kiwi Bushman what a waste just took the skull and horn

[@adambessent8528]

Josh James Kiwi Bushman iiii

[@rossbutters2229]

AgreeJosh James lot of sausages and mince left on them there hills

[@kingstoncowboy01]

Solid effort lads …nice one!

[@simonsmith9363]

Really enjoyed the video, thanks. Shame about the chamois nanny, "BUGGER," love it!!

[@pt4036]

I've often wondered how much effort big stags like you shot take to strip and colour up their antlers.top effort and video

[@richardcole9558]

What a lifestyle...great vid lads .. cheers

[@HerrGesetz]

Awesome video!

[@rogeeproductions2509]

Nice vid bro...mean stag!!

[@hairystag]

Great video. What part of the year where these stags taken?

[@6foot8jesuspilledpureblood82]

how much does the chopper trip cost you for both ways?? Great hunt, he didn't even know he was hit it was so clean.

[@NZWildThings]

Their standard fee is around $600 per person return

[@tomalophicon]

Top vid bois. What camera are you using?

[@donewith8079]

Good trip boys i v subscribed

[@stewzebra2935]

love the yellow duck

[@101huntingfishing8]

Awesome stuff

[@AlsAllAussieAdventures]

ripper stags mate, well done!

[@HARDCOREOUTDOORSNZ]

Chur, great video, bloody squatting chammy aye. Hahaha

[@alexreeves6801]

Great effort. The critical comments are just sour grapes.

[@OHINERATA]

Bloody awesome! That’s how ya do it!

[@cxllum8700]

Anyone else notice the rubber duck when he shot the first stag?

[@10bubu15]

awesome nice stag

[@Taramakauhuntersclub]

Well done fellas

[@Former615]

Awesome men

[@koozeharrison8471]

beauty team well done

[@xxsweat8366]

Simon's my uncle just to let you know

[@rocknhorsetopaz]

GOOD ONE

[@billmulgrew749]

well done

[@salmonidninja3540]

epic boys

[@MrNitrox91]

This aint hunting, just killing. Don't shoot what you can´t carry home. You give hunters everywhere a bad rep.

[@NZWildThings]

anton eneholm walk the public land for 25 years looking for a good stag, then turn down a 15 pointer because you can't eat all the meat, OK!! I'm actually normally a meat hunter or a photographer but on this occasion the choice was made to take a trophy. I'm not going to lie about it.

[@wiidottkom8972]

Good score my bro but what a waste of kai well there's a rule in our area what u shoot is what u bring out don't just cut the head of just for a trophy wen there's people out there who can't go hunting or get meat like that else where that's y like us Maoris we bring our kill out and feed the whanau so please people don't waste kai think bout others

[@anthonylopes8929]

Wii Dott Kom true that cant eat a skull

[@NZWildThings]

I give away literally tonnes of venison and wild pork from other hunts. I've carried hundreds of carcasses out. No guilt here sorry mate.

[@marnzgray4251]

Spot on bro what a waste of kai..

[@andresgroove]

So u killed a beautiful animal this time just for fun,,...very nice,..u must b proud

[@hunterslayer2631]

I feel the same way about that waste

[@huttboynz4422]

Shit hot mate

[@haroldvera5712]

What rifle .Browning XBolt using?

[@NZWildThings]

308

[@bobmathieson987]

Tarn is pronounced (Tear n)

[@dawnsix]

How could you MURDER that poor innocent animal? That stag was some poor baby deers father and you took his life. Why cant you just be like the rest of us normal people and get your meat from the supermarket where it magically appears on the shelf and no animals are murdered?

[@MountainMan_NZ]

DawnFreeze because we are proud to work hard to get our food and in doing so we know its origin. 100% organic and wild and so full of goodness. no chemicals or fences or pens where we go. Many kiwis are connected with our land and harvest wild food from public lands and waters to supplement their weekly supermarket shops. And we are proud of that

[@danjohn117HD]

MountainMan HuntingFilms you know he is taking the piss right?

[@MountainMan_NZ]

Daniel maybe he is taking the mickey but i took him literally :/

[@lukehayward8042]

Fuck off dont watch this

[@julianalderson6996]

havent shot a stag n a while" fuk was a nice one

[@juliehobbs6827]

No respect. When you take a life you do not waste it.

[@uncontrolledawesomeness5689]

He would still be wasting it if he carried it out didn’t you hear what he said the meat would go off in the heat. Don’t say something if you don’t fully understand it

[@KIWIKEA]

Thats it ma bro .. and these chopper huas .. they loose respect for these animals ... but whip both back straps off and ur gd to go . I woulda just gone bk in the cooler months .. cant eat timber eh.. i only shoot 1 or 2 when i need to full the whanaus frezers. How we wer brought up.. no shootn hinds at ths time until just b4 the roar cos they have fawns close by. The old boy said ya gota give everything a chance at life...🤙

[@intrepid5592]

I'd leave the horns and take the meat. But it's just me...

[@uncontrolledawesomeness5689]

Intrepid 55 there not horns they are antlers and if you were wanting meat you would be better off shooting a hind

[@jobaccamasakado]

I hate to trash these guys, but I have to agree with the other comments. Never waste meat!!!! No matter what. Never. Waste. Meat. I love you guys, but let's do better. Good video and good action.

[@predatornz.5493]

Great video cant wait to shoot my first deer .

[@donnacalley4289]

🐗

[@donnacalley4289]

🐥

[@nathanbellamy7870]

What a tragedy that those magnificent animals didn't have the respect they deserved. If your not fit enough for the big country and bring out the meat. Don't go there and just stick to farm scrub.

[@NZWildThings]

OK thanks, but I hope you have the same comment for the hundreds of bull tahr vids

[@nathanbellamy7870]

NZWildThings you obviously love the backcountry and I'm sure you have boned out many animals. The places you film are great spots, magnificent country. But for me personally I'm not into killing these wonderful animals for any reason other than meat for the table.

[@NZWildThings]

And do you accept that other people take different opportunities sometimes, or do we all have to have the same reasons to be out enjoying the adventures in the back country

[@nathanbellamy7870]

NZWildThings I don't understand your comment. I think your taking it quite hard that many people are commenting on you not taking the meat with you. You can go into the mountains to hike, ski, kayak, take photos, find peace, exercise etc etc. but those reasons are not taking life. If you decide to go into the backcountry to take life. Imo the first priority is to take meat, a good set of antlers is the bonus of the hard work. That's my opinion. Your past time is to take life for something to brag about. That's not for me. Is that o.k. with you?

[@nossni666a4]

Chur bro I liked ur vid, I say this with respect kuzz ur a waster. There is more to hunting then a pair of antlers ay bro?? The footage u got is good enough isnt it ? anyway each to there own, kia ora bro

[@doofus3210]

Maybe get out there and do it before you criticise him. It wouldnt be hunting if he just video'd the deer, it would be filming. You clicked on a hunting video and you got hunting. Pce bro stay safe.

[@roosta2130]

Nice stag bud but pretty sad on the meat recovery for prime animal on public land if your just after antlers safaris are a bit more respectable way going bout it you even had a chopper so there's no real excuse why couldn't recover meat on fly out day or picked up antlers on fly out ...? Mark it on ya GPS haha But hey that's just me I get a better feeling getting my kill home to share then just having a story an antlers to show when like really you've got the ultimate story even without ya antlers you have it on video what's better then that just a thort but nice stag 1nce agian

[@markcoffey5066]

Trophy hunters suck

[@nigelclats6970]

Piss poor just taking horns