NZ Hunter

New Zealand’s premier hunting and outdoor magazine . For everything hunting - adventures, tips, how-tos, and reviews of the latest products. A great read with something for everyone.

NZ Hunter

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR • We’ve finally had a gap in the bad run of Spring weather we’ve been having lately and got a little hill time in to clear our heads from the political stuff that has been so all consuming lately

Q&A

Good Sorts • During the Victorian era many British red deer were released around New Zealand, for the most part park animals from English estates like Warnham, Windsor, Stoke and Richmond. Otago was unique in releasing wild Scottish bloodlines

IT'S NOT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER! • I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT WITH PUBLIC LAND HUNTING IN NEW ZEALAND, THE HARDER YOU WORK TO PUT YOURSELF IN POSITION, THE GREATER CHANCE OF REWARD

MONTANA BEAR COUNTRY • ‘No darling, it’s not a hunting trip’. My poor wife. Honestly, deep down, I think she knew there would be hunting involved somewhere

Hollyford Pyke Loop • When I was six, my Mum, Dad, sister, and I did the Hollyford-Pyke loop on packrafts. I always wanted to go back hunting there in the roar

WOUND SIZE VS PENETRATION • What is more important for recovering an animal - penetration, or the width of the wound?

BC HAS REVITALISED SMALLER CALIBRES AT RANGE • Eighteen months ago, a friend of mine, Conor Watson, a bowhunter and new to rifles, sent me a podcast and said “What are your thoughts on this?!”

A NEW ARMS ACT IS COMING HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW • After years of campaigning for reform, Minister Nicole McKee unveiled the details of a proposed new Arms Act on November 11th 2025

Robert Kröger The Origins Foundation • If you’ve spent any time watching hunting content on YouTube, the chances are that you’ve come across The Origins Foundation and Robbie Kroger’s distinctive South African accent. You’ll probably know the voice before you see the logo

SPARTAN PRECISION EQUIPMENT • Well as some of you may know many moons ago a clever chap called Greg Duley decided to give his bushpig a turbo charge and built a 16 inch barrelled 284 Win with great success - and so the Superpig was born

GAME ANIMAL COUNCIL NEWS

THE BRASS MONKEY BIV

Leaving a legacy in the New Zealand Backcountry • Matt Hewat was the lead builder on the new Brass Monkey Biv project and good friend Ryan Hart the other, along with Sam Dowd. Matt and Ryan are hunting mates and hail from Canterbury.

Keeping Up To Date

POLLUCK CREEK HUT • Polluck Creek Hut is located in the Kakapotahi River which is also known as the Little Waitaha, or Happy Valley

HIKMICRO STELLAR SH35L 3.0 SCOPE FALCON FQ50L 2.0 HANDHELD • I had the opportunity to test Hikmicro thermal gear from Huntsman Optics in my work as a pest control contractor in new forestry plantings

PETER RYAN RIDING THE ECHO DOWN • Pete Ryan is, without question, one of New Zealand’s most talented writers

LEUPOLD MARK 4 HD 6-24X56 AND A BIG 30 CAL! • When Leupold first came out with its Mark 4 way back in the early 2000s, we jumped on them as they provided really repeatable target turret adjustments from a solid and reliable scope platform with a respectable zoom range and at a reasonable weight

From Fetch to Far The Beginning Leg of Mastering Long-Distance Blind Retrieves with Your Hunting Dog • In waterfowl and upland hunting, few skills are as valuable as a dog’s ability to execute a long-distance blind retrieve

A MOTLEY CREW • FOR ME, ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF A DUCK HUNT IS WAITING FOR THE ACTION TO START

WHAT'S NEW: DEC JAN

RABBIT PIE WITH LEEK, WALNUT AND BACON