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How To’s
20
Tahr Rut
1. Fitness
WRITTEN BY ~ DEREK JOHNSON
5.
If you want to enjoy hunting tahr then you need to
be fit. I’m not saying that you have to be some sort of
super athlete but a good level of fitness that means you
are capable of climbing and descending steep terrain
each day is essential. Most tahr areas are hunted fairly
often so if you can walk a bit further than the average
hunter then you are far more likely to get amongst some
prime tahr hunting.
2.
3.
Because tahr live in such steep broken country
you need to put that bull down on the spot. Too
many times have I seen a bull shot and lost because he
has stayed on his feet and although mortally hit has
managed to make it to an area of heavy cover or into a
bluff system where retrieval has been impossible. As I
have said in the last tip you need to be aiming at taking
both shoulders out thus completely immobilizing the
bull and ensuring a quick clean kill. Wait until the bull
is broadside and follow the front leg up until the cross
hair is on the centre of the shoulder and if the bull
doesn’t drop or regains his feet don’t hesitate to drive
another bullet into his vitals. Having always used light
calibres it took me a while to change my aiming point
from just behind the shoulder to dead on the shoulder
and I still curse the loss of a great bull that was shot
behind the shoulder but stayed on his feet long enough
to disappear into a 300 metre vertical face of alpine
vegetation. I always say no matter how well the hunter
thinks he or she have hit the animal, if it stays on its feet
and disappears out of sight your chances of finding that
bull is immediately reduced by 50%.
Glassing
This is one of the most important tips when it comes to
any type of alpine hunting. A good set of binoculars is
invaluable when it comes to tahr hunting and without
them your chances of success are minimal. Quality
optics are not cheap but you will never regret it and if
looked after will last a life time. Our normal game plan
when hunting tahr in the rut is to spend the first few
days glassing from obvious vantage points that give us
a good overall view of our hunting area. Any animal that
is spotted will be undisturbed making it a lot easier to
assess their trophy potential. Ideal glassing conditions
are when the sun is behind you lighting the face you
want to glass - don’t make the mistake of battling your
way up to your chosen vantage point only to realize you
will be glassing into the sun. Binoculars of 10X are ideal
for tahr hunting.
6.
Spotting Scope
Suitable Rifle
& Scope
A bull tahr is an extremely tough customer and is
capable of soaking up shots with little apparent
effect. Although light calibres such as the 243 are
capable of cleanly killing a bull tahr they would not
be my recommendation. Any of the popular calibres
such as 308, 7mm-08, 270 etc. will do the job. A well
constructed projectile that is capable of breaking the
front shoulders is something to keep in mind when
reloading or buying ammo for a tahr trip. A good quality
vari power scope along with dependable mounts that
are capable of taking a few knocks but still holding zero
is a must. The tahr rut is May/June/July and you will
encounter weather conditions that will test your gear to
the maximum, don’t let a cheap fogged up scope ruin
your trip. Remember shot placement is always more
important than calibre which leads to my next tip.
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NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE ~ June / July 2014
Can I Retrieve My Trophy?
This is a question you need to ask yourself before
squeezing the trigger. Every year I hear stories of
trophies getting hung up in bluffs or falling into places
where retrieving the trophy was impossible. Most of
the time this could have been avoided if the hunter had
just exercised a little patience, often the bull will only
need to move a small distance to make retrieving him
far more likely. Last winter we spent a whole afternoon
sitting 240 metres away from a great 13 inch plus bull,
hoping he would move 20 metres to the right so we
could shoot and retrieve him. This never eventuated
but I would rather walk away from a bull than waste
a great trophy. Because tahr live in such steep terrain
the chances are your trophy is going to take a fall when
shot but you need to minimise this. Again, exercise a
little patience and wait until a bull moves into a better
position. It is pointless shooting a bull off a vertical 200
metre rock slab as 9 times out of 10 the horns will get
smashed off when he hits the bottom. A trophy bull tahr
deserves more respect than that!
If you are serious about obtaining a trophy bull
tahr then a spotting scope is a must, the difference
between a good trophy and a monster is only 1 inch and
even quality binoculars will struggle to pick out that sort
of detail. Again buy the best you can afford and if you
have not got the funds then beg, borrow or befriend
another hunter that has a spotting scope. An ideal
spotter will start at 20x magnification and be capable of
at least 40x.
4.
Shot Placement
7.
Shoot Within Your Ability
Shots out to 300 metres would be considered normal
with tahr and most suitable calibres will require only
a little holdover at this distance, that’s presuming that
the rifle is dead on at 200 metres which I think is ideal.
Any further than this and you are starting to get into
the specialised field of long range shooting, and there
are plenty of hunters that have mastered this discipline
and are capable of cleanly killing a bull tahr at very
long ranges. But for the average hunter myself included
getting a little closer is a far better option. Remember
this is one of the toughest big game animals that NZ has
to offer and anything less than a perfect shot will result
in a lost trophy.
Tips
9.
Hunt As Late As Possible
Although early mornings are good, evenings are
when tahr become really active and this is when you
need to still be on the hill glassing rather than making
your way back to camp. Tahr will start moving anytime
from about 3.00pm during the rut but like most of our
big game animals you will not see those really big mature
animals until last thing. This means traveling back to
your camp in the dark so you need to have a 100% safe
route planned out. The old she’ll be right attitude in this
type of country will result in the very least a long cold
uncomfortable night.
10. Avoid Tahr Winding You
Although hunting with the wind in your favour is
a basic hunting rule it still amazes me how often
hunters take little notice of wind direction or have
little knowledge of anabatic and katabatic winds. Tahr
will often tolerate the sight of a hunter to within
200-300 metres especially if they are situated in
steep bluffs and are looking down on you, but it
only takes one whiff of smelly hunter to send them
scattering for cover or higher ground. Take notice
of what the wind is doing and learn about what
the wind in the mountains is likely to be doing
in certain situations. I always plan my days hunt
around what the wind will be doing.
11. Take Advantage Of The
Daily Routine Of Tahr
Tahr have a very set daily routine and a good
hunter will take full advantage of this.
Scenario - you are sitting on your vantage point
glassing across the valley onto some prime tahr
habitat, sure enough early evening a group of
nannies along with a nice bull appear out of
the cover and start feeding. But hang on, you
are way across the valley and haven’t a hope of
getting within range before dark. Don’t panic, unless
disturbed chances are the same group of tahr will be
in the same area at a similar time the following day.
All you have to do now is from your vantage point plan
how you are going to get within range of those animals
the next evening. Again look for a vantage point that
gives you a commanding view of where the tahr are
feeding. Get to this spot the next afternoon, set up a
good rest for your rifle and sit quietly glassing the area.
Most times that same group should turn up.
12. Be Selective
8.
Look Low
This tip is especially relevant on the western side of
the Southern Alps where the tahr population is under
constant pressure from heli-hunting and Search and
Destroy missions. This has resulted in a large proportion
of the population living close to or in the cover that
grows at lower altitudes - most of the big bulls we see
are very close to cover. Often we have been glassing tahr
only to have them all bolt off into cover for no apparent
reason, and it’s only when the sound of helicopter
reaches us that it becomes clear why these animals have
disappeared. It is easy to become fixated on the obvious
tahr that stand right up on the skyline all day looking
down at you. I don’t spend much time looking at these
animals as they are normally out of reach unless you are
an experienced mountaineer and rarely are they of any
real trophy size simply because the heli-hunters would
have cleaned them up if they were big fellas. Glassing
bluff systems and creek heads that are surrounded by
cover will be far more rewarding.
Often a group of nannies will be accompanied by
several bulls of which only one will be the master bull.
Be patient and check each bull out carefully while giving
the general area a good glassing as often the master bull
will court a nanny in season away from the main group.
Don’t shoot the bulls that are only around 3 or 4 years
old and have a horn length of 10 or 11 inches - left for a
few more years these will mature into trophies.
13. Know Your Limitations
Tahr live in some of the most rugged mountainous
country NZ has to offer but this doesn’t mean you
need to be a mountaineer in order to successfully hunt
them. I’m a perfect example of someone who doesn’t
like heights especially when it comes to being out on
exposed ridges with sickening drops either side, yet I
have obtained plenty of trophies by concentrating on
country that’s more within my comfort zone. Recognise
your limitations before you get yourself into a position
that could in the worst case prove fatal. Remember tahr
hunting should be an enjoyable experience.
June / July 2014 ~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE
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