EP26: Lake Hāwea Station Hunting (Outfitter Spotlight)

<p>Mitch Green runs the hunting program at Lake Hāwea Station in New Zealand&#39;s Otago high country, where red stag, tahr, chamois and fallow deer share sixteen thousand acres of free range mountain terrain above Lake Hāwea. He grew up chasing sika deer in the North Island, moved south at eighteen, and worked his way from fishing guide to head guide on one of Otago&#39;s best known hunting properties.</p><p>In this conversation, Mitch walks through what separates a guided hunt from public land hunting in New Zealand: how the station manages its deer, chamois and tahr populations with no natural predators on the ground, why the red stag roar in late March and April is considered the height of New Zealand hunting, and how steep the country actually feels once you&#39;re standing in it. Mitch says he estimates that without predators, a New Zealand deer population can double every two to four years, part of why active management matters so much on a property like this. He also covers what it takes to bring a rifle into New Zealand as a visiting hunter, the accommodation options on station (converted century-old musterers&#39; huts), and stories of a run of hunts with a repeat client that produced a trophy fallow buck, two red stags and a heavy chamois in the space of two trips.</p><p>Whether you&#39;re weighing a first guided hunt in New Zealand, researching Otago&#39;s draw of red stag, tahr and chamois, or just want to hear what it&#39;s like to guide free range mountain hunting for a living, this one covers it.</p><p><br></p><p>Let&#39;s Go Guided:Website + email signup: letsgoguided.comInstagram: @letsgoguided_Facebook: Let&#39;s Go Guided</p><p><br></p><p>Lake Hāwea Station Hunting:🌐 lakehaweastationhunting.com📸 @lakehaweastation_hunting</p><p><br></p><p>Photography credit: Courtesy of Lake Hāwea Station Hunting</p>