Game Animals.

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Rakaia Red Stag.

From $6500 USD for a red stag up to 350″ SCI.

Our premier game animal at High Peak is the Red Stag (Cervus elaphus scoticus). The red deer herd on High Peak is underpinned by the famous Rakaia bloodline and nurtured with over 50 years’ game management to create one of the finest red deer herds in New Zealand.

At High Peak, we prioritise antler aesthetics, classical style and a quality hunt over chasing records. High Peak stags are famous for their ‘hill appeal’, achieved with antlers that combine a long, heavy main beam, clean lower tynes and strong crowns. Most High Peak stags score between 400 and 700 inches SCI, with a huge selection of animals within that range.

Hunting a red stag at High Peak is a lifetime experience. Few animals can match the majesty of a stag in full antler and therefore they are a must for a keen hunter’s trophy ambitions.

Red Stag can be hunted at High Peak from February to July with the rut (also know as the ‘Roar’) over the month of April.

Himalayan Tahr.

From $6500 USD, best available.

Known as the King of the Mountains, hunting the Himlayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) is an amazing experience. Powerfully built and incredibly agile, tahr inhabit the steep bluffs and gullies of the South Island’s Southern Alps, right on our doorstep. 

One of the few animals to feature a full mane, tahr were introduced from Nepal in 1904 and present a challenge to any keen alpine hunter. High Peak has exclusive access to Rata Peak Station, where they have one of the best private tahr herds in New Zealand. All our tahr are hunted on foot within an easy day trip from the lodge.

We consider a bull tahr in full mane to be one of New Zealand’s great hunting experiences and strongly urge any hunter visiting High Peak to have one on their trophy list.

Tahr can be hunted with us between February and July, with the rut and best manes from May onwards.

Fallow Buck.

From $4500 USD, for a buck up to 230″ SCI.

Aggressive, elusive and beautiful, the Fallow Buck (Dama dama) is one of our most popular and enjoyable species to hunt. With distinctive palmated antlers and a range of colours including black, white, spotted and menil, Fallow were introduced into New Zealand from English bloodlines starting in the 1860s.

Our smallest deer species, Fallow make an excellent addition to a Red Stag or Red Stag and Tahr combination. Fallow bucks are abundant on High Peak and you’ll see many trophy examples on a hunt with us. Because our fallow run in the game estate alongside our stags, the keen hunter will be presented with multiple opportunities while scoping for stags.

Fallow can be hunted with us between February and July, with the rut (or ‘Croak’) over April-May.

Alpine Chamois.

From $6500 USD, best available.

Undoubtedly one of the most attractive game animals in New Zealand, the Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is a native of the European Alps and challenges even the tahr for agility and sure-footedness.

Inhabiting similar alpine terrain to the tahr, this mountain antelope is an incredibly challenging hunt, possessing extremely keen eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. Both males and females have horns which are black and slender – they form almost like sharp hooks, curving rearward to point directly downward. A trophy quality buck should have horns that exceed 23cm (9 inches).

At High Peak we have a number of options for hunting Chamois, including some exceptional private land foot hunting experiences over February – July with the rut in May-June. Chamois form one half of the Alpine Double along with the Tahr and are one of New Zealand’s top tier game species.

Arapawa Ram.

From $1750 USD, best available.

In the early 1800’s, whalers and sealers introduced a herd of Spanish Merino sheep onto Arapawa Island (at the top of the South Island) as a food source. The sheep reverted to wild behaviour and characteristics and can be hunted today as a trophy Arapawa Ram (Ovis arapawa).

Examples of the Arapawa herd were distributed around the country and today, High Peak has it’s own herd of these distinctive game animals. Known for an impressive set of horns, a good trophy ram will have one-and-a half curls or more and sport a shaggy ‘rasta’ fleece.

Arapawa Rams make for a fun hunt, especially for archery hunters, and add a unique element to any New Zealand trophy bag.

Arapawa Rams can be hunted throughout the season at High Peak from February to July.

Pacific Goat.

From $1500 USD, best available.

The Pacific Goat (Capra hircus) is a mixture of wild and domestic breeds, resulting in a multi-coloured population that thrives throughout most of the country.

Their coat is generally short haired with variable amounts of underfur. The hindquarters of both sexes, and the neck and shoulders of males may be shaggy. Colour wise, they can be black, white or brown, or any combination of these. Both males and females have horns, which do not shed annually like antlers but are retained for the entire life of the goat. All males and even some females are bearded as adults.

A trophy billy is huntable year-round and is a welcome addition to any New Zealand trophy hunting trip. A good goat trophy has horns that can reach some sixty inches across and many of our clients have opted to add one of these recognised South Pacific trophies to their ‘bag’.

New Zealand Wapiti.

From $7500 USD for a wapiti bull up to 350″.

The New Zealand Wapiti (Cervus elaphus nelsonii), or Elk, is our largest game animal, originally established in New Zealand in 1905 as a gift from US President Theodore Roosevelt.

New Zealand Wapiti are characterised by their mix of predominantly elk genetics with some hybridisation from local red deer populations. This results in a subtly different appearance and antler structure than their pure North American cousins, with a greater tendency toward non-typical tynes.

New Zealand Wapiti are genuinely huge high-value trophies, sometimes exceeding 450 inches SCI and in occasionally, 500 inches SCI in size. Wapiti emit a high-pitched wailing ‘bugle’ during the rut from mid-March to late April – a sound you will never forget once you hear it.