Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus)
Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus)
Originally from the Himalayas in Nepal and India (Asia), these stunning mountain goats were gifted to New Zealand by the Duke of Bedford from Woburn Abbey in England and liberated near Mt Cook in 1904 and 1909. Tahr were introduced here as part of the original tourism departments efforts to encourage overseas hunters to come to New Zealand, but it was not until the late 1950′s early 1960′s that the legendary story teller and hunting guide Rex Forrester, put Tahr on the top of the list of big game trophies that the hunters came.W ith the absence of predators the Tahr flourished and inhabit the main mountain ranges of the South Island of New Zealand between the Arthurs Pass and Haast Pass.
In New Zealand conservationists have expressed concern about the potential damage that an introduced animal like the tahr might inflict on native alpine vegetation. Consequently Tahr numbers are controlled New Zealand is the only place in the world where this magnificent animal can be freely hunted.
The Challenge of the Hunt
Mostly they live at an altitude above 4500 feet and below 7000 feet and so hunting this animal can be a very physically challenging experience, which takes the hunter high into the pristine valleys of our Southern Alps. However with the right hunting guide, this can become a hugely satisfying and successful challenge, with a magnificent trophy as the ultimate prize.
Those that require a less strenuous hunting experience – Helicopters are being used to live capture trophy bucks on public land for sale to game parks. In addition, some guiding operations are using helicopters to locate trophies for clients to shoot. (See Hunting Method Below)
Typical Trophy
The Bull Tahr has horn bases of 8-9″ and a round curled horn of 10 to 14 inches. A good male trophy, will be judged by its long mane as well as its horns, although scoring only uses a combination of the base horn diameter and length of both horns. Most Tahr hunting guides will look for horns over 11 inches in length. Tahr horns of 12.5 to 13.5 inches are considered an above “trophy” average and horns over 14″ are exceptional. There have been a few New Zealand Tahr taken with horns over 15″ and these usually fall into the SCI Top 10 Record Category
New Zealand Record
49 on the Douglas Score points system
Best Hunting Times
The best time to hunt Tahr in New Zealand is from early April through to early November when they will be in their full winter mane. The rut in May, June and July is particularly good.
Hunting Method
1) The departure points for tahr hunts are either on the east or the west coast side of the Southern Alps. For the eastern approaches, their habitat is usually accessed by foot or four wheel drive, up the main braided rivers draining the Southern Alps. Here tahr can be sighted from the riverbeds and planned hunts undertaken following their location.
2) The second method is to hunt tahr on the western side of the Southern Alps.
Because of the rough nature of the terrain on the West Coast, helicopters are often used to ferry hunters. DOC huts can be used as hunting bases or alternatively, tent camps can be established above timber line close to tahr habitat.
By Helicopter?
Helicopter assisted hunting enables you to access the more remote mountainous areas where there are excellent trophy animals. It also gives greater chance of success if you have limited time. Helicopter assisted hunting can be an exciting alternative with spectacular flights, and the opportunity to take an exceptional trophy.
NOTE: The helicopter is only used as a mode of transportation and animal recovery. You are not allowed to shoot, drive or herd animals from the air. Hunters spot their trophy from the helicopter and are taken to an area when they can pursue their spot and stalk by foot.
Weapon
Tahr are a relatively small animal (Compared to a Red Deer) and therefore don’t require a large caliber, but the rifle should be flat shooting with good optics.
