North American Outdoorsman
    What's Hot

    Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

    September 26, 2023

    Some ‘Roosies’ for the Ladies

    August 23, 2023

    Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman: Jesika Lucarelli, Great Mountain Guide Service

    August 23, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    North American OutdoorsmanNorth American Outdoorsman
    • Current Issue
    • Publications
      • North American Outdoorsman
      • North American Deer Hunter
      • North American Bowhunter
      • Crossbow Magazine
    • Authors
    • Partners
    • Newsletter
    Facebook Instagram YouTube
    SUBSCRIBE
    • Hunting
      1. Whitetail
      2. Bowhunting
      3. Big Game
      4. Stories
      5. How to Hunt
      6. Podcasts
      7. View All

      15 Best Late-Season Deer Food Plots

      February 13, 2023

      Offseason Wintertime Whitetail Prep

      December 30, 2022

      Process your own deer

      October 21, 2022

      Spot-and-Stalk Whitetail Hunt with my Dad

      October 14, 2022

      2023 SHOT Show Hunting Gear

      January 17, 2023

      Process your own deer

      October 21, 2022

      Hunting Woodland Caribou: A Newfound Passion

      August 7, 2022

      Bow Birds

      April 1, 2022

      Getting High on Alberta Bighorn Sheep

      August 23, 2023

      Playing the Wind: The Adventures of Abby and Shaundi         

      August 23, 2023

      The Complete Hunter

      August 23, 2023

      Aim Big, Hit Small

      June 21, 2023

      Playing the Wind: The Adventures of Abby and Shaundi         

      August 23, 2023

      Mom’s First Moose: A Family Hunting Adventure

      August 23, 2023

      Where Memories Are Made

      June 3, 2023

      A Boy’s First Goose

      May 12, 2023

      Find a Mentor and Dive Right In

      August 23, 2023

      Traveling With Your Gun Dog

      August 20, 2023

      21 Rookie Coyote Hunting Mistakes to Avoid

      April 9, 2023

      Where to Shoot a Black Bear

      April 8, 2023

      Campfire Stories Podcast | Ep 188 with Montey DeBoer of Hornady

      July 10, 2023

      Some ‘Roosies’ for the Ladies

      August 23, 2023

      Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman: Jesika Lucarelli, Great Mountain Guide Service

      August 23, 2023

      Getting High on Alberta Bighorn Sheep

      August 23, 2023

      Playing the Wind: The Adventures of Abby and Shaundi         

      August 23, 2023
    • Fishing
      1. All Fishing
      2. Fly Fishing
      3. How to Fish
      4. View All

      Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

      September 26, 2023

      Fishing for Dinosaurs: Our Chase for White Sturgeon

      August 13, 2023

      How to Find Summer Steelhead

      June 22, 2023

      Targeting Walleye Throughout the Open-Water Season

      June 20, 2023

      Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

      September 26, 2023

      How to Pick a Fly Box

      March 3, 2023

      Essential Equipment for Fly Fisherman

      December 20, 2022

      Fly Fishing: Backing, Leaders And Tippets – All You Need to Know

      August 9, 2022

      Lake Texoma: Queen of Inland Striper Fisheries

      March 6, 2023

      How to Pick a Fly Box

      March 3, 2023

      How to Make Winter Walleye Bite

      February 15, 2023

      Hooked! My Love of Ice Fishing for Lake Trout

      February 2, 2023

      Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

      September 26, 2023

      Fishing for Dinosaurs: Our Chase for White Sturgeon

      August 13, 2023

      How to Find Summer Steelhead

      June 22, 2023

      Targeting Walleye Throughout the Open-Water Season

      June 20, 2023
    • Gear
      1. Gear Reviews
      2. New Outdoor Gear
      3. View All

      Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

      September 26, 2023

      The Best Hunting Boots for Men and Women

      August 22, 2023

      Our Rundown of The Best Guns For Women

      August 13, 2023

      Sightmark Wraith Mini 2 Thermal Riflescope

      July 14, 2023

      The Best Hunting Boots for Men and Women

      August 22, 2023

      Garmin’s New Lineup of Outdoor Navigation Devices

      March 15, 2023

      2023 SHOT Show Hunting Gear

      January 17, 2023

      TRUE KNIVES SWIFT EDGE HUNT PROCESSING KIT

      December 27, 2022

      Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

      September 26, 2023

      The Best Hunting Boots for Men and Women

      August 22, 2023

      Our Rundown of The Best Guns For Women

      August 13, 2023

      Armed and Responsible: Gun Myths Regarding Women

      August 13, 2023
    • Field to Table
      1. #eatwhatyoukill
      2. Recipes
      3. View All

      Venison Tacos on a Pellet Grill

      February 21, 2023

      Goose Recipes: Bacon Benedict with Duck Fat Hollandaise

      February 3, 2023

      Fish Stock – Jeff Benda

      May 26, 2022

      Salisbury Steak – Ky Loop

      May 24, 2022

      Snow Goose Ravioli

      August 13, 2023

      Snow Goose Lasagna

      June 18, 2023

      Goose Recipe: Szechuan Style

      April 16, 2023

      Wild Game Jambalaya Recipe

      April 6, 2023

      Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

      September 26, 2023

      Some ‘Roosies’ for the Ladies

      August 23, 2023

      Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman: Jesika Lucarelli, Great Mountain Guide Service

      August 23, 2023

      Getting High on Alberta Bighorn Sheep

      August 23, 2023
    • News
      1. Conservation
      2. Editorial
      3. Press Releases
      4. View All

      The NWTF & USDA Sign $50M Agreement to Fight Wildfire Crisis

      October 28, 2022

      Help the Yelp

      March 25, 2022

      Conservation Hunts For Spring Snow Geese

      February 6, 2022

      Tools and Equipment For Whitetail Habitat Management

      February 3, 2022

      Hooyman Joins Best Outdoor Discounts

      December 6, 2022

      Newly Approved IGFA World Records

      April 19, 2022

      USCCA Congratulates Georgia Governor for Signing Constitutional Carry Bill

      April 15, 2022

      The RCMP’s Secret Long-Gun Registry

      January 31, 2022

      2023 SHOT Show Hunting Gear

      January 17, 2023

      Hooyman Joins Best Outdoor Discounts

      December 6, 2022

      Exclusive Women’s Issue

      October 4, 2022

      Kimber Releases New 1911 RAPIDE, R7 Mako, and Limited-Edition Micro 9

      August 19, 2022

      Armed and Responsible: Sweetheart Grips, Significant Others and Self-Defense

      February 19, 2023

      2023 SHOT Show Hunting Gear

      January 17, 2023

      Hooyman Joins Best Outdoor Discounts

      December 6, 2022

      The NWTF & USDA Sign $50M Agreement to Fight Wildfire Crisis

      October 28, 2022
    • Book a Trip
      • Hunting Trips
      • Fishing Trips
    • Login
    North American Outdoorsman
    Home » All Articles » Roar Of The Red Stag
    Big Game

    Roar Of The Red Stag

    North American Outdoorsman StaffBy North American Outdoorsman StaffFebruary 7, 2022Updated:September 5, 20238 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Telegram Tumblr Email
    red-stag-hunting
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Escaping our cold Canadian winters for a little holiday is usually on most of our minds over the winter months, but this past year has been hard on all of us with COVID-19 restrictions as well. I have been lucky to have headed off somewhere on a winter hunting destination every year for the last number of years. And, thankfully, our trip to New Zealand happened just prior to this worldwide pandemic, because let me tell you – our red stag hunt was one for the highlight reel!

    New Zealand is a hunting paradise and worth every minute of the long flight to get there. Not only are there incredible red stags there, but mountain species such as Tahr and Chamois. Truly a world-class hunting destination in our off-season as the Roar of the Stag happens in March, which is a perfect time to get away as our Canadian winters are winding down.

    Hearing those red stags roar will send chills up your spine and make the hair stand straight up on your neck like no other. Their archaic Roar sounds like something out of the dinosaur ages and until you’ve witnessed it first-hand, it’s indescribable. Their deep growl is something you will never forget.

    My girlfriend Amber and I headed over to the south island of New Zealand, as this was her #1 Bucket List hunt, so knowing that I had put together one incredible trip with Wilderness Quest New Zealand which we were both looking so forward to. I’d like to say the plane ride from Canada flew by, but we’d all know I’d be lying, as it was an extremely long trip to get there, throw in a couple of delays and it felt like we would never get there. Finally arriving in Christchurch, we were met by our guide, James Ready and the journey into some of the most beautiful country either of us had ever seen began.

    hunting

    Those that have hunted Internationally know it can sometimes be easier just to use the outfitter’s rifles on these hunts, as was the case on this trip, it makes traveling so much more relaxed, than trying to lug your firearm through multiple airports and security screenings. We made it to their amazing facilities in time to shoot their rifles, which was great on their incredible range with gongs out to 500 yds. Then back to our incredible lodging for the hunt, which consisted of our very own cabin, complete with everything you could ever dream of, not something I am used to on the International hunts I’ve been on. The meal they prepared that was waiting for us upon arrival rivaled that of a renowned chef, and the setting with a world-class trout stream running just below the cabin, proved it to be something out of a dream…It really was a picture-perfect situation…But all I could think about was getting out into the mountains to see some of these magnificent red stags firsthand.

    We were hunting in the rainforest area of the South Island, an incredible land, lush with vegetation, forest, and the most picturesque landscape you could picture a stag in, a land void of any predators larger than a weasel and even better, no snakes, which I highly dislike! I had a hard time believing it, I knew all the Big Game animals were introduced there many years ago, but this was incredible.

    We spent the first morning walking the high country, skirting the edge of some of the gorgeous meadows high on the ridges, glassing and listening, but as the rut of the stags was just firing up, the action was quieter than I had hoped. We had seen a few by mid-day, nothing to get too excited about, so we continued creeping along glassing the openings along the way, but with the dense forest, anything that wasn’t out in the opening was next to impossible to see.

    Late in the first day, our guide James spotted a DANDY red stag bedded along the edge of the timber, so we snuck in close as possible, trying to size him up and see if he was worthy. Amber was second-guessing being done so early in the hunt on a first-day stag, but I reassured her if she didn’t shoot, I would and suddenly she was all-in. I was filming as the monster finally started to stand to stretch and when he turned broadside, Amber drilled him, dropping him on the spot. I could hardly believe my eyes as we approached her fallen stag, he was unreal with fronts that were out of this world. Truly one tremendous animal and I was so happy she had just made one of her dreams come true on her #1 Bucket List hunt.

    We both had tears of joy as we were soaking in the moment of Amber’s tremendous red stag, now I knew I needed to get one as impressive as hers although I realized that wasn’t going to be easy. The weather forecast sounded like it was turning for the worse, so we decided to head into the mountains for a couple of days as I was hoping to hunt Tahr and Chamois on this trip as well although I knew that would limit my chances for a stag. Leaving us with only a day or two at the end of the hunt to try for one for myself. I hoped by then the rut would have picked up and the red stags would be in full roar.

    With a great trip into the mountains for Tahr and Chamois, it was now time to return the focus to red stags, although Amber had hoped to try for an Arapawa ram if the chance arose. We awoke the last morning of the hunt to pouring rain, so we geared up and headed out hoping to continue my streak of a last-day monster… Now those that have read some of my adventures before, know that it seems like I’m always down to the wire on a hunt before it happens and this was looking like another one, could I keep that last-day streak alive?

    red-stag

    We were on a high ridge with red stags roaring in the background when we spotted a group of Rams. Although I knew it would likely blow my morning shot at a stag, I knew we couldn’t pass up this opportunity and Amber had to try to take one of these big rams. The rain was pouring making visibility tricky, but my Swarovski EL Range binos gave me a range of 289 yards and Amber was ready, making her shot count on a gorgeous full-curl ram.

    So suddenly I started to feel the pressure, we were down to the last few hours of the hunt…Actually, we were scheduled to head out at midnight for the long drive to the airport, so it felt like I was in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, in Triple Overtime with a penalty shot to take it all. The clouds lifted and the red stags were ROARING with two hours of my hunt left, I knew I had one last chance to make it count if we could just find a stag worthwhile. We headed up into a higher bowl and as we approached we could hear a raspy roar, the hair was standing up on our necks, slowly creeping up to the edge and there he was…Just a MONSTER, completely oblivious to us, raking his massive antlers in the trees, just thrashing everything in his way.

    This red stag had it all – great width, mass for days, and points in every direction. I was ready on my shooting sticks, suddenly the wind swirled and he spun around ready to bolt, I sent a round on its way, dropping him out of sight. We couldn’t believe it, with 3 hours to get back to camp, pack, and hit the road, we had pulled it off. Once again Amber and I stood in awe over this magnificent red stag, just a beautiful animal, with everything I could’ve dreamt of. Insane mass, points in every direction, polished ivory tips it was the stag I was hoping for and more.

    It was a trip neither of us will ever forget and one that will remain at the top of our highlight reel of hunting trips, we had taken 5 animals in 5 days with 5 shots… One for the books no question about it, New Zealand had lived up to all its expectations and we had finally done it. We will be back again one day to hunt again, that much I know. The Roar of the Red Stag will be etched in our minds forever.

    By Jeff Schlachter

    _______________

    Enjoy big game hunting stories? Next, check out Muleys Without Mountains!

    Spring 2021
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleNewfoundland: The Place for Moose, Bear and Adventure!
    Next Article 6 Tips For Your Best Hunting Season Yet
    Avatar photo
    North American Outdoorsman Staff

    NAO is the window into the outside environment for readers pursuing their passions in hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, and all pursuits in the outdoors on the North American continent. We will present stories, tips and techniques to be a better outdoorsman, and be completely at home in the outdoor environment for a day, week, or a lifetime.

    Related Posts

    Some ‘Roosies’ for the Ladies

    August 23, 2023

    Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman: Jesika Lucarelli, Great Mountain Guide Service

    August 23, 2023

    Getting High on Alberta Bighorn Sheep

    August 23, 2023

    Playing the Wind: The Adventures of Abby and Shaundi         

    August 23, 2023

    Find a Mentor and Dive Right In

    August 23, 2023

    The Complete Hunter

    August 23, 2023
    Don't Miss
    Fishing

    Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests

    September 26, 2023By Zach Raynsford13 Mins Read

    Owning a fly vest is a personal choice. You don’t really have to have one to fly-fish. You can still go fly-fishing with a rod, reel, line and a few flies and in truth that is all you really need. As we mature into the sport though we tend to collect “stuff”. This “stuff” consists of everything from lengths of once-used monofilament leader and torn up old flies on still-good hooks, to extra spools of specialty fly lines that we only actually use once a decade but still insist on carrying with us at all times. Packing all this paraphernalia around in the pockets of our fishing jacket just doesn’t work after a while and that’s when we finally decide that we should invest in a fly vest; after all, what good is all this great stuff if we can’t find what we need when we need it?

    Some ‘Roosies’ for the Ladies

    August 23, 2023

    Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman: Jesika Lucarelli, Great Mountain Guide Service

    August 23, 2023

    Getting High on Alberta Bighorn Sheep

    August 23, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Be the first to know about new issues, premium industry gear discounts, access to exclusive content, & more!

    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    about
    NAO is the window into the outside environment for readers pursuing their passions in hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, and all pursuits in the outdoors on the North American continent. We will present stories, tips and techniques to be a better outdoorsman, and be completely at home in the outdoor environment for a day, week, or a lifetime.
    Recent Articles
    • Our Picks: Best Fly Fishing Vests
    • Some ‘Roosies’ for the Ladies
    • Year-Round Maine Outdoorswoman: Jesika Lucarelli, Great Mountain Guide Service
    • Getting High on Alberta Bighorn Sheep
    • Playing the Wind: The Adventures of Abby and Shaundi         
    Quick Links
    • Current Issue
    • Authors
    • Partners
    • Advertise With Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    Useful Tools
    • Join Our Newsletter
    • Save On Gear
    • Hunting Resources
    • Where to Hunt
    • Where to Shoot
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    © 2023 Outdoor Specialty Media. Designed by Crossroads Marketing.
    • North American Outdoorsman
    • North American Deer Hunter
    • North American Bowhunter
    • Crossbow Magazine

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.