RED STAG
New Zealand is home to some of the finest Red Stag hunting available worldwide and is now famous for the antler quality produced.
Red Deer were first liberated in March 1871 just down the road from Southern Lakes Safaris home town of Wanaka, where we have access to some of the most renowned and exclusive private land in New Zealand.
We offer both free range and estate hunting, typically this involves a "spot and stalk" style of hunting. Catering to all levels of Red Stag trophies, everything from management stag through to very high scoring trophies. We believe the trophy is in the eye of the beholder and due to the luxury of having access to multiple ranches, we can show you a range of stags and find the style that best suits your tastes.
TAHR
Himalayan Tahr were first released near Mt Cook in 1904 and have since flourished due to a complete lack of predators. Prized by trophy hunters worldwide due to their amazing mane and the incredibly rugged terrain they inhabit.
With a complete lack of predators and an abundance of food, their horn growth and body size well exceeds that of their native homeland.
Our hunts are designed to match the fitness of our clients, we can take a helicopter daily from our comfortable lodgings or hunt from a spike camp accessed by 4wd or helicopter.
Southern Lakes Safaris holds a legal concession for most of the Southern Alps as well as having access to a variety of private land Tahr hunting. Taking you into some of the most stunning and scenic backcountry New Zealand has to offer.
CHAMOIS
Chamois are a Southern Lakes Safaris specialty and arrived in New Zealand in 1907 as a gift from the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. The curiosity and intelligence of Chamois makes them a challenging and seriously rewarding hunt.
The alpine country around Wanaka is home to some of the finest Chamois hunting in New Zealand and is renowned for consistently producing some of the best horn growth in the world. Chamois can be hunted year round but their pelts look best in either their winter or summer phases. We typically use a helicopter to access our chosen hunting grounds and will cater to all levels of fitness.
Chamois are notoriously hard to judge on the hoof and this is where our experience sets us apart from other outfitters.
FALLOW
Originally from Southern Europe fallow are a fantastic addition to any trophy room due to their palmated antlers and variety of cape colors, and are a real "character" trophy.
We have access to some of the best free range and estate fallow herds in the country and can ensure you an exciting and rewarding hunt for all levels of fitness.
The climate and the vegetation of the wider Wanaka area provides an ideal base for producing some of the best fallow bucks worldwide.
A large part of the trophy is the cape, and our areas are blessed with a wide variety of colourations. Everything from white to chocolate to spotted gray's and browns.
ELK
Hailing from the North American Rocky Mountains, Elk arrived here in 1906 as a gift from then president Theodore Roosevelt and are now some of the largest Elk found in the world.
New Zealand Elk are now found on a variety of private ranches throughout New Zealand.
Because of intensive herd management, the ranches we access produce some phenomenal animals and we are regularly seeing bulls well in excess of 450SCI
Typically, this involves a "spot and stalk" style of hunting with plenty of cover and numerous draws, making for a challenging hunt.
We can also provide a range of other exciting hunting opportunities and our specialty is to make sure there's never a dull moment.
Ram, Boar, Wing Shooting, and fishing to name but a few. Long range varminting is often a client favourite and our nearby population of Wallaby provides an exciting varminting target and an opportunity to let off a lot of rounds and really stretch the legs of your own or one of our high end custom rifles.
PLEASE CONTACT US TO DISCUSS RATES AND OPTIONS