Sika
Red stags seem to dominate most hunters’ image of hunting in New Zealand, but the Sika also makes an interesting and worthwhile hunt and an elegant trophy. So we’re devoting some space to this distinctive species.
In New Zealand, Sika is only found in the central part of the North Island. Introduced in 1905, they are a native to Japan and China. We are delighted to have some magnificent Sika stags in our hunting areas. A mature stag has 8 points, occasionally there is an exceptional 9 or 10 pointer. Their rut coincides with the red and fallow in April. They are very vocal, with a distinctive roar that sounds more of a scream or high pitched whistle than a red stag roar. It tends to end with a grunt.
Sika can be very frustrating to hunt. Many hunters feel as though they are being hunted by Sika, as they are very inquisitive and often follow you through the forest!
We particularly liked this description from Gordon Roberts “Game Animals”, as it sums up Sika nicely. “A cunning little deer, active and arrogant during the rut, he is always spoiling for a fight.”
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Sika Stag in the velvet
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Qualmark
We like to think that we run a good operation but there is always the opportunity to learn. So we invited Qualmark (New Zealand tourism's official mark of quality) to assess us. They went through all aspects of the business, giving feedback and ideas. It is important to check that we’re meeting safety standards, legal obligations and generally offering a robust service.
In December, Ranginui Hunting became the only hunting outfitter with Qualmark’s quality rating. Visit Qualmark at http://www.qualmark.co.nz/ |
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In the kitchen
Barbequed and grilled meats is what summer is all about. The meat needs to be tender with lots of flavour. Combining kebabs with home baked bread and several colourful salads makes an ideal summer meal. This marinade can be used for kebabs of tender cuts of beef or venison.
Mix all the ingredients and place with chunks of meat in a sealed plastic bag or container or several hours or overnight. Thread the meat onto skewers alternately with red pepper (capsicum) and chunks of mushroom.
Ingredients
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons brown sugar
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Thanks for your company, we’ve met some great people over the last season. The roar will soon be here and we look forward to hunting with you again. All the best…
Mark, Felicity, Neville, Jason & Bernie
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