Tahr Hunting New Zealand: Guided Bull Tahr in the Southern Alps
Very few countries let you hunt Himalayan tahr in the wild. For most visiting hunters, New Zealand is the only practical option. Nepal issues a small number of native-range permits. Most other tahr outside the Himalayas live behind fences. Ours don't. Doddsy's Hunting guides tahr hunting in New Zealand from our homestead at Hawea Flat, near Wanaka, where Tony Dodds has hunted these mountains his whole life.
Why the Southern Alps Hold the World's Free-Range Tahr
The New Zealand tahr is a wild Himalayan mountain goat that has lived free in the Southern Alps since 1904. The Duke of Bedford shipped six from England that year. Five survived and were released near
Mt Cook, with eight more following in 1909.
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New Zealand's Himalayan Thar Control Plan caps the herd at 10,000 animals across all land. Yet the Department of Conservation's 2023 survey counted more than double that on public land alone.
DOC control work has focused on nannies and juveniles, leaving bulls for hunters. That's why mature, heavy-maned bulls are still here.
Guided Tahr Hunts With Doddsy's Hunting
Our tahr hunting happens on private high country around Lake Hawea. For remote basins, we fly in by helicopter. Most days start with long hours behind the spotting scope. Find a bull worth taking, and then the climb begins.
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Shots at a bull tahr can be 400 to 500 yards away. Spend some time shooting that far before the trip. No rifle? Use one of ours free: two Tikka .270s and a Bergara 7mm Rem Mag. Stay at our Lake Hawea lodge or a Wanaka hotel, and we'll collect you each morning. Past clients Norrisa and Jen, from the USA, summed it up: "we had fun the entire three days of the thar hunt."
Planning Your Tahr Hunt From the US or Overseas
Bringing your own rifle from overseas?
Apply for a New Zealand visitor firearms licence at least four months before arrival. New Zealand licence holders can skip the visitor licence. US hunters should also register the rifle with US Customs and Border Protection on Form 4457 before leaving.
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Our Wanaka taxidermist handles the export paperwork for your US port of entry. Budget roughly USD 220 for documentation, 250 to 450 for a crate, 200 to 400 for trucking and 1,200 to 1,800 for air freight (prices shift each year). Your import will also need a USFWS Form 3-177 declaration. You can carry 50 pounds of packed meat per person as checked luggage.
Book Your New Zealand Tahr Hunt
Start with our tahr hunting packages and season dates, and think about adding a chamois or red stag to the trip. Ready? Call Doddsy's Hunting on +64 27 810 4440.