Oh mate its truly a trophy of a lifetime that has required an unbelievable amount of work. I've always thought they are battling a 300+DS stag on public land, when trying to claim the hardest trophy to secure on public land. I'm the same mate, have nothing but admiration and respect for them. Plus hunting means you get to explore some epic country!

Cheers mate, I certainly look back on last year with a lot of positive memories. No better feeling than putting in the hard yards and getting the rewards. Can't wait to get back out in the mountains again, thats for sure!

Thanks heaps mate, appreciate the feedback!

Thanks mate, it sure was an emotional time after years of grafting on the hill. I'd let go so many bucks, all in an attempt to find that ripper mature buck. Having looked at so many it took literally a two second glance from 200 yards away to know he was the one. Moments like that are what make hunting so fulfilling and soul enriching! Hope the hills are treating you well mate!

Thanks mate, I just wish more hunters adopted the same philosophy and embraced the spirit of adventure. Mate all you need to do is come to Christchurch during the school holidays (I'm a tertiary tutor) and it's a done deal. I've got an epic planned for this school holidays on the west coast, finger crossed I get the weather window that's required to embark on such a epic mission!

@@bendb_wildaboutnz Yeah mate that sounds brilliant. How about a second proposal. I am coming to NZ for a wedding I late January and I have a epic 6 day mission lined up in the kaimanawas, a route I have literally had mapped out since I was 16 yrs at school and just wasn't ready at the time to do it. It's a 65km route with about 4 catchments to climb, drop, climb repeat... If you're interested I'll send you the dates and routes. They're actually hand written in pencil in my diary from 1999. Prob be a walk in park for you

@@MountainMan_NZ 100% keen for any epic adventure , send me the dates via facebook and ill see if I can make it work...high 90% chance if its in January I can get leave!

Oh 100% mate, it takes a lot of time getting all the shots and then spending hours editing it. In the end its so worth it for both myself and fellow adventurers. Yeah mate, the spread is the real cherry on top as I too have never seen 10" class buck with 7" spread. It truly blew me away when I first saw it!

Thanks mate, was a pleasure putting it together for all to enjoy!

Mate thanks heaps for making me aware, its made such a difference!

Yeah mate, tried to steer away from the typical self made hunting video and show more of how awesome our country is.

Hey Ginny, a blast from the past. It was Myself and my mates up Mt Brown with you at the hut many years ago. You dealt with us brash hunters really well haha. Yeah this chamois is what I've been searching for since 2015 and finally found it, was an unbelievable feeling! A true trophy for the ages and symbolizes years of perseverance and dedication. Hope the adventure spirit is still strong in you and your reaping the rewards of wilderness exploration! If you do find that photo hit me up on my facebook (same as youtube). All the best!

@@bendb_wildaboutnz Wow, crazy I happened upon you looking for a NZ Hunting Adventures show I saw researching what river they were hunting and whitewater kayaking on... still haven't found the episode... I am impressed!! You indeed had the vision and it makes it all the more special that you got such a nice healthy buck!... Props! Brash, Hahaha, well the cheap booze helped.... haha! Yeah I date and am friends with hunters, fisherman, and whitewater kayakers, so brash comes with the territory (stinky socks too). I fish for salmon and steelhead and raft multidays in Idaho and Montana! Much of my time is outside and traveling. Adventuring is the name of the game! After you guys left my hike down the other side and down the Styx was eventful. No one had been that way in a while, probably that season, and I got a little lost and my pack went over and off the trail but got wedged before it took a dive off a cliff. It was a bit of a sh*t show and the sand flies got me. Luckily I was out before dark! ...And so I liked NZ so much, I came back in Feb 2018 to spearfish Stewart Island, Mtn bike in Queens and Arrowtown, backpack near W Matukituki, raft the Maruia, swim with dolphins off my mate's boat in Lyttelton Harbor, and work another mate's vineyard in Blenheim! I could totally live on S Island, but my home in the Pacific NW mtns is pretty rad too. I'll hit you up on FB. Cheers!

@@ginnyhickey9164 Yeah I wondered how you found me and then had the memory to recognize me from back in the day. It was probably the landsborough river in south westland if I was to have a guess. Thats awesome you've certainly been living that adventurers life, awesome! Crack up, any mission on the west coast is always an epic just waiting to happen, sounded like a proper good time on the way down haha. Keep that adventure spirit burning bright, all the best!

Thanks mate, hunting takes on a whole other perspective when you apply good ethics and morals. I view it as pursuing best practice as a hunter. Hunting has given me so much more from sitting back and enjoy the beauty of these animals and the country they live in. Theres times to pull the trigger but they dont need to be every trip. The Buck was about 8-9 years old. Keep enjoying the great outdoors mate!

@@bendb_wildaboutnz I have to agree with Kent Ben, this video and many others of yours like it are an inspiration to anyone that watches! A breath of fresh air for what it means to venture, one step in front of the other, into remote public land and take an animal of this quality in the way you did. Looked like great stag country, shame about the WARO 😪

@@MountainMan_NZ 100% mate its one of the two main reasons I make these films, to showcase my adventure spirit, so that it can be a catalyst for inspiration. It was sound stag country but all young stags seen. I actually hunted the Day 1 block on previous 2 weekends. Gave that block a solid going over and still only uncovered heaps of hinds and young stags. Waro was an unreal experience emotionally to say the least!

Cheers bro, love showcasing our awesome country!

Hey mate, I use and highly recommend the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 UL HV tent. I have absolutely trashed it and its only shown slight wear and tear. Top quality light weight, 3 season tent!