From mid-March to the end of July, the roar, rut and bugle attracts many hunters into New Zealand’s back country to experience the ultimate animal interaction.
To make the most out of hunting, particularly during this busy time in the hunting calendar, proper preparation is crucial.
We’ve put together some useful information to help plan a good roar, rut or bugle adventure.
On this page:
- Roar, rut and bugle period
- The 5 P’s of hunt preparation
- Better Hunting
- Pick the right animal
- Sharing the backcountry
- Learn more
Roar, rut and bugle periods
In New Zealand, game animals can be hunted year-round however do keep in mind that some areas have restrictions and require permits.
During the roar, rut and bugle, the male animals are vocal and bold, with mature animals having impressive antlers/horns and capes.
Roar, rut and bugle periods in New Zealand:
- The red deer roar and sika rut is typically from mid-March to the end of April.
- The wapiti bugle in Fiordland takes place in late March and early April. Hunting wapiti during the bugle is balloted.
- The fallow deer rut occurs in April.
- The white-tailed deer rut occurs in May and June.
- The chamois rut occurs in May, June and July.
- Hunters head to alpine areas for the tahr rut from late May to mid-July. Access to more remote locations on the West Coast is balloted.
See popular hunting ballots and booking system blocks here.
The 5 P’s of hunt preparation
In the lead up to the roar, rut and bugle, good preparation ensures hunters are ready for whatever their trip throws their way. We recommend hunters follow the 5 P’s:
- Plan for the best.
- Prepare for the worst.
- Provide your intentions.
- Positively identify your target.
- Pick the right animal.
These principles can be followed by all hunters at any time of year.
Better Hunting
Making good decisions on the hill comes down to having done the right preparation and reducing as much risk as possible before setting off.
Our free online hunter training platform, Better Hunting, can be used to help update knowledge on theory and practical hunting skills. With everything from planning a hunt and ageing stags, to safe river crossing and first aid, there’s something for everyone.
- Go to betterhunting.nz to see all the courses available or go to our hunter safety page for direct links to the most useful roar, rut and bugle preparation modules in line with the 5 P’s.
Pick the right animal
Hunters play a significant role in the management of game animals in New Zealand, through hunting.
The choices we make while hunting directly influence the future health of the herd and the future health of the environment.
Knowing when to make the choice to leave a stag or bull because its immature increases the chance of securing a trophy-class male in next year’s roar, rut or bugle.
As the sayings go: let em’ go, let em’ grow. Don’t shoot tomorrow’s trophies today.
In addition, taking the time to harvest a few females for the freezer will improve the chance of finding that trophy of a lifetime next roar, rut or bugle. The number of females in a herd matters, they are the engine-room. The foundation for any good hunting experience is a healthy habitat and this means doing your part to limit population growth.
- Learn how to age red stags with our Red Stag Ageing Guide.
- Learn how to age wapiti bulls with the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation’s guide.
- Practice ageing red deer stags on Better Hunting.
- Practice ageing sika deer on Better Hunting.
- Check out our information on looking after our game animals, which has been designed to help hunters make decisions that support quality game animal management.
Sharing the backcountry
Hunters are one of the biggest users of public conservation land and significantly support conservation outcomes through hunting activity and contributions to community initiatives.
During the roar, rut and bugle the number of hunters using the back country will increase. While many hunters will be off the beaten track, there will be plenty of other users who are enjoying what the New Zealand natural environment has to offer, particularly during the weekends.
Keep safety front of mind and think about how others might be interacting with the area you’re in. We all enjoy what New Zealand’s back country has to offer and all parties making it home safely and with happy memories of their trip into the hills is what it’s all about.
- If you’re sharing a hut with others, have a chat with them about the seven rules of firearms safety and what you’re doing to ensure they are upheld. Keep hunting away from huts and tracks.
- Remember to make sure any hunting permits for public conservation land and access permissions for private land have been sorted early.
- Check the DOC pesticides summary map to ensure the meat you harvest is safe for consumption.
Learn more
- Fiordland Wapiti Foundation
- Central North Island Sika Foundation
- NZ Tahr Foundation
- The tahr ballot
- Guidance for hunting in kea habitat