As summer fades and the mornings turn crisp, a certain sound begins to echo through the hills and valleys of the region, the deep roar of a red stag signalling the most anticipated time of the year for local hunters.
For 74-year-old Nelson hunter Eric Hall, the roar still brings the same excitement it did when he first started hunting at 11 years old.
Introduced to hunting as a youngster in Nelson, Eric began with pig hunting before branching into deer during his college years.
“I had a few mates who were pretty keen in those days,” he says.
More than six decades later, many of those friendships remain, some spanning more than 50 years, built over trips and time together in the hills.
Living in Nelson Tasman means having access to vast areas of Department of Conservation land.
“There’s a lot of DOC land available,” Eric explains. “As long as you’ve got a permit, you can go every day of the week.”
The roar typically starts in early April, with the prime time often falling about ANZAC weekend, give or take a week, but locals report already hearing stags in early March.
During this period, red stags are focused on mating and are highly vocal as they compete for hinds. The drive to breed means they are less cautious than usual, which can make them easier to locate.
“When they’re roaring, they lose their sense a bit,” Eric says. “You can hear them and find them. The rest of the year, they’re solitary and silent, much harder to track down.”
It is not until a stag comes closer that a hunter can tell what he is looking at, a young spiker just starting to grow antlers, a four pointer, or possibly a 12 pointer. That uncertainty is part of the thrill, Eric says.
With more hunters in the hills during the roar, safety is paramount. Eric stresses the importance of the Seven Firearms Safety Rules, which can be found online, and says high visibility clothing is essential in popular areas.
“Safety is the biggest aspect during the roar,” he says. “All hunters need to remain acutely aware of safety whenever they are hunting.”
While many hunters value venison for the freezer, during the roar it is often the antlers that draw attention.
But for Eric, stalking deer has always been about more than antlers.
“It’s all about going out with friends and mates. Deer stalking gives you a lifetime of friends.”
Eric has been a member of the Nelson branch of New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association for 50 years and encourages new hunters to join and build connections.
Eric says that the organisation advocates for hunters nationwide, from game management and access to public land to representing firearm owners in discussions with the Government. The Nelson branch meets regularly and hosts organised hunts, including events in the Nelson Lakes area.
As the roar begins to echo across the hills once more, hunters across the region are checking gear, watching the weather and listening for that unmistakable call, because for many in the region, autumn does not truly begin until the stags start to roar.
