Hunting in Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay is sika country. The Kaweka Range holds some of the best free-range sika hunting in New Zealand, hard, vocal bush deer prized for the challenge, hunted at their peak through the roar from late March into May. The neighbouring Ruahine Range is renowned red deer country and a classic proving ground for bush hunting, with fallow deer also on offer across the region's private ground. Access has its complications, from ballot periods to road and hut recovery after Cyclone Gabrielle, so a guided operator who knows the current state of the country earns their keep here.