South Westland has a long history of deer hunting accessed by jet boat, and these days it’s still somewhat of a mecca for jet boaters and hunters alike.

Both male and female chamois have horns and both can be considered trophies, but it can be notoriously hard to tell the difference sometimes. So, here's how, courtesy of The Taxidermist Ltd & PointsSouth

When the stag antlers have dropped, and the tahr capes bleaching in the sun, the focus often shifts to re-stocking the freezer in preparation for those long summer evening BBQ’s – part of our DNA makeup here in New Zealand

Sure, the stags have dropped their antlers but there’s a bunch of other hunting opportunities that open up as the days get longer, and besides not all of us are interested only in trophies.

Spring’s a great time to get after it. Whether your filling the freezer on the river flats or chasing bulls and bucks in the big stuff, it pays to understand a few of the hazards associated with hunting at this time of the year.