Course Dates

Dates have been confirmed as

17-18 October | Queenstown (NZ)

Build the foundations of safe, ethical, and successful hunting while developing the knowledge and decision-making skills every hunter should have before heading into the field. The weekend concludes with a practical game meat care and butchery session, teaching participants how to make the most of their harvest.

31 October - 1 November | Queenstown and Cardrona Valley Shooting Range

Continue developing practical hunting skills before spending the day on the range, building confidence in firearm handling, marksmanship, and safe shooting techniques under experienced instruction.

14-15 November | Hunt Weekend (Location TBA)

Put everything you've learned into practice during an overnight hunting experience, applying your new skills in a real-world environment alongside experienced hunters. The weekend also includes river crossing skills training and development.

Backup Hunt Weekend: 21-22 November (if required).

REGISTER HERE

The HUNTS (Hunter National Training Schemes) are always popular and run by volunteers so it’s hard to run them more than once a year as it takes up a lot of the instructors time.

However there are also other ways to get into hunting – remember the shot is literally just 1 second of a hunting trip so learning about the outdoors and where to spot the animals, navigation, safety, getting fit and what to wear, carry with you etc is also part of the skills needed

Start with these steps :-

1. Apply for your firearms licence now – as it can take a while

2. Sign up for the online Better Hunting Course which has been developed by the Game Animal Council or the Mountain Safety Skills Site

3. Join as a member and start to make connections with others, quite often you can go hunting with another member as they can supervise you with a rifle and you get to learn how to spot them

4. Sign up for our club trips – not just the hunting ones but they ones where we do work on huts or raise money as it’s often a great way to meet other members and the talk is always about hunting so you get to learn a lot that way too

5. Research the area on the DOC Website, find out where the local hunting spots are

6. Start going out for walks and shoot deer with your camera . These are great opportunities to practice being quiet and getting as close as possible

Hunter National Training Scheme (HUNTS)

The Hunter National Training Scheme (HUNTS) course is delivered by The Southern Lakes New Zealand Deerstalkers Association instructors and is designed to introduce new hunters to the skills needed to hunt below the snowline.

Experienced hunters may find value in some sections of the course. A Firearms licence is not necessary. This is ideal for anyone wishing to learn about hunting.

Course Contents:

Essential bush skills
River safety
Firearm safety in a hunting context
Practical shooting and hunting ballistics
Hunting techniques
Species knowledge
Game utilization (skinning, butchering, etc)

Participants must have a reasonable level of physical fitness and access to personal tramping equipment.

Cost per person $600 (Incl GST) includes membership if not already a member
($440 for existing members)

Includes:-

Southern Lakes NZDA membership through to March 2027
Public liability insurance cover required for participation on approved private hunting properties
NZDA HUNTS course fees and manuals
Accommodation during the hunt component
Stoney Creek high visibility vest and cap
Course completion certificate

As is often the case, interest in the course has been strong and unfortunately, we cannot accommodate everyone. Participant numbers will be capped to ensure a quality learning experience and places will be allocated based on the order expressions of interest were received. We will also maintain a standby list should any confirmed participants withdraw before the course begins.

We are currently finalising a few remaining details, including course resources and administration arrangements. A further email will be sent to successful participants covering equipment requirements, payment arrangements, and other information required before the course begins. We may also require a deposit to secure confirmed places, with details to follow.