Wilkin - Lower, Mid and Upper hunting

Located in the Otago region

You can find red deer and chamois in the Wilkin – Lower, Mid and Upper hunting block.

About this hunting block

Animals present are red deer and chamois, in low to moderate numbers.

General information

This block takes in the entire Wilkin River catchment, except for the valley floor and faces on the true right from about 3 km below Kerin Forks, which are leased farmland. The block contains a mixture of beech/tawhai forest, broad grassy flats, subalpine shrubland and alpine tussock, rock and snow.

The block divides into three separately balloted portions – lower, mid and upper Wilkin – for the roar period during the months of March and April. The boundaries are at Kerin Forks, and at the top end of Jumboland Flats.

Access

There are three ways of accessing the Wilkin block:

1. Air access into Tititea/Mt Aspiring National Park is at designated landing sites and by permit only. Contact local aircraft operators for more information.

Upper Wilkin Hunting Block: There is no landing site at Top Forks Hut, the designated landing site is at Jumboland airstrip, approximately 4 km southeast of Top Forks Hut on the Wilkin Valley Track.

Mid Wilkin Hunting Block: Designated landing site is at Wonderland airstrip.

2. Commercial jetboat access to Kerin Forks. Private jetboats can use Wilkin River by notifying Wilkin River Jets prior.

3. Walking access. From the Haast Highway (SH6) turn off onto Wilkin Road (beside Country Café). Follow the road to the Makarora River, and cross upstream of the Wilkin River confluence. Once across the Makarora the land is pastoral lease and you need to contact the landholder for permission.

Know before you go

There will often be other people in this area on and off track, including volunteers clearing traps.

Landholders

Scott Patterson, Mt Albert Station, ph +64 3 443 4497.

Maps

NZTopo50 series: BZ11, BZ12

Dogs

Dogs are not allowed in this block as it is part of Mount Aspiring National Park.

Huts