Plenty of planning so far this roar

It’s been a busy Roar so far with stories of hunters heading out all across the country. We at the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) are stoked to hear of the in-depth planning that hunters are conducting to ensure they have the best time possible, so here’s a quick update from what we have seen.

Our Roar Ready competition with Hunting & Fishing New Zealand was to encourage hunters to share what they have been doing to get Roar Ready.  Here are some of the common examples of good prep shared with us on Facebook. Hopefully this will help others still heading out this season – the planning never ends! 

Sorting out comms for the trip

• Whether it was loaning one off a mate, or investing in a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) – we saw plenty of people packing devices to stay in contact and making sure they could hunt with a peace of mind – knowing they could reach help if they needed it.

Message from one of our team who went out – "we tried a Garmin in-reach for our week-long roar trip this year – it was great with the warm wet weather to see what days we would concentrate our efforts in our block and assess potential river crossings. Mum really appreciated getting updates on the trip too. If you have questions around comms devices – see this video of our website."

Getting fit for the hills

• It always feels great when you’re finally in the bush and feel you can physically last the whole day. Great to see people getting physically ready for the challenge. “100 squat jumps and 100 burpees, out there doin it”, commented one hunter. We hope people also took breaks along the way to both refresh themselves and plan the next round of action. Top tip: Practice walking with your pack to get your strength and balance up.

Fixing and renewing faithful gear

• Footwear, sleeping bags, GPSs and headtorches – taking a good look and seeing what needs improving or testing before the big day. This always pays off once you’re there, and makes the hunt more comfortable and safe! Top tip: Consider items you might not have taken before - have you got an emergency shelter sorted?

Message from one of the team's recent Roar trip, “we always write a list for next year’s Roar! Things we forgot, things we didn’t need to bring and things that need fixing. We forgot our mugs this year!! – good thing we borrowed one off the hunters in the hut before us.”

Packing blaze

• This is a recommended addition to your Roar, it helps you stay safe.

Message from one of the team: “As we hunted in a group most days together, it made it so much easier to look back and check where everyone was as we moved through the bush. Nothing feels worse than not knowing where your mates are in the heat of the moment.”

Keep it up!

If you’ve been out this Roar already, tell us how you went – we love to share lessons to help other hunters get ready.

If you’re still yet to go on a hunt, explore some of the resources on our website, they’re designed to support your adventure. If you haven't been to the area before, talk to someone who has and pack a paper map.

Congrats to our winner of the $1000 Hunting and Fishing Voucher, Flynn – we hope you score yourself some gear to get out there!

Photos: MSC