Check out OUTDOOR CANADA

Dallas Safari Club

Annual Hunters Convention – January 5-8, 2012

Dallas, Texas

Dallas Convention Center – Hall C-D-E-F

Telford Hunting Services Booth 2833

Safari Club International

Annual Hunters Convention – February 1-4, 2012

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mandalay Bay Convention Center

Telford Hunting Services Booth 2929

You would like to be able to organize an itinerary with Telford Services but would prefer someone who can speak German or Spanish and who understands the hunting culture of Europe and can inform you of how the New Zealand hunting scenario works.

Contact Email: Harald Bettin

Website: www.adventure-services.co.nz

Telephone: 64 6 280 2992

Mention you are referred by us for assistance.

……. Aber du bist nicht in der Lage, Englisch zu sprechen.

Sie möchten in der Lage sein, eine Route mit Telford Dienstleistungen organisieren, aber würde jemand sprechen Deutsch oder Spanisch kann und wer versteht die Jagd Kultur Europas und können Sie, wie die New Zealand Jagd Szenario funktioniert informieren möchten.

Kontakt Email: Harald Bettin

Website: www.adventure-services.co.nz

Telefon: 64 6 280 2992

Erwähnen Sie bei uns für Hilfe nach.

……. Pero no puede hablar Inglés.

Que le gustaría ser capaz de organizar un itinerario con los servicios de Telford, pero preferiría que alguien que hable alemán o español y que entiende la cultura de la caza de Europa y le informará de cómo funciona el escenario de Nueva Zelanda caza.

Correo electrónico de contacto: Harald Bettin

Sitio Web: www.adventure-services.co.nz

Teléfono: 64 6 280 2992

Mención que se hace referencia por nosotros para obtener ayuda.

Laetitia celebrated her 13th birthday this month and it seems only yesterday we were bouncing her on our knee while eating dinner with our clients…. Melanie begins intermediate school and therefore is leaving the primary stage of her schooling.  We will be concentrating on careers in the next couple of years for these two Telford’s.

We trust our E Newsletters have reached you and if you are reading this and have not received our intermittent newsletters via the email, then please contact us and we will put you onto our mailing list.

The time to market our operation is important at this stage of the global economic situation. Telford Fishing & Hunting is definitely on the radar and our part of New Zealand has never been better for hunting and fly fishing. We are confident of a 100% success rate with our Deer and Bull Tahr. The Chamois is the challenge, this species is out there but the fitness and terrain dictates access and straight shooting for all hunters who pursue this Antelope family. Our trophy gallery features the latest animals hunted this season.

As for our fly fishing, we stalk our rainbow or brown trout and the country side visited during our ‘southern circuits’ make for a memorable fishing expedition. You can view our fishing gallery in our website.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from GT & Sue

Media Statement

“It is business as usual for hunting in New Zealand” said Don Patterson President of the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association (NZPHGA)

On February 22nd 2011 Christchurch City experienced an earth quake (6.3 magnitude) which has caused considerable damage to the Christchurch Central Business District, the Eastern and Port Hill Suburbs. Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing in these areas.

“Safari operations in Canterbury province are all considerable distances away from Christchurch City and as with those in other parts of New Zealand are unaffected.” said Don Patterson. “It is business as usual at all New Zealand Hunting lodges, Safari operations and Game estates.”

Christchurch Airport, which is located outside of Christchurch city, is open for international and domestic flights and all major highways connecting with other parts of New Zealand are open. Passengers are advised to confirm check in times and flight details with their airlines as usual. The latest information is at www.christchurchairport.co.nz.

Visitors that had intended to stay in Christchurch City in the next few weeks are advised to contact their outfitter or agent to confirm arrangements or to get assistance with making alternative arrangements.

The NZPHGA members will continue to provide visiting hunters with the quality hunting experiences and kiwi hospitality New Zealand is famous for.

The New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association sends its sympathy and offers support to the people of Christchurch, New Zealand and overseas affected by this tragic event.

Collectively, the New Zealand tourism industry’s attention is now shifting to ensuring tourism remains strong and maintains its contribution to New Zealand’s economy. A strong economy will be vital to helping Christchurch get back on its feet.

Ends

Contact: Don Patterson, President New Zealand Professional Hunters Association

Wanaka felt a shake but we are 5 hours drive south of Christchurch and that is where the quake damaged the most.

Many lives have been lost and up to 200 are still to be found or identified.

The city and its architecture heritage is badly damaged and the infrastructure will take years to rectify.

More so the effect of the after shocks and loss of family members to the Christchurch residents will remain terrifying and heart breaking.

Thanks to all those who have expressed concern.  We remain ever vigilant.

Sue, GT, Laetitia & Melanie

Our annual pilgrimage to the USA is complete. Leaving our New Zealand summer to enter the USA winter is not desirable, but attending the annual hunting shows there is like a school reunion. It is good to catch up and see our past Clients and their annual hunting photos on ipods. These ipods are very handy tools.
We have a mountain of tasks to complete while in our office to ensure emails and hunting information to potential hunting clients are met.
However, the ‘down turn’ is making a mark on people world wide but we will ‘hang in there’ and get through 2011 with a promising 2012 ahead.
We did manage to find a ski resort to seek down hill skiing for a day and blow the convention hall atmosphere out of our heads.
It is great to be back home in New Zealand.
Keep an eye in your inbox for our E Newsletter…. and if you have just found this post to read, then drop me an email from our site and I will place your email onto our mailing list.
Take care, rip some lips, straight aim and keep your powder dry.
We are off now back to our rivers to cast a fly or three for those New Zealand rainbow and brown trout.
Cheers Sue

Telford's enjoy seeing Paul every year for fly fishing

Have a read of our E Newsletter

Our “season” and I use the word season in a broad sense because as all of you that have hunted with us know we are not governed by any official legal season, it’s 365 24/7.

For practical reasons I try and get started around the second week of March. I’m tied up with my fishing guiding until then and Sue is busy flying so the second week seems to work for us.

First and last hunters in had the furthest to travel this year, first from Germany the last from Spain, if you think it’s a long way from Canada or the USA try doubling the distance.

First hunt is always exciting, you are having the first BIG look at everything after a few discreet scouting trips and its amazing what you find as you push a little deeper into the brush and scrub. Certainly no lack of animals on that first hunt and if anything we probably saw too many big stags. Ruppy was away home with a big 370 plus inch stag.

Any thoughts on my behalf that “there goes the big one” for the year didn’t last long, and as it turned out we were able to find the right animals all the way though the season.

Sure we had some “if only” and “woulda, coulda, shoulda” moments but we’re here to hunt and that’s all part of the journey.

By the middle of June we had sent 20 Stags 16 Fallow 12 Tahr, a Chamois, 2 goats, an Arapawa ram, wallaby’s and a number of birds to the taxidermist, by now most of these animals are adorning walls all around the world.

Every hunt is a highlight, OK, for Duncan and I it is another day out on the hills that we know so well with animal species that we are very familiar with. For each and every hunter it’s a complete adventure and the culmination of months of planning and excited anticipation. Many for the first and perhaps only time hunting stags and Tahr, for others it is your 2^nd 3^rd or 4^th trip down to us, with bow or rifle it’s a huge adventure.

As a bow hunter I only had the pleasure of 2 bow hunts this year, both resulted in fine stags being taken. Tom got his 3^rd stag with us. We put in numerous stalks over 4 days before everything lined up, but line up they did. On a wet cold final day Tom borrowed my 25-06 and proved that recurve archers can shoot rifles as well bows and took a HUGE fallow buck.

Jim’s bow hunted stag almost seemed “to easy”. Its not often that one of my ”cunning plans” work on the first day of a hunt . It normally takes a day or 2 for guide and hunter to build an understanding, not Jim and I. 3 hrs into the hunt and Jims stag is on the ground, 27yard shot and 60 yards of travel after the shot, I was surprised, relieved, happy and more surprised all at the same time. Jim was plain happy and to cap it of Sabrina got to see the whole crazy morning. Little wonder I enjoy hunting especially bow hunting. I won’t say to much about the fallow buck Jim but its in Fairbanks and I guess it was the ‘ying of the yang’ from the stag hunt. The tahr hunt was oh so typical of bow hunting tahr. The first evening we came within a yard or 2 of getting a nice bull. Next morning full of confidence I was completely wrong about every move we made, hero to zero.

It did however show the flexibility we have that we could put the bow down and complete the hunt with the rifle. We don’t have to worry about rules and regulations with separate bow/rifle seasons. If you bring your bow down and are open minded in your expectations we can quickly change our equipment and hunt on.

No point in coming all this way and not having a plan B. Just make sure you tell us exactly what your expectations are and we’ll put your ideas into our plans and work together for a happy and successful out come.

April was all about rifle hunting roaring stags and tahr hunting.

We took some awesome stags. I will never forget Tim, Dave, Stone, Duncan and I trying to melt into the top of a huge boulder we were glassing from as a stag – I’d walked Stone away from hours early and had eluded Tim and Duncan – came out in think brush, laid it antlers back and roared its head of. It then started walking deliberately towards us, the whole time Duncan and I were pleading with the guys to stop looking at that stag and shoot the HUGE bull tahr that was in the back ground. Stags dead and the Tahr? Well Duncan and I are still dreaming about it. Oh and sorry Stone I should never have walked away from that stag in the first place but we’d only been hunting 15 minutes and it just did not seem “right” to end things before we even started. Yeah me getting it less than right again. What did I just say about listening to the hunters expectations!!

But these are only my memories and I trust all our hunters have many many more memories from their days spent down here hunting with us.

Things got a tad hectic in the middle of the month and I was possibly guilty of trying to do too many things at once.

With free range hunting I am always constrained by limiting hunting opportunities during prime rut periods and everybody wanting the same date.

I’m always learning and hopefully listening.

To the rest of you that hunted with us this year, Sam ,Tina, Dick and Becky, the Butz family, Roland, the Carlson Party, Dave and Jeremy, thank you.

To Josh Butz , your goat is MY trophy of the year, amazing set of horns.

Steve, you now have bragging rights after an awesome 510 yard one shot kill on that stag, especially as Ryan’s Tahr was 10 yards closer at 500.

Casey and his 338 still rule supreme on the long range stakes however, those chamois are small targets to boot.

There’s been a noticeable swing to long range shots over the past couple of years. Personally, I still have to walk there after the shot BUT if you the hunters have faith and confidence in your equipment and can demonstrate to me that you know how to use it I am more than happy for 500 plus yard shot. With laser range finders, scopes with all the bells and whistles and ballistic charts it seems anything is indeed possible.

The final word is directed at the weather, “normally’ we don’t have a weather issue at all, this year we got hammered day after day by rain and snow, more so in late May and early June. All I can say is it was unusual and by the law of averages we should be clear of inclement weather for the next 15 years! But bring good wet weather gear. It can make the difference between success and failure when things turn ugly.  Remember footwear and fitness.

Sue and I will be in the USA at Dallas Safari Club Convention and Safari Club International, Reno conventions. Dallas booth 2650 6^th -8^th of Jan and Reno 2929 26^th -29^th Jan.

See you all there.