by Hans Wilhelm
This is a story of a New Zealand hunt that Hans Wilhelm found and booked on BookYourHunt.com, told in his own words.
There are some hunts that stick with you forever – the kind where the experience goes beyond just harvesting an animal. My recent trip to Aotearoa (New Zealand) with The Hype of the Hunt was exactly that. It was the greatest and most successful hunt I’ve ever had. Three hunts, three trophies, and just four bullets fired. The rest of the time? I was taking in the stunning landscapes of New Zealand with my family.
A Land Teeming with Life
From the moment we stepped onto the hunting unit, it was clear we were in a special place. The block was absolutely teeming with life. Elk bugling in the distance, massive red stags moving through the brush, white deer standing out against the landscape, and does scattered across the hillsides.
And the silence. We didn’t talk much while walking; instead, we listened. After about 20 minutes of sitting, glassing, and soaking in the environment, animals started appearing from all directions. It was like the forest itself was waking up around us. The terrain was breathtaking — rolling hills, trickling mountain streams, and a perfect 55-58°F temperature. That was definitely different from home.
A Hunter from Hawaii
I come from Hawaii, and have started hunting rather late in life. In 2017 I took a professional development trip, and there was another teacher from my high school there. He started talking to me about hunting, and I said I wanted to learn. Soon he took me out to Lānaʻi after the axis deer, and I was hooked.
Unfortunately, we don’t have too many hunting opportunities in Hawaii. There are only axis deer, pigs, and mouflon, and not too many of those either. Then, in Hawaii it’s super hot, and you can walk for several miles in that heat and not get a good shot opportunity. In Aotearoa, the terrain is different, the temperatures are cooler, and the variety of animals is incredible—red stag, elk, goats, fallow deer, sheep, and even tahr.
Guides Who Feel More Like Brothers
If you’re in a new area, especially if you don’t have much hunting experience, you need someone to show you the ropes, and a professional hunting guide is hard to beat. And I feel I’ve hunted with some of the best.
Owen Trowbridge is the kind of guide every hunter hopes to have. He’s soft-spoken, confident, and always seems to know exactly where the animals will be. He never rushed, never got frustrated, and made the whole experience feel effortless – like we were just heading to the store to “pick up a few groceries and a trophy red stag.” No pressure. Just a quiet confidence that we were in the right place at the right time. And sure enough, we were.
John Smith, my second guide, brought a similar energy. Always positive, always enthusiastic. He spotted my final trophy, a billy goat hanging out at the bottom of a steep ridge, and without hesitation, he said, “Let’s go get him.” He also carried most of the heavy gear and documented the whole hunt. By the end of the trip, it felt like I had been hunting with a couple of my brothers, not just guides I had met five days prior.
These guys are the real deal—not just outfitters catering to millionaires, but true outdoorsmen who love meeting new people and sharing the land they know so well. They take out old and young hunters, experts and beginners alike. If you love the outdoors and value genuine connections, look no further.
The Thrill of the Hunt
Ernest Hemingway once wrote that it was the probability of having no success that makes hunting exciting, or words to that effect, and I can fully agree with that. The highest emotional peak of my hunt came when I nearly missed the third of my trophies, the billy goat.
When it came time to take my shots, I cleared my mind and focused on my breathing. The adrenaline was there, but the preparation made it feel almost automatic. We were positioned on a hill, looking down at the target. The rifle was already mounted on a swivel tripod, adjusted for distance thanks to Owen and John. All I had to do was settle in and take the shot.
The red stag and the sheep went down without any drama. The stag was purely amazing, the most impressive animal I have ever harvested. With that, the billy goat should have come without a problem, but I did miss my first shot clean.
I searched for blood, but there was no trail. I thought he had run off, but then Owen spotted him further along the ridge. I lined up again, took my time, and delivered a perfect shot. The bullet hit so hard the goat flipped. Owen even asked to keep the hide, saying it was the biggest billy goat he’d ever harvested from that unit. As the sun set and we dressed the animal, I took in the moment—the highs and lows, the rush of senses. It was an epic ending to an already incredible hunt.
A Family-Friendly Hunt
One of the best parts of this trip was how family-friendly it was. While I was on the hunt of a lifetime, Caitlin, one of the guides’ partners, took my daughter and my wife shopping, sightseeing, and even strawberry picking. That kind of hospitality made the trip even more special.
And the best part? My daughters are now hooked on hunting. My younger one watches hunting and fishing shows with me and wants to join every trip. My older daughter is taking a gun safety class and is gearing up for her first hunt – hopefully in Aotearoa with Owen. It’s powerful to know that this trip wasn’t just about me; it was about passing on the love of hunting to the next generation.
If you’re thinking about a hunt in New Zealand, do yourself a favor—bring your family if you can. This was more than just a hunting trip; it was a shared experience that created lasting memories. Owen even let me bring my daughter along on the hunt itself. He didn’t have to do that, but he did, and that’s something I’ll never forget.
Planning for the Future
I can’t wait to return. In the meantime, I shall continue hunting in Hawaii, although it can get frustrating on public land, and expensive on private land there. But another trip to New Zealand is on the schedule. I still need to go tahr hunting, and my daughters need their turn in the field.
Main image credit: The Hype of the Hunt
Next in Hunting Stories
The Most Authentic and Adventurous Hunting Experience: My Cape Buffalo Hunt in Zimbabwe
By Harri Rissanen
When I felt I was ready for the Big Five, I searched through the offers on BookYourHunt.com and booked a 7 Day Buffalo Safari with Elephant Trails. This proved to be the most authentic and adventurous hunting experience I’ve ever had in Africa. When it’s dark and your car is stuck in the long grass with a fresh buffalo carcass onboard, and you know for a fact there are lions nearby, it doesn’t get any more real or thrilling than that. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
