Testimonials

“If lips and life do not agree, the testimony will not amount to much”……H.A. Ironside

Steve and I hunted together for three days in mid November up in the tops . It is an experience for hunters who look for the real, intense and extraordinary way of hunting and will be amongst my most memorable hunting parties ever. Steve and Wilson (his Labrador) are a great team to hunt with. Due to very strong winds sightings were few but the second hind, glassed by Steve, was shot by me from a distance of around 180 meters. Thank you Steve (and Wilson) for a great time hunting together.

Gregor Vogelsang

“Steve is good at selecting a good location to hunt, finding animals and navigating the terrain. We saw a number of fallow and red deer and was able to get one myself. He did not bow hunt before but picked up the concept after a couple days and was able to get me close to few animals. “

Ben Ahn

I had the pleasure to go on a hunt for a week with Steve. Tahr was my choice and we found plenty.

The month was wrong for the big bulls as they were still hiding up high. With a bit of work we did find some younger ones though, as I was after a couple of skins this worked out fine for me.

Steve searched every inch of area to find what I was looking for,  from scrub to rocky crests and everything in between.

With Steve be prepared / fit as the area covered each day can be large and tiring. Being fit will mean you will enjoy your experience as much as I did.

Steve doesn’t give up either. I shot a Tahr that slid off the hill side and down it went, we searched for 3 hours to find him. Steve was positive we would find him the whole time. Which in the end we did. He had a great coat so very happy we kept looking.

As Steve says, trophies that are hard to get are the ones that will end up being remembered the best. Also creating great stories when people ask where did you get that.

That’s for the experience Steve. Until next time, Cheers Ray

Ray Marshall

My trip into the hills of Nelson Lakes National Park with Steve can be summed up in three words, An Epic Adventure!

Steve promised a classic Kiwi hunting experience and delivered it by the bucket.

I only had two days to try for Chamois. Arriving in the evening before we would start our hunt Steve was ready and waiting for me to familiarise and check-zero one of his rifles I’d be using. He has a fantastic under-cover, bench rest range that enabled me to practice at ranges out to 300m, luckily I hit the gong!

Steve had also meticulously prepared for the hunt and had bought our provisions and provided me with all the kit I’d need to bivi out in the hills.

That night I stayed in Steve’s log cabin, located on his property a few hundred metres from his house, a beautiful setting, built and fitted out to the highest standard. If you want to get ‘off the grid’ you must stay here.

“A classic Kiwi hunt, walk in, camp under the stars and back pack your meat and trophy out. Make no mistake though, it’s hard, hard going. You need to be fit, self-sufficient and determined. If this doesn’t appeal catch a helicopter and do it the ‘tourist’ way, but you’ll be missing an experience you’ll never forget.”

David Jefferis

“I had a really great time.” Steve was a good guide. I saw chamois for the first time, learnt new things and shot a young stag. Really enjoyed it. ”

Amos Rand

My uncle and I shared 5 days Kiwi Style hunting with Steve in January 2018. We were packed for adventure and hoping to see the beautiful New Zealand terrain, anything else was a bonus. Steve was a great guide who knew the places where not many boots had trodden. Expecting a somewhat unfavorable weather forecast, Steve was able to adapt to a plan that would see us be quite successful, yet also keeping safe and dry. In the end we shot a total of 3 Chamois, an excellent result for us. Steve was helpful picking us up from the airport and taking us to the Taxidermist on the last day.

The hunting was exciting everyday, never knowing when a chammy was going to appear in the binoculars, Steve has a good eye for these creatures and ended up getting us onto a small herd in the final evening.

It is easy to see how knowledgeable Steve is about the terrain and the animals he is chasing, backing up his words with animals on the ground.

Additionally, Steve takes great footage which will be great to keep as a memory of a fantastic hunt.

Cheers Steve

Trenton and Albrecht.

Walk in Chammy hunting with Steve in the Nelson Lakes National Park was an awesome and full on experience. The walk to the top was more physical demanding than anything I have tried earlier. Do yourself a favour and ensure a fair level of fitness prior to the hunt. We had pretty bad weather the first two days and had to spend a lot of time in the camp. On day three (my birthday) it was sunny and warm. This was a birthday to remember since i got a really nice chammy buck – what a birthday present.
This walk in chammy hunt was surely an experience, that will last for the rest of my life.
Thanks Steve!

Arnt Madsen

In April this year my father and I embarked on a four day hunting trip with Steve. The helicopter, after quite the search for a spot, eventually landed on the ridge of an exposed saddle. From then on we set up camp and around an hour later spotted our first stag. This resulted in an hour stalk which then led to me taking my first stag.

The second day once again brought us blue skies and sunshine as we set off early morning. A three hour stalk on a trophy Chamois buck, excellently spotted by Steve, eventually lead to my Dad taking a carefully executed 200m shot. Early morning day 3 brought me onto my second stag, roared in by Steve. This stag brought an end to our hunting trip as we were due to fly out the next day because of changing weather conditions.

After our well enjoyed day 4 sleep, Steve spotted a billy goat less than 80m up the hill. Having shot two animals already I let Dad take the shot from the tent, which provided dinner for the night back at Triple Tui. The helicopter arrived late that afternoon which concluded our four day hunting trip with Steve.

What a great experience!

Thanks, Steve!

Declan Henry.

Brisbane, Australia

This was my first time hunting red stags in the roar in NZ, and hopefully not my last!! I was hunting with a good friend of mine, Dean.

Dean had hunted with Steve a few years before and new what to expect!!

We hunted for 8 days before we got picked up by the chopper, in them 8 days we shot 6 stags between us (3 each) and a few goats on the last day.

If there is one piece of advice that I can give to anyone thinking of hunting in NZ it’s to be as fit as you can be, and I think you will get more out of it!

I can not recommend Steve highly enough.

He is the guy you need to get you out there!

Cheers Steve really enjoyed my time hunting with you.

Aaron Blundell

Un grand merci à  Steve qui par son professionnalisme et ses compétences cynegetiques nous a permis de réaliser dans les meilleures conditions notre chasse au tahr. Nous gardons un excellent  souvenir de cette semaine passée ensemble et espérons nous retrouver tous les trois pour une prochaine  aventure.

We spent a hunting trip with Steve for one week. We appreciated his great capacity for  finding tahrs. Thank you for those  good days. We hope to see you again for a new project.

Eric Paret & Christian Bussy

Steve guided me for a day hunt and was very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. I learned more about game animals, hunting techniques and equipment than on all my previous hunting trips combined. All in all an excellent day out and I am looking forward to another hunting trip with Steve.

Maxwell Mills

My father and I recently enjoyed a day’s trip out hunting goats with Steve. We helicoptered in to make the most of our limited time and what a day it was. Clear blue skies, crisp air and goats a plenty.

 The morning session saw us with two kids and Steve kindly showed me how to dress the prime cuts of meat.  A midday lunch break followed by a stalk of a shadow which looked uncannily like a billy had us sighting a group of goats well out of range.  A relocation with the chopper saw my father take out a tough as nails billy. In the afternoon Steve and I descended for an epic 900 m stalk in steep terrain to cull a herd of seven or so goats. The adrenaline and anticipation had me on edge, but we managed to take out the lot. What a rush! 

Rifle of choice for the day was a well balanced Remington .243, the perfect weight and calibre for the type of terrain we were in.Steve is both a professional and knowledgeable guide.  His insights into hunting, New Zealand country and its wildlife meant that the day was also educational. His passion for hunting is clearly evident and made for an adventurous and rewarding experience. 

Cheers Steve for a memorable hunt.

Eugene & Sugi Tiono

Steve you bring New Zealand to the hunter in the best

way possible.  The experience of hunting Chamois in the South Island with you was fantastic.  We truly hunted wild animals and every day brought on new opportunities for game that was due to your extensive knowledge of Chamois.  Your understanding of their habitat along with your drive to succeed combined to put two guns onto animals.  Some hunts are easy and this hunt could have been that way if the Chamois were a little more cooperative.  You quickly realized that we needed to give it a big effort if we were to be successful and you were willing to keep looking even after we reached our limit.  That extra push on your part was the reason we each shot, so thank you for a truly unique and memorable experience.  The trophies will always remind me of the time we spent hunting on the mountain.  As a bonus we also took four goats which also made excellent trophies.  There was an opportunity for Red Stag as well, but we opted to stay the course for Chamois.  Thanks Steve for giving us a great New Zealand adventure

Emil Pikul- U.S.A.

Have done a couple of hunt,s with Steve and both have been great adventures with success on both occasions . The last trip we did in March 2016  was awesome seeing us flying into some remote country in Marlborough hunting deer in their environment Steve had done his homework with perfect weather and location seeing a lot of deer and managing to shoot a couple testing my stamina and fitness to say the least was exhilarating Steve is great company and had plenty of laughs along the way he is fit and his knowledge vast giving you the best chance for success thanks Steve very happy client will have to plan another one soon.

Brent Maxwell- New Zealand

Went for a days Goat hunt last week Jan 13th near Murchison,with my 15yo son.Steve our PH got us there  at about 9am and we got right into it,fairly tough going straight up hills and through the bush,weather was warm and sunny but the views from the top made the sweaty hike well worth it.Saw a couple of deer on the way too,which was unexpected so quite fortunate there.

we lunched at the very top of some cliffs giving us an expensive view of the country side below,sandwiches never tasted so good.While munching away Steve spotted a Hind and her fawn below,we decided to circle down to get  closer to them as they were well out of range for our .223.

After a somewhat noisy descent we came across where we thought  they had been and found their tracks,exhausted but excited,we hunted a bit more for a sighting before deciding to try for goats over the next peak.

It was now about 2pm and the sun was shining hard,I was drenched and worn out but quite happy,we were working for our wild game and this would make the shot all the sweeter.

Making the next valley we heard the telltale bleating sounds of goat and spotted a herd of about 10.My lad tracked closer with Steve and I hung back.Positioning themselves to take out a young goat (we wanted the meat not the trophy),the gun sang out and the goat went down hit mid body at about 50m.The 2 lads moved swiftly over to the now prostrate goat,it was still moving so Steve finished it of with his knife then quickly cut away the rear quarters and handed us our well earned diner.A quick and final ending to a satisfying day.

Everything was how it should be,we returned exhilarated by the hunt and roast goat on the charcoal bbq never tasted so good.

Thanks a mill Steve see you soon.

Steve & Thomas Berg         -New Zealand

    The hunts I have undertaken with Steve have been some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Steve shows      you the best of the kiwi hunting experience. Rarely have I been so far out of my comfort zone. On each occasion I have come away feeling like a better hunter. I look forward to the next adventure.

 

 

This was my second hunting trip with Steve.  He guided me onto a Chammy on the first day and I shot it at 22o meters.  He has taken me to some great places and had fun times but always the professional during the hunt and stalk. I will be back for a third hunt.

Tim Wildman- Western Australia

Thanks for the excellent hunt Steve, it was tough going but worth every sweaty and exhausting moment. Your drive and dogged determination to put me onto an animal paid rewards, along with your experience and knowledge of the area. You are one tough bugger.

 

In June of 2010 i went on a Tahr hunt with Steve and another friend from New Zealand.everything about the trip was excellent,the helicopter ride,the southern alps and everywere you looked there was Tahr.  I cant imagine there being a better hunting partner than Steve.no area was too steep or off limits and his gear was very organized.I also liked that he did not need many gadgets when he hunted.during the week it seemed like we laughed non stop and when it was time to load up the Tahr skins and fly out of there i felt like i had known Steve my entire life.In the not too distant future i will be returning to kiwi land to try for a chamios.stay thirsty my friends

“In a word: Awesome.  Superb country, great company.  Steve is a thorough, patient and expert bushman who works tirelessly to deliver an amazing wild hunting experience. You can’t ask for more than that.  And the Triple-Tui cabin is just the ticket for the family to relax in whilst you’re up on the tops.”

Andrew Briggs , Australia

 My family enjoyed one of our best
holiday and shooting adventures ever while staying at Triple Tui and being hosted by Steve and his

partner Tracey.   Accommodation in the log cabin that Mum, Dad, my two sisters and younger brother and I stayed in was absolutely superb. We had a log fire that kept Mum warm in the evenings and wonderful views over the river flats and onto the hills.

I’d never been deer hunting before and so a guided hunt in the South Island sounded very exciting to me and Dad. After an enjoyable day at the cabin swimming and bush walking Steve took Dad and myself early the next morning in his 4wd to a valley where we would start our hunting adventure. I did not have a rifle and being 14 years old didn’t want to shoot with a big calibre so Steve had organised his Sako .222 for me to use. After a few hours walking and getting above the bushline we reached our campsite. The next two days of hunting was the best time i’ve ever had. The countryside was beautiful, a Chamois was spotted on a bluff just above us and a little later on we glassed a basin and spotted three red deer. My heart beat flat out as we stalked in for

about half an hour and got into a suitable shooting position. With a squeeze of the trigger I had shot my first deer and I was stoked. Other deer were spotted but we were content with the venison we already had. I’ve no doubt that it was Steve’s skill and experience that made this hunt a great adventure. He was generous in passing on his knowledge to both of us and made sure at all times we were comfortable and safe. He really looked after Dad and me and I can’t wait to one day get back and do another hunt with Steve. Thanks Steve for a great and memorable hunt, the experience was awesome.     

Lachlan Stewart ,    Australia                                                              

I arrived in New Zealand for a short holiday and whilst there decided to experience an overnight hunt New Zealand style. The picture I painted to Steve was one of a typical hunt and if we got lucky then so be it but mainly I wanted to see for myself the differences in attitudes and ways of going about the hunting of mountain animals down under. We had a very successful trip as it turned out and Steve was a very knowledgeable and helpful guide.”

Menschenleere Berge, harte körperliche Herausforderungen, Verzicht auf übermäßige Technik und Komfort. Und das alles gelenkt und geleitet von Steve, einem sehr versierten Berufsjäger der besten Schule mit ausgeprägten Jagverstand. So hab ich das Jagdland Neuseeland während eines sehr kurzen Abstechers erlebt. Wer abseits des Trubels das älteste Handwerk der Welt so ursprünglich erfahren möchte, dem wird Jagd vom Feinsten geboten!” 

Eric  Birner

I was presented with a “day’s hunting” birthday present by my wife. When we arrived at Tripletui for our stay I mentioned this to Steve and he suggested a day goat hunting as this would fit in with the time I could afford. We spent a full day in the bush and as this was my first experience with a rifle Steve suggested we take the Sako .222 along. Cut a long story short, I got my goat in the late afternoon after a 200meter shot. I consider myself fit for my age and participate in quite a few marathon events but it is an altogether different fitness than is required for the New Zealand bush. The day was challenging and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience

Gerrit Spekman