Evan Koster just got back from seven days of public land hunting in New Zealand — no helicopter, no lodge, no estate stags. He hunted tahr in a glacial valley and red stag in the Canterbury High Country with guide Jurgen, carrying everything on his back and doing 5,000 vertical feet of gain literally the day he got off the plane. This conversation is the honest version of New Zealand hunting.
We cover what the terrain actually looks like, why the tussock country and scrub edge are the game zone, how red stag compare to elk (less gregarious, more vocal, harder to call across open country), why Evan passed on stags he could have shot and ended up empty-handed on deer, and what New Zealand's hunting culture looks like when you get off the estate. We also get into the invasive species debate - tahr, red deer, and chamois are valued by hunters and locals but under real threat from eradication programs - and how New Zealand's model of wildlife conservation compares to ours. At the end, Evan and Cliff break down the hosted hunt partnership with Jurgen that LKS Outfitters is building - a public land backpack experience unlike anything being offered commercially right now.
In this episode: 5,000 vertical feet daily — what the terrain actually demands Tahr country: navigating stream beds, impenetrable bush, and glacial basins How red stag compare to elk — roar, rut, callability, and body size Why a 12-point stag on public land is equivalent to a 340-inch bull in the Flat Tops No seasons, no bag limits — and why hunters self-regulate anyway The invasive species debate: eradication programs vs. a hunting culture fighting back What Jurgen's New Zealand public land hunts actually look like LKS Outfitters hosted hunts with Jurgen — what's coming and how to book
Guest: Evan Koster — Lead guide, LKS Outfitters / Flat Tops Wilderness Guides. Instagram: @lks_outfitters | flatTopswildernessguides.com Jurgen's hosted hunts: Coming soon via LKS Outfitters website under Hunt categories. Inquire directly through Evan.
00:00 Chapter 1 - Harder Than Colorado? 09:52 Chapter 2 - Why No Helicopter 14:20 Chapter 3 - Hunting Culture & Invasive Species 26:03 Chapter 4 - Game Density Comparison 31:44 Chapter 5 - Red Stag vs. Elk 37:35 Chapter 6 - The Tahr Hunt 44:44 Chapter 7 - The Stag Hunt 01:02:29 Chapter 8 - Jurgen & The Hosted Hunts
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