Introduced from North America in 1905, the huge Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) has always been one of the most difficult trophies to bag in New Zealand. This huge (up to 1,000lb) deer is the largest of the round-horned deer in the world, with heads running 6x6 (12 points) and larger. The best Elk trophies often exceed sixty inches in both length and spread.

Because there are very low numbers of pure Wapiti left in the wild, free- range hunting is extremely difficult and restricted to a few very remote areas in the rugged South West of the South Island where there is a ballot system in place.

All of our Elk hunts are held on private game ranches, where the quality of the heads is carefully managed to provide the optimum trophies for our clients. As with most other deer species, the best time to hunt Elk is during their ‘Rut’ which runs from March through until the end of April. The ‘Bugle’ as it is termed is on at the same time as the Red Stag ‘Rut’, providing an ideal opportunity for the hunting enthusiast to bag a double! Elk are often hunted from February to September while their antlers are still in the ‘hard’. If you are interested in hunting a huge Rocky Mountain Elk, we could be your next destination for some of the largest Elk in the world.