Conclusion of Two-Part New Zealand Free Range Tahr Hunt This Sunday on MeatEater
OutdoorHub 11.02.12
Acclaimed Author & Outdoorsman Steven Rinella Navigates Rugged Territory All in the Name of Hunting for Exotic Food
The rugged, icy cold conclusion of the two-part New Zealand Himalayan Tahr series with Steven Rinella on MeatEater is finally here. Tune in to Sportsman Channel, this Sunday, November 4 at 9 pm ET/PT to see if Rinella gets his Tahr to make Tahr Tartar and Tahr-B-Q.
Rinella is delivering his most adventurous expeditions for “killer hunts and killer food” in this two-part hunt that is part of an overall four-part mini-series that brings the thrills of New Zealand hunting and its stunning landscape to life for viewers.
When we last left Rinella and his guide, Remi Warren, they were headed into “Tahr Country” in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Himalayan Tahr is the long-haired, horned, inhabitant of the alpine and is native to central Asia. In this land, all big game is non-native and has no natural predators. There are no bag limits, no tags and no season, which makes for an extremely good environment for hunters.
As they search for Tahr, they find a herd of Chamois on the mountainside. Chamois look like a cross between an American Pronghorn and a farmyard goat, according to Rinella. A Chamois buck gives Rinella the perfect chance at a shot – and he takes it. Only the buck is on the other side of a fast-moving, icy cold glacial river.
Part one of the mini-series concluded with Rinella and Warren eventually creating an ingenious device to slide the buck across the river. “To say crossing this river is a ‘major challenge’ is an understatement,” said Rinella. “Hypothermia can be a real issue here.”
As they get ready to head to their hut for the night, they notice a suspicious dot on the horizon. It’s a Tahr buck. But it’s late in the day, so they head back to their hut to prepare the Chamois back strap on a super-heated rock – something that’s hip now in New Zealand cooking.
The next morning, they luckily find the same buck grazing on the mountainside. The only challenge is that he’s sitting on 1,000 foot high pile of rock. They guys aren’t afraid of a little climbing, but the mountains can trick the eye as to distance and height. Viewers will have to tune to see if Rinella and Warren make the grueling hike after spending many days and nights in New Zealand already so Rinella can finally get his Tahr.
Steven Rinella is an avid outdoorsman, writer, and television personality best known for his ability to translate the hunting lifestyle to a wide variety of audiences. He is the author of recently released book, “MeatEater: Adventures of the Life of an American Hunter.” Other books include: “The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine” and the award-winning “American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon.” Rinella’s writing has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Glamour, Men’s Journal, Outside, New Yorker and more traditional hunting and fishing publications like Field and Stream. He is a columnist for Petersen’s HUNTING, has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, CNN’s American Morning and Fox News’ Fox and Friends.
