While most of you were enjoying a warm New Zealand summer, Richard & Sarah Burdon were away in the wintery United States, where we attended five shows to promote Glen Dene Hunting and Fishing.
Our assistant Claudia Massey also went to a show in Germany and we were lucky with the European and American weather this year, which was mild enough for people to be able to travel to the shows and not get snowed in! We really enjoyed meeting up with prior clients, who have become friends and meeting new clients, who are keen to come out to hunt in our piece of South Island paradise. It was great to see such good numbers turn out for the shows and in particular the 10-day Great American Outdoor Show in Pennsylvania, which had 78,000 people attend in one day.
The trends we found this year were that there are many younger hunters wanting to travel to New Zealand for a hunting experience, rather than a hunting trophy. Many of the clients we talked to enjoy the spot and stalk style of hunting that we offer here. At Glen Dene Hunting and Fishing we have local guides, who are all keen hunters outside of their ‘work’ hours. They know the area like the backs of their hands and can help you enjoy an adventure as you access the incredible Southern Lakes hunting blocks that are part of our terrain. All our guides have completed the long-range shooting school qualification and have passed the New Zealand professional hunting guides course.
There were some exciting things happening at the shows in optics, including new ballistic range-finding technology in binoculars. We are investing in these advancements, as we believe they improve hunting accuracy, which results in cleaner kills and less risk of losing animals.
If you are planning your overseas hunting trip for next season, then please talk to our knowledgeable travel agents at Travel Express. They are based in Montana and can help organise your whole trip to New Zealand. Contact them at TravelExpress@montana.com.
As my ‘right hand’, Claudia is fantastic at helping you plan your hunt with us here at Glen Dene and she can talk to you about our packages for hunting red stags, Himalayan Thar and chamois, or fishing for trout in the stunning Lake Hawea and its surrounding tributaries. Her email is claudua@glendenehunting.com. We find many of our hunters love to fish as well and we can get you into some scenic back-country streams by helicopter or a four-wheel-drive vehicle, or by boat out onto the lake.
To get an insight into how beautiful the area is that we have to hunt in – surrounded by mountains and bordered by two lakes – make sure you join us on our regularly-updated social channels and check out our Facebook page Glen Dene Hunting and Fishing New Zealand or our Instagram page @glendenehuntingnz.
Videos of our hunts are also loaded onto YouTube. Just search ‘Glen Dene Hunting New Zealand’.
We have had a busy season and had many clients through our new Cross Hill Lodge this summer. They have been enjoying our hunting packages during the day and our foodie chefs’ top-notch seasonal meals at night. We pride ourselves on being able to offer venison from the property and fresh vegetables from the garden on the menu. Thanks to all of you who have stayed with us over the past few months and also for your referrals to your friends and family back home. Word of mouth is a wonderful thing and we appreciate your help promoting Glen Dene Hunting and Fishing.
Richard Burdon.