New Zealands moose hunt: A century-long quest for a forests final secret

My grandfather was in the area (Fiordland) the after the first world war - after surviving both Gallipoli (first) and then France, he went bush at the bottom of the South Island when he came back to NZ - for some quite time as he put it, for a number of years!In later life he always maintained that there were a few moose in the back of beyond in Fiordland, but never had a camera so no proof. Likewise he also claimed that the so called extinct takahe - in the 1920s - were still alive - and what happened in the 1950/60s - they were re-discovered. Like many servicemen from WW1, he came back to NZ with life long problems that were never accepted then. Today its a totally different story!

This is what you call a wild moose chase.

Amazing story. I have followed Ken Tustin for years. I hope he gets to see his Moose.

And the last trophy Australia won at rugby

You mean like humans?

? They are moose, they don't have to hunt anything in order to survive, all they have to do it walk around eating. Theres a photo of one that was shot 20 years later that had done very well even without one of its front legs, I'm sure the rest were fine too.

As a hunter myself, and having keenly followed for many years the fascinating story of NZs elusive moose, I greatly admire and appreciate both Ken Tustins perseverance and Steve Jones ethics.

Heres hoping its not discovered by some trigger-happy hunter.

Not every introduced species is a pest, you dont seem to get that.

Unless they met in the sweetest, dappled shady glade, surrounded by beech trees, on a bed of moss, far far from any noise or danger other than twittering bellbirds..

Nah, they are pretty sneaky even in Canada. They often get spotted near or on highways, but when authorities arrive to move them they just sneak away into the bush and disappear.

Chances are, they have adapted very well to their introduced environment. The original herd probably became very frightened of humans so remained hidden whenever one was near. Which possible became learned behaviour for any calves born....and remains that way today. I agree with borntodie about the small genetic sample and perhaps a larger sample would have produced a far greater herd....and potential pest/problem. If there are any that have survived...they probably deserved to be left alone. Id love to know if there were any living today...but I wouldnt go looking if there were.

The only reason people cant find the Moose is because the South Island Moa are helping them hide.

Venison guys were on the tops, Moose would be under the canopy.Fiordland is bigger than most people here seem to realise.

Not entirely 1 mate, Gary Joll shot a moose in Canada, which moved silently through the bush, due to the shape and spread of the antlers the bush just quietly closes behind them. They are forest dwellers. You may be mixed up with the caribou or elk

Still showing Fiordland as part of the moose range in Wikipedia. What more proof do you need!

Im guessing youve never been into the Fiordland bush.

Or you could focus a good modern camera on it instead just incase it's the last one.

Not been there I take it?

I live in Canada these days and my family go moose hunting every year in northern British Columbia, where my wifes family have hunted moose for 60 years. I dont know where you got your information from, but moose are perfectly at home in dense forest, in fact dense forest is all there is for hundreds of kms around our hunting ground.