Eyre Mountains Conservation Park hunting

The Eyre Mountains Conservation Park is situated to the south west of Lake Wakatipu. The park covers rugged, mountainous country of beech forest and alpine tussock interspersed with long narrow river valleys and a great variety of flora and fauna. Red and fallow deer are widespread and a good number of chamois can be found in the higher northern area of the park. 

Access

The park is approximately one hour’s drive from Invercargill or Queenstown. Access is from a number of points along SH6 between Kingston and Five Rivers and SH94, Mossburn to Te Anau Road. Note that many access routes into the park are on public access easements through private property. 

Respect local land owners by keeping to formed tracks and complying with the access information posted on signs. Permission to cross private land must be sought from the landowners. Forestry harvesting operations on private land may occur from time to time and result in road closures.

There is 4WD access to all the main valleys. These range from formed, metal roads to off-road tracks of varying conditions.

Access via West Dome forest closed

The gates at West Dome forest are closed due to unruly behaviour. Gates close 8am Friday 12 April.

Access through Eyre Creek Station closed

Due to repeated dangerous and disrespectful behaviour by members of the public, access to the Eyre Mountains via Eyre Creek Station is closed indefinitely.

Maps

NZTopo50 maps - CD09, CD10. NZTopo50 maps are available from a DOC Visitor Centre near you.

For further mapping and access information refer to Walking Access Aotearoa or DOC maps. Both websites provide interactive mapping displaying information on huts, tracks and DOC land boundaries. The DOCmaps website contains hunting specific information (by clicking on the Open Hunting Permit Areas layer and clicking the mouse on any area of the map).

See a map of the Eyre Mountains Conservation Park (PDF, 1MB)

Animals present

Red deer - low numbers
Fallow deer - low numbers
Chamois - moderate numbers
Pigs - low numbers  

Dogs

Permits are required to hunt with dogs in the Eyre Mountains/Taka Rā Haka Conservation Park. See a map of the dog access area (PDF, 653K)

You can get permits from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre in Te Anau or Murihiku/Invercargill office.

• Dogs must be registered and are not permitted in huts.
• Date restriction: Permits will not be issued during the lambing and calving period 1 September to 30 November.
• When crossing private land, dogs are to be on a leash until well into the forest and they must be kept under control at all times.
• DOC must be notified regarding missing or lost dogs on conservation land.

Huts

Ashton Hut - 4 bunks
Beech Hut - 4 bunks
Cowshed Hut - 4 bunks
Cromel Base Hut - 6 bunks
Cromel Branch Hut - 4 bunks
Dog Box Hut - not for accommodation
Irthing Hut - 2 bunks
Islands Hut - 4 bunks
Lincoln Hut - 2 bunks
Lower Windley Hut - 2 bunks
Mansion Hut - 2 bunks
Mt Bee Bunkrooms - 8 bunks
Oreti Hut - 4 bunks
Shepherd Creek Hut - 6 bunks
Upper Cromel Hut - 2 bunks
Upper Oreti Hut - 6 bunks
Upper Windley Hut - 4 bunks

All the huts in the Eyre Mountains Conservation Park are classed as Basic huts and are free of charge. Not all huts have toilet facilities.

Additional information

If possuming, a permit must be obtained by visiting the DOC Murihiku Office in Invercargill.