WORKWEAR
Celebrating Father's Day with Hunting Stories from our Ambassadors
This Father's Day, we're sharing our ambassador's hunting stories, lessons, and traditions passed down through generations.
"There’s nothing I enjoy more than sharing the outdoors with my kids and teaching them what nature and hunting can bring to your life. Over the years, we’ve made so many unforgettable memories together, moments I’ll cherish forever.
Some of the proudest moments would have to be watching Beau and Paige take their first fallow bucks and red stags. Everything I’d taught them over the years shone through during those hunts, from patience and perseverance to respect for the animals and the environment.
This year watching Beau encourage and support his younger sister as she chased her first red stag, made me incredibly proud as a father. Seeing the bond between them, and the confidence and knowledge they’ve gained through our time in the bush was truly special. One thing I’ll always say is that hunting is about so much more than the animal at the end of the hunt. It’s about the memories you create with the people you love"
"I remember the first time carrying a bow in the bush as a kid and the excitement it brings. Knowing that there's a chance you might not only see an animal, but also have the ability to attempt a shot on it. I can't wait for him to feel that and be by my side with a little bow and start exploring!
It will be years of backyard practice, him tagging along on hunts learning and practicing stalks, but I can’t imagine how epic it will be watching the first time he draws on an animal after all that build up!
I'm also excited to get him up early from camp & let him see and hear the bush come to life at sunrise. Share the excitement about the possibility each day can bring, then recount the days events around the fire at night!
One day, I'll give him my late grandads hunting knife. My dad gave it to me and I skinned my first animal with it, and I try and do the first cut of each animal with it still to this day. I hope to one day do the same and pass down the knife to him."
"My first memories hunting with Dad would probably be pūkeko hunting on the West Coast as a little kid. I remember Dad putting one of those big old life jackets on me so I could shoot the .243 for the first time at a target, as I was so scared of what I thought the recoil would be. Turns out it’s not so bad!
Undoubtedly, the best hunting advice he gave me, was how to walk quietly. He taught me how to look ahead, pick a path, and walk quietly without having to stare at my feet the whole time. He must have been dying inside on a lot of those early hunts, with the amount of noise I made walking around in the bush! So often, his voice rings out in my thoughts as I sneak up on animals: “Carefully place your foot, move smoothly.”
Now, I really look forward to taking my young one out. Showing them what hunting is and teaching them where our meat comes from. I hope to pass on the values my Dad taught me; how taking an animal's life is not to be taken lightly. Even if it is a pest, it is still a life and deserves respect. Success doesn’t mean taking an animal. Enjoy the journey.
I used to get so mad when my Dad would take us on a wild hike up a hill where we hadn’t even seen an animal, just because he wanted to see the view. And yet, we often found animals.
Now I can’t wait to sit way up in the Southern Alps, watching the world wake up alongside this young one! And to enjoy watching the wild places be wild."
“Dad taught me that there’s more to hunting than just pulling the trigger. He taught me to be patient, to put the work in, and to respect the animal and the environment you’re hunting in. Probably the biggest lesson was to never take an opportunity for granted and to make the most of the time you have outdoors. Those lessons have stayed with me and are things I still carry with me every time I head into the bush.
I think Dad would have been proud to see the person I’ve become and the way hunting and the outdoors have continued to play such a big part in my life. Being able to make a living working in the outdoors, hunt for my own meat and contribute to conservation and pest management is something I’m proud of.
He’s no longer here to share those moments with me, but I often think about what he would say or how proud he would be. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’m carrying on a part of his legacy every time I head out into the bush.”
"There’s something pretty special about finding common ground with your kids through hunting.
In a world increasingly ruled by devices, screens and distractions, having somewhere to put all of that aside and simply be together is something I’ll never take for granted.
For me, hunting with my girls has also always been more than just time outdoors. It’s given me space to slow down, clear my head and breathe when life gets a bit heavy. Being present with them reminds me what really matters.
Watching your kids experience something for the first time is one of the greatest privileges of being a dad. And I reckon watching your daughter get her first deer is even more exciting than getting your own.
The memories I've made with my three daughters and the laughs we share are the traditions I hope pass on, that’s what hunting is really about for me.
Sometimes the greatest thing a father can give his children isn’t an answer, but a place where they can breathe, connect, and remember what really matters.”
"Unusual as it is, I never learnt to hunt from my dad; in fact, hunting for me was something I chose to get into on my own, but that didn't stop me from wanting to share the experience in the hills with him, so when the stars finally aligned, I took my parents for a public land adventure.
What I had planned to be a mild overnighter and introductory hunt, quickly escalated into a rough ascent straight up a mountainside through beech forest and alpine tussock. Dad had done plenty of tramping, so the difficulty and scenery were not unknown to him; what did differ was the diversion from the track.
As we left the marked doc track behind us, I could tell we were beginning to enter new territory; exposure to new experiences only continued from here with lessons in glassing, animal behaviour and the little tips and tricks you learn over time. It was really special for me to teach Dad something new that was close to my heart and even more special to finally knock over a deer just on last light.
A real moment of pride for me was showing Dad the process from spotting, shooting and butchering a deer, all with competency on a darkening time crunch. A real highlight of the trip was watching Dad bash through the monkey scrub of an alpine basin, miles from anywhere in complete darkness. Equipped with a headtorch and fully laden with fresh venison."
While parents are often the ones showing us the ropes, the best relationships are built on learning from each other. For Shane and Casey, hunting is about inspiring one another, sharing a few laughs, and building a bond through countless adventures together.
"Casey taught me it’s better to laugh and enjoy the balls-ups, it’s all just part of the experience. Together, we’ve learned never to stress. There’s always a Plan B, and half the time it works out better anyway. My proudest moment was sending Casey off on a hunt by herself for the first time, where she shot and recovered her very first deer. As a parent, nothing beats watching them put in the hard yards, push through, and see the pure joy on their face when all the hard work pays off. It builds real resilience and confidence that stays with them for life."
"Honestly, pretty much every piece of advice Dad gives me is the best, and I take everything he says on board and put it into practice. He told me, 'If you find an animal trail, stick to it,' which has helped me numerous times, and to 'take your time but don't take too long,' reminding me it's always better to hold off than rush and balls it up. But the best motivation he ever gave me was telling me to 'give it sht, Boo'... Boo is my nickname that I've had since I was a baby. It meant to give it absolutely everything I've got, and it definitely worked, because I went out and shot my first bull tahr right after that."
