Southern Peaks Safaris is the standard for an international hunting experience. I have been on a number of International hunts and whether it be Africa, Canada or New Zealand all my guides have been exceptional. Sam and Shawnee's ability to tailer every hunt to the unique abilities of each of their hunters is what sets them apart. Whether a rifle or archery hunter, a veteran or novice, you will have a phenomenal experience with these great people. From the planning stages of our adventure, Sam asked the right questions to understand the comfort levels of our group of hunters and our expectations. As an archery hunter Sam understood how important it was for me to get a good clean ethical shot and he delivered! He understands on a personal level how for many of us these are lifelong dreams he has to fulfil. If you work hard in New Zealand, I can guarantee you, Sam and his guides will work five times harder. At the end of each day the accomodations at the lodge and the culinary experience were second to none. A more enjoyable trip would be hard to find, and this is truely a place where you arrive as friends and leave as family.

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- North Dakota, USA

I have hunted with outfitters on four continents. May have the slogan that you will arrive as a stranger and leave as a friend. With Sam and Shawnee, I arrived as a friend and left as family. I will forever be grateful for the hunt that we had and look forward to our upcoming hunt with Southern Peaks Safaris!

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-North Dakota, USA

Hunting in New Zealand had been a dream of mine since I started hunting as a kid. Southern Peaks Safaris provided my wife and me with a trip of a lifetime! From climbing the mountainside looking for stags and then running back down after fallow deer - there was never a dull moment! And then hunting the Tahr and Chamois in the mountains from the helicopter was an experience we'll remember forever! Sam and Geordie were phenomenal guides who were determined to make sure we got the animals we wanted. Hunting with them was beyond one of the best adventures we ever had! Thank You -  Sam, Shawnee and Geordie!

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-North Dakota, USA

I honestly can’t say enough good things about Shawnee and Sam, or their operation: Southern Peaks Safaris.  From the first meet and greet at the airport, they were super friendly and informative to myself and my two traveling companions who were, at the time, virgins to New Zealand.  After the airport arrival and retrieval of our luggage, we were on the road to the lodge where we received some history, funny stories and a couple of local meat-filled pastries that were excellent!  The lodge was immaculate and very clean; fitting for an entire family of all ages.  We all were required to do a quick performance check of our weapons which was greatly appreciated and speaks to how thorough Sam is in his operation. 

During the entire hunt, we always received first class treatment and utter determination from our guides.  We experienced a little bit of everything on our hunt, from tourism, local food and wonderful landscapes.  The hunting was excellent and varied in our successes from day to day as the terrain can be as simple, or as tough as you choose to hunt in.  Trophy quality was phenomenal as all of my party took 400+ stags, along with other animals to include (2) tahr, (1) goat, and (2) turkeys.

The family at Southern Peaks Safaris truly loves what they do and they will ensure that you have a wonderful time!  When I go back, I will be hunting chamois, wallaby, possum and, of course, another stag!  (Oh and don’t forget the phenomenal fishing!!!)

Thank you guys for all that you do!

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- Kentucky, USA

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I have been hunting with Sam and Shawnee for two years now, and I will most certainly be back!

  From the moment I arrived in NZ I felt like family.  They took care of everything and made sure my entire trip was enjoyable, start to finish!  Sam is an experienced guide who catered to my abilities and made sure that I got the hunts that I had been dreaming of for years and the trophies to match!  Their outfit is top notch in my book, and I would highly recommend using Southern Peaks Safaris for your New Zealand hunting adventures!

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- Wyoming, USA

Back in 2018, my wife Sabrina and I decided to start planning a “bucket list” trip to New Zealand.  The goal was to go on a Red Stag hunt and also take in as much of the scenery as we possibly could.  After many hours researching the various outfitters and locations, we decided on Southern Peaks Safaris on the South Island.  From our very first communication and all throughout the process, Sam and Shawnee were amazing!  They were able to answer all our questions and were very flexible in making sure this would be an experience of a lifetime.  I was going to go on a Red Stag/Tahr hunt and while I was hunting, Shawnee was going to take Sabrina around touring.  We put down our deposit that summer and were looking forward to our upcoming trip in April 2020.

Then the Covid pandemic hit and obviously the trip was put on hold.  However, Sam and Shawnee kept in touch and we were determined to get things rescheduled when we could.  New Zealand put a pretty tight lid on any and all travel and finally in the fall of 2022, it looked like travel would be back to normal starting for the 2023 hunting season.  Like before, Sam and Shawnee kept open the lines of communication and we were able to get things scheduled again for March 2023, even though they were 18 hours ahead of us and expecting their first child in July.

Upon arriving in Christchurch on Sunday, we were disappointed to find out that our luggage did not make it when we did.  Sam was going to pick us up early the next morning to begin our hunt and I did not have any clothes/gear suited for what was to come.  I reached out to Sam and like always he was more than accommodating.  Whatever I could not borrow from him I was able to find downtown.  The next morning we were out in the wilderness as planned and at around noon I was able to harvest a beautiful Stag.  A few days later I harvested a bull Tahr and another Stag of a lifetime.  In addition to Sam and Shawnee, the other guides (Darren and Geordie) were exceptional also.    

It would be unjust to not mention the amazing meals and accommodations we had during our trip.  Each morning started out with a full breakfast and the day ended with a supper fit for a king and queen.  During our trip we stayed in two different houses due to where we hunted Red Stag and Tahr not being the same.  Each location was out in the country side and very clean with our own private bath.  And finally the touring and the scenery was unbelievable.  From gardens in downtown Christchurch, to the coast, to the mountains, it was all breathtaking!

If you are looking for an outfitter that will treat you like family, put your needs ahead of their own, and make sure your hunt is successful, look no further than Sam and Shawnee with Southern Peak Safaris.

 

-Iowa, USA