13 Mile Bush
13 Mile Bush is a 10,882 ha public hunting block in the Canterbury foothills, sitting within the Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park country. Elevations on the block run from around 460 m up to 1,980 m, with a median of about 1,070 m, so most of the ground sits in beech bush and shrubland with a smaller share pushing into the open tops.
With roughly a third of the block above the 1,200 m bushline, it works as a mix of bush and tops. Hunters can sidle through forest in the lower faces and pop out onto tussock for glassing higher up. Slopes lean predominantly south, which keeps the bush cool and the snow lying longer through winter and early spring.
It holds a wide species list for a Canterbury foothills block — red deer, fallow deer, chamois, wild goat and wild pig are all present. That variety, combined with a one-hut footprint, makes it an interesting choice for a hunter who wants more than just reds on the menu.
Open 13 Mile Bush on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 35,248 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 459–1,980 m
- Median elevation
- 1,069 m
- Middle 50%
- 871–1,272 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 33%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 6%
- Dominant aspect
- south-facing
459–1,980 m, a mix of bush and tops, leaning south-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
The block is open to fixed-wing and helicopter air access, so charter operators can drop hunters and gear at suitable landing sites where ground travel would otherwise be slow. WARO (Wild Animal Recovery Operations) is also permitted, which is worth knowing — commercial helicopters may be working the same country, especially around deer and chamois numbers.
There is one hut on the block: Benmore Hut, in Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park. It has heating, mattresses, a non-flush toilet and tap water (not treated — boil before use). It isn't bookable, so it's first-come first-served. Hunters using the hut should still carry a fly or tent in case it's full or being used by trampers passing through.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Canterbury permit area, with a hunting status of Permitted.
Commercial wild-animal recovery (WARO) operates over this area — expect helicopter activity and pressured game.
This block sits within a DOC air-access zone — fly-in hunting and helicopter drop-offs may be permitted.
A DOC hunting permit is required to hunt 13 Mile Bush. The block is an Ordinary block with a Permitted status, meaning you apply through the standard Canterbury permit process rather than entering a ballot. Permits are free but must be carried while hunting.
1080 & pesticide status
No current, planned or proposed pesticide operations intersect this block in our data. Always confirm with DOC before taking a dog in.
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