Lower Caples RHA
Lower Caples RHA is a 4,941-hectare public hunting block in Otago. Elevations run from about 355 m up to 2172 m with a median around 1056 m, putting most of the ground in a mix of bush and tops.
About 16% of the block lies above 1,500 m, giving genuine alpine ground in the upper basins on top of bush and shrubland lower down. Slopes lean south-west-facing, which shapes where sun, snow and feeding animals concentrate through the day.
Recorded game on the block includes red deer, fallow deer and chamois. Reds work the bush and lower sidles while chamois sit higher on the open faces and tops. It sits within the broader Otago hunting area — check with the local DOC office for the current permit handling on this block.
Open Lower Caples RHA on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 16,808 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 355–2,172 m
- Median elevation
- 1,056 m
- Middle 50%
- 706–1,365 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 37%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 16%
- Dominant aspect
- south-west-facing
355–2,172 m, a mix of bush and tops, leaning south-west-facing.
What you can hunt here
This is a roar — the red deer roar peaks from late March into April, and competition for the block is highest then.
Access & getting there
Helicopter access is permitted on the block, useful where ground travel through bush or rough country would otherwise be slow. WARO is not permitted on the block, so commercial helicopter shooting is not a factor.
One DOC hut sits within the block: Home Hill Hut in Greenstone and Caples Conservation Areas, with heating, mattresses, a non-flush toilet and stream water. It is not bookable — first-come, first-served.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Roar block in the Not available fron Online Permit permit area, with a hunting status of Restricted.
This block sits within a DOC air-access zone — fly-in hunting and helicopter drop-offs may be permitted.
Lower Caples RHA is classified as a Roar block with a Restricted hunt status. A DOC hunting permit is required and conditions specific to the roar period or restricted access apply — check current permit details before planning a trip.
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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