Murchison/St Arnaud Conservation Land/Reserves (incl. Howard and Big Bush)
Murchison/St Arnaud Conservation Land and Reserves (including Howard and Big Bush) covers 103,858 hectares of public conservation land in inland Tasman, taking in the bush country around Murchison and St Arnaud and the major Howard and Big Bush conservation areas.
Elevations run from 149 m to 1,833 m with a median of 689 m. Only 4% of the country sits above the 1,200 m bushline and 1% is alpine, so this is overwhelmingly bush hunting country — beech forest dominant through the valley systems and lower ridges, with limited true tops country. The aspect mix leans west-facing.
The permit covers red deer, fallow deer, chamois, wild goat and wild pig. Reds dominate through most of the bush country, fallow are present in pockets, and the lower country carries pigs and goats. Chamois sit the higher ridge fragments where the country runs up.
Open Murchison/St Arnaud Conservation Land/Reserves (incl. Howard and Big Bush) on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 321,278 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 149–1,833 m
- Median elevation
- 689 m
- Middle 50%
- 542–865 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 4%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 1%
- Dominant aspect
- west-facing
149–1,833 m, foothill country with low tops, leaning west-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Air access is not permitted across this composite area, but WARO is permitted, so commercial recovery operations may be active over parts of the country. Hunters work in from the road ends around Murchison, St Arnaud, the Buller and Matakitaki, and via the track networks running into the major bush blocks.
Four DOC huts serve this country — Tiraumea Hut, Speargrass Hut, Downies Hut and Mole Hut — spread across the various conservation areas. Facilities and bookable status vary; most are standard DOC huts with heating, mattresses, non-flush toilets and stream water. Check each hut before planning.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
- Speargrass HutBookable
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
- Speargrass HutBookable
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 Murchison/St Arnaud permit area, with a hunting status of Permitted.
Commercial wild-animal recovery (WARO) operates over this area — expect helicopter activity and pressured game.
Murchison/St Arnaud Conservation Land and Reserves is an Ordinary permit area with Permitted hunt status. A standard DOC permit covers year-round hunting. The composite nature of the area means individual reserves can have additional restrictions or temporary operational closures — check the latest DOC information for the specific block before each 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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