Ruth Flat
Ruth Flat is a 5,059 ha Roar block in Mount Aspiring National Park east of the divide. Elevations climb from 406 m on the valley floor to 2,294 m on the tops, with a median of 1,182 m. Forty-eight per cent of the country sits above the 1,200 m bushline and 22% in true alpine ground.
This is a mix of bush and tops with significant alpine ground — beech in the lower drainages, scrub and tussock running up to rock on the higher faces. The block leans west, so the lower country stays shaded through the morning and the slopes catch full afternoon sun.
Game on the permit is red deer, tahr and chamois — the classic eastern Aspiring trio. The bush-to-tops vertical range makes it productive for parties willing to climb through different cover types in a single trip.
Open Ruth Flat on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 16,963 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 406–2,294 m
- Median elevation
- 1,182 m
- Middle 50%
- 909–1,459 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 48%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 22%
- Dominant aspect
- west-facing
406–2,294 m, mostly above the bushline, leaning 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 Ruth Flat, and Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are also permitted, so commercial helicopters may be working the alpine faces.
There are no DOC huts or campsites recorded inside the block — parties will be fly-camping or working off a base outside the boundary.
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Roar block in the Mount Aspiring National Park east of divide 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 for Mount Aspiring National Park east of divide. Ruth Flat is a Roar block with a Permitted hunt status, so it is managed for the late-March to April rut with access controls on hunter numbers — check the current ballot or roar allocation with DOC 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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