Steele Creek RHA
Steele Creek RHA is a 2,161 ha Roar block in the Greenstone-Caples country. Elevations climb from 510 m on the valley floor to 1,847 m on the tops, with a median of 1,033 m. Thirty-five per cent of the country sits above the 1,200 m bushline and 11% in true alpine ground.
This is a mix of bush and tops, with beech in the valley drainage running up to scrub and tussock on the higher faces. The block leans west, so the country catches afternoon sun and the lower bush holds shade through the morning.
Game on the permit is red deer, fallow deer and chamois. The species mix in a single drainage is one of the broader public-land permits in this corner of Otago.
Open Steele Creek RHA on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 7,357 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 510–1,847 m
- Median elevation
- 1,033 m
- Middle 50%
- 812–1,327 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 35%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 11%
- Dominant aspect
- west-facing
510–1,847 m, a mix of bush and tops, 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 Steele Creek. Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are not permitted on this RHA, so commercial helicopter shooting is not a concern.
Steele Creek Hut sits inside the block in the Greenstone and Caples Conservation Areas. It has heating, mattresses, non-flush toilet and stream water, and is not bookable — first in for any party using it. The hut gives walk-in hunters a fixed base in the valley.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
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.
A DOC hunting permit is required, and Steele Creek is an RHA classed as a Roar block with a Restricted hunt status. Roar conditions apply — the block is managed for the late-March to April rut with access controls on hunter numbers — confirm 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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