Upper Caples RHA
Upper Caples RHA is a 9,414 ha Roar block in the Greenstone-Caples country, west of Lake Wakatipu. Elevations climb from 444 m on the valley floor to 2,280 m on the tops, with a median of 1,241 m. Fifty-four per cent of the country sits above the 1,200 m bushline and 26% in true alpine ground.
This is a mix of bush and tops with substantial alpine ground — beech in the valley running up to open faces and rocky basins above the bushline. 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 one drainage is a useful drawcard — Caples reds and chamois are well-known and fallow on the lower bush margins round out the trip.
Open Upper Caples RHA on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 31,948 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 444–2,280 m
- Median elevation
- 1,241 m
- Middle 50%
- 939–1,507 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 54%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 26%
- Dominant aspect
- west-facing
444–2,280 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 Upper Caples, and Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are also permitted, so commercial operators may be working the open faces.
Kay Creek Hut sits inside the block in the Greenstone and Caples Conservation Areas. It has heating, non-flush toilet and tap water (boil before use), and is not bookable — first in for any party using it. The hut gives walk-in parties a fixed base in the valley.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, 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 Roar block in the Not available fron Online Permit permit area, with a hunting status of Restricted.
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, and Upper Caples 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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