Wapiti River
Wapiti River is a 6,895-hectare hunting block in the Fiordland Wapiti Area. Elevations run from about 206 m to 1,537 m, with a median around 799 m.
The country here is a mix of bush and tops, with roughly 11% of the block above the 1,200 m bushline and slopes that lean east. This is classic Fiordland country — steep, bush-clad valleys feeding into glaciated tops, with the kind of rainfall and wind that shapes the hunting as much as the terrain.
The block sits inside the Fiordland Wapiti Area and carries red deer, wapiti and chamois. Wapiti River is balloted through the roar as part of the Wapiti Foundation/DOC ballot for the Fiordland Wapiti Area, and outside the ballot it remains a restricted block under the Te Anau permit area.
Open Wapiti River on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 23,568 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 206–1,537 m
- Median elevation
- 799 m
- Middle 50%
- 553–1,044 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 11%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 0%
- Dominant aspect
- east-facing
206–1,537 m, a mix of bush and tops, leaning east-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 Wapiti River, the usual way in for hunters drawn for the Fiordland Wapiti ballot. WARO is not flagged on the block, which keeps the air quieter once you are in.
Lake Thomson Hut sits on the block with heating, mattresses, a non-flush toilet and tap water (boil before use). Check current conditions with DOC before you go.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
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 Roar block in the Te Anau Hunting Restricted Areas 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 to hunt Wapiti River, and the block is classed as Restricted within the Te Anau Hunting Restricted Areas. As a Roar block in the Fiordland Wapiti Area, access during the rut is allocated through the annual Fiordland Wapiti Ballot run jointly by DOC and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation. Outside the ballot period the block remains restricted under the Te Anau permit area — check current conditions, dates and entry rules with DOC before you plan 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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