This week Logan and Brown journey to the Southwest corner of Southland to hunt down some wild venison. Their first port of call is the Bracken Hall tea rooms in Mossburn where Al and Steve try their famous venison pies. They're well impressed with the big pieces of fresh, wild venison that have been supplied by local hunter, Callum Hughes.
Brownie reckons Callum must know where a few wild deer are so he joins him on a hunt up the Whitestone River, near Te Anau. After a forty five minute, four wheel drive journey through Glen Echo Station, they arrive at Jock's hut - a hunters' hangout with a large fire - just the place to be cooking some venision back-straps. After settling in, they take a wander trough the bush out the back of the hut.
While Brownie's out hunting, Logie heads off to find out more about the deer and to find something to have with the venison. At a roadside stall he finds the perfect match.
"You couldn't come to Southland without including the swede in the cook up, it's everywhere here." (Steve)
After buying two swedes for a dollar and getting a few tips from the grower about how to cook them, Logie heads off to meet Derek 'Woody' Wilson, a hunter turned farmer who has been involved in the deer industry for over thirty years. Woody worked initially as a deer culler and then became involved in capturing them live. Steve helped Woody feeding the deer on his farm and in between hay bales heard a few stories about the live capture days.
"It was a real buzz, an adrenalin buzz... if you didn't scare the hell out of yourself everyday you weren't working hard enough!" Woody Wilson
With the deer fed, Woody takes Steve to meet his long time hunting partner, helicopter pilot Richard 'Hannibal' Hayes who is about to fly into Fiordland with Ron Peacock. Richard and Ron are part of a group trying to preserve the blood lines of the Wapiti deer which are the largest and most majestic of the seven species of deer found in New Zealand and Fiordland is the only place in the Southern Hemisphere you can see them in the wild.
Logie joined Hannibal, Ron and Woody on their flight in to the Wapiti country where they were culling out the more common red deer, which is crossbreeding with the Wapiti, threatening the pure bloodlines. Not long into the flight they came across two magnificent Wapiti stags.
"The Wapiti are amazing - they have huge antlers and run with their head held high - they're definitely deer with attitude - and it was great to see them in the wild!"
While Logie is flying around the Fiordland mountains, Brownie and Callum are bashing through the bush, hoping to shoot a deer for the cook up, but after a long day's march they returned to the hut empty handed. The thought of swede on it's own is enough to send Callum out for plan 'B'. Leaving Brownie at the hut to prepare for the meal, Callum picks up Logie and they head to Milford Sound, where after meeting up with Jeff Shanks, Logie take's his second helicopter ride of the day.
When hunting venison, the helicopter is invaluable, giving quick access to the remote areas where deer are found and providing the speed and manoeuvrability to keep up with them. It's not long before they come across a small group of hinds. Callum's shooting is accurate and death comes quick and clean. There is venison for the cook-up and plenty to spare for a few more Bracken Hall pies.
Logie and Callum return to Jock's hut where Brownie is waiting with fire blazing. He gets to work preparing a great southern treat - seared venison back-straps, with sauteed mushrooms on grated southern swede, washed down with Vidal Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon.
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