Huntress scores big in New Zealand

Angie Haas-Tennison lived up to her Extreme Huntress title on a recent New Zealand safari, bagging five game animals, including an estate tahr with record-breaking potential and a huge red stag.

The 32-year-old MRI technician and mother of two young children from Kila was the 2011 winner of the national Primal Adventure Extreme Huntress contest. That sent her to New Zealand from May 9-19 for hunting adventures that were filmed for the “Primal Adventure — Eye of the Hunter” television show.

“The trip was amazing. I expected it to be good, but not that good. I ended up getting five different animals,” she said this week. “When we got there they put us up at Peels, a magnificent log lodge about an hour-and-a-half away from the hunting grounds. It was remarkable. The food was fantastic ... and there animals everywhere.”

The prize package worth about $25,000 was largely covered by Prois Hunting Apparel and included top-of-the-line hunting gear and trips to hunting industry trade shows in Indianapolis and Las Vegas earlier this year.

The Libby native won the national contest through online voting, garnering 4,040 votes, well ahead of her nearest challenger’s 2,733 votes. She credits Montana’s large population of hunters for pushing her over the top.

“I was just shocked at how much support I had then and how much support I have now,” she said. “It’s really heartwarming to see the community back me so I could do this.”

Haas-Tennison was accompanied to New Zealand by her lifelong hunting partner and sister, Mickey Carr, and her husband, Travis Tennison. Over a seven-day period, she hunted in rugged mountains about 2 1/2 hours south of Christchurch, taking down an eight-by-eight red stag, an Arapawa ram and a wallaby with a bow, plus an estate tahr and mountain tahr with a rifle.

She was accompanied on each hunt by two guides with Frasier Safaris, a camera woman and her husband and sister. The entourage was somewhat awkward at first, making silent stalking more difficult, but Haas-Tennison adjusted.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking the first time she brought out the camera,” she said. “A couple of days into it I forgot the camera was there and I focused on my hunting.”

Haas-Tennison still had to be aware of the camera, however, having to hold off on shots until it was in position for filming.

“I was filmed on all the animals I harvested. Because I was very lucky and successful, it looks like they are going to do two different episodes” for the television show, she said.

She recalls a day in pursuit of an Arapawa ram, which involved a helicopter flight into the mountains. The rams were elusive, and at the end of the day a nanny and large bull tahr were spotted on an opposing mountainside.. The decision was made to pursue the shaggy-coated mountain goats, even as daylight was running out.

“We basically just high-tailed it over there,” she said. “It probably took an hour to get to them.”

Haas-Tennison shot the bull at about 180 yards, which is relatively close, considering that an average range for hunters hitting the species is 200 to 300 yards. The bull turned out to have impressive 14.5-inch horns, a possible record.

“That’s the largest they’ve guided for in nine years,” she said, referring to her two guides. “It actually turned out to be my favorite animal to hunt.”

The stag hunt was no easy effort, however. “It actually took me four days,” said Haas-Tennison, who eventually spotted three stags along a creek bottom and set up nearby with her new Bowtech Heartbreaker women’s bow.

“I just set up and waited, and they finally broke into this opening where we were, and thankfully I was in position,” she said. She made the killing shot at 25 yards. On a different hunt in the high country, she got the Arapawa ram at about 15 yards with her bow.

“Now the main thing is the expense of getting them all back home,” she said. “I’m looking at thousands of dollars to get my trophies back home.”

Haas-Tennison still hasn’t decided whether to have them mounted by a taxidermist in New Zealand or here. “I’ve got a couple different options, but I just gotta work it out,” she said.

Haas-Tennison said her hunts should be aired sometime in mid-August and should give her a higher profile in the hunting world that could lead to more opportunities. She plans to apply to join the Prois Pro Staff, which would involve testing and promoting the company’s products.

“Eye of the Hunter,” hosted by Tom Opre and last year’s Extreme Huntress, Rebecca Francis, airs Thursdays at noon on the Versus channel. Subsequently, Haas-Tennison’s episodes will be available online at: http://www.tahoefilms.com.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.