They are found from the far south of the island right up into the Northern Marlborough region of the South Island. Much of what applies to Thar hunting also applies to Chamois although they will and often do inhabit the upper bushline and rough broken creeks and gullies, lying out on steep rocky outcrops where man dare not go. The New Zealand South pacific Goat were released by the early whalers and sealers to supply food should they become shipwrecked. These gregarious animals spread like wildfire and are now found in huge numbers in many areas. They grow horns up to forty-five inches in spread and make a desirable addition to any trophy collection.
Many hunters enjoy a goat hunt as a change to the rigors of deer hunting.
For one thing you get to see lot of animals during the course of a day and they can be most difficult to get within shooting range. They are regarded as a pest and many a young hunter has been blooded on wild goats. They don't like wet weather and tend to found lying in the sun high on rocky faces especially after a period of unsettled weather. There are a lot of farmed goats in New Zealand where they are farmed for angora. Angora goats do grow long sets of horns but tend to be very light in circumference.