Chase & gather-the journey so far

Many of you will have heard of Chase & Gather through social media platforms- Michael McCormack is a mad keen hunter and fisherman with an entrepreneurial spirit. I am grateful he took the time to write this for us, and hopefully you guys get something out of it! Please take the time to check out the Chase & Gather website, and follow them on their various social media channels. 

Chase and Gather (CAG) is a community-driven platform to share resource, knowledge, advice and encouragement for people who love to get outdoors in to the wild to chase and/or gather game or kai for the table and whanau. Whether you are a keen hunter, fisher, spearo, hiker or forager then your contribution to the CAG community is welcomed.
My background in the gathering space started around the age of 6 chasing chickens with homemade bows and arrows around the family lifestyle block in Hawke’s Bay. Being one of 4 boys there was often something we were hunting or chasing. From the age of 10 I followed Dad and the brothers along to the mai mai for duckshooting every season and busted a few clays during the year in the school clay shooting team. Another passion I picked up was fly fishing which then lead in to fly tying after my mum enrolled me in an evening course. I actually landed my first trout on my own tied #14 hair and copper fly in the Tuki Tuki River. A real buzz! My involvement with cricket, rugby and rugby 7s probably limited some of my time on the weekends meaning I missed a few opportunities here and there! I also attended some Mountain Safety courses with Rex Hoskins as the instructor and did a few survival courses through their programmes and learnt a lot of bushcraft skills. Along with that I did a few years in the Air Training Corp so was well drilled with firearms safety, discipline, navigation and attended a few gruelling camps at Waiouru. We also had a fair amount of time at the small bore range with the old school .22s. Character building stuff that set a great foundation for future application!
Leaving home after high school landed me in Dunedin to study Physical Education at Otago University. During the years of study and playing rugby for University and then Dunedin I picked up opportunities to shoot some great waterways around Otago and got in to deerstalking as well – frequenting places such as Waikaia, The Blue Mountains, Catlins and the Caples valley. My first deer was shot alongside Jim Brown (who formerly worked in the NZ Forestry Service and had a hand in building the Mid Caples hut we stayed in). Jim guided me around the Mid Caples block – it was an awesome experience and to get two deer on the trip was even more of a bonus. After getting established in Dunedin with a home and getting married, Kat and I decided some overseas experiences were on the cards so I sold the Rem Mag and off we went. We were based in the UK for two years working and travelling throughout Europe, while I was in the UK I had the opportunity to do some hunting of pheasants and small game there. I also helped out a few times with the pheasant ‘beating’ (moving birds from tight cover to flush over the shooters down the gully). I missed home often and the convenience of being able to head out for a fish or hunt. My mate also hunted with a hawk, so that was a completely new experience to be a part of!
After two years we returned back to NZ, with a plus one on the way we settled in Auckland, closer to family. Since then 8 years has passed and with two awesome young daughters in tow and a vibrant wife we have a few things on the go but I’m still often scheduling in time to ‘get out there’ on the chase. After mulling over a few ideas I came up with the name ‘Chase and Gather’ and got a few platforms up online with Facebook, Instagram and a YouTube account (and now website) started. 12 months ago it was time to get a logo sorted so I approached a mate from Church, and he was like ‘yeah, let’s do it’ – so the CAG logo was created and now forms a brand across those online platforms, CAG merchandise and a few other projects and collaborations we are involved with. The logo was created to include elements of nature, hunting, fishing, hiking and camping etc so it encompasses many things outdoors, not just hunting.
For the past two years I have been part of the dynamic NZDA Auckland Branch and enjoyed many new connections, opportunities and learning experiences that the club has provided. I have recently also joined the Sika Foundation as a member so it is exciting to be part of the body to help make some difference across how the hunting community continues to develop and staying well connected to what is happening in the hunting scene. Another role I picked up 18 months ago was a role as a columnist for NZ Hunter magazine, contributing fitness conditioning content – which is my area of study and profession. A great role and one that has produced great rewards with feedback and the way it has helped people connect more with exercise and movement in their lifestyles and how intentional effort and some direction can lead to better efficiency with physical training.
Along the way I also picked up a bug for the Spearfishing life. Funny story really – I, the wife and the kids were at the beach. I was out drifting on a pink flamingo floaty and there was this other chap drifting around on a purple unicorn (his daughters) until we ended up basically bumping in to each other. Got talking and this chief (Rudi) was a mad keen spearfisherman. I had only dabbled in spearo shooting butterfish and kahawai etc but Rudi was a seasoned spearfisherman and targeted the Kingfish. Two weeks later he took me out and I managed to get a Kingfish I think on my second trip out with him, and a handful of scallops. The Spearo bug got me good and we chased Kingies for most of the past summer, boating some nice fish and Scallops as part of the gather. Big respect to that guy, he handled a lot of newbie questions and a few muck ups along the way! Along the way I have connected with many top quality people through Facebook and Instagram and found the gathering community on those platforms to be really encouraging.
Most of my big game hunting is local and public land based in places like Kaimanawas, Kaimais, Pureora Forest and Te Ureweras. I enjoy the challenge of chasing Sika in their environment and the opportunities to also chase a few trout in some of those tributaries. I prefer to avoid huts and often fly or tent throughout the seasons when possible to really connect with the natural elements and embrace some of those challenges along the way and ‘keeping it real.’ I also still chase the ducks throughout the Waikato during the season – it’s been helpful to gather some of those gamebird feathers as well for those fishing flies!
I really enjoy the physical challenge of gathering game while on the hill, putting in the preparation and ‘fitness’ work ahead of time is all part of the Chase and Gather adventure. Along the way I have started filming some of the trips and getting them up to our YouTube channel for people to see what we get up to out there in the wild, it’s also been great for the kids to connect the ‘hunters story’ to an actual video. It is so rewarding to show them and the community how resourceful we can be with the game that we gather and process for the table. Also a strong them through all of the CAG messaging is that we put out is about safety first and also the respect that we show for the game and gatherings. For us the video isn’t just about the gathering but the whole adventure from start to end, and how we process and/or share the kai. It is important that we show the non-hunting or non-gathering community that we are resourceful and conduct ourselves and etiquette in such a way. There has been some really great engagement from doing these videos and blending in a few tips here and there. I’ve spoken on a couple of podcasts now so it’s been good to share the journey thus far but it’s also great to reflect back and show appreciation for the people and organisations that helped get us this far! I see that CAG will continue to grow and engage with like-minded people, not just for the gathering aspect but also how we can all collectively contribute to the maintenance of things in the ‘gathering’ sector but how we can even enhance what we have for the next generation to enjoy as we have and continue to enjoy today. We must all make the effort to enjoy, respect, give back and sow in to the resources that provide us with so much.
Michael McCormack

CAG Founder

chaseandgather@gmail.com

www.chaseandgather.com

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