PH Spotlight – Shane Quinn
secured financing to purchase the property with a vision to turn it into a world class hunting destination. The block of land had a natural deer environment with the promise of becoming New Zealand’s foremost habitat for red and fallow deer, sika, sambar, rusa, wapiti (elk), arapawa rams and feral goats.
In 2016, SCI recognized Quinn with the Outstanding International Hunter Award. For more than 25 years, he has provided exceptional hunts to his clients through his commitment to conservation and personal reputation for ethical hunting. Quinn describes his hunting area as vast with the opportunity for clients to see several deer species roaming the back land in herds like the hunting utopia of New Zealand in the 18th century. In his Hughes 300 helicopter, Quinn flies stags on a long line back to the shed where staff congratulates hunters.
“Over the years, I have had many clients, from serious hunters who travel the world looking for trophy world records, to hunters who have saved all their lives to one day travel to New Zealand to hunt a red stag,” recounts Quinn. “The thing I like best is meeting different people from various walks of life, hearing their stores, learning about their lives and the reason they chose to hunt with me. I get a lot of satisfaction from being part of fulfilling peoples’ dreams and seeing their reactions when I exceed their expectations every time.”
One remarkable hunt Quinn recalls has a gripping story. “Recently, I had an experience with a 39-year-old hunter who had terminal cancer with only weeks to live.  He told me the beauty of the land and the excitement of hunting for the biggest stag he has ever killed energized him and he hadn’t slept or eaten so well in months.  Every part of the stag was going to be a given to his two-year-old daughter along with the written story of the hunt.  He was so appreciative of the experience knowing this would be his last hunt.  What he didn’t realize is how appreciative I was to hunt with him and how I looked at the animals and the hunting area from his perspective – something that will stay with me forever.”
Alpine Hunting has been in business for 25 years. Quinn is one of the original outfitters in New Zealand and leads the way in the South Pacific.  Alpine also offers fishing, touring for the ladies, skeet shooting and hiking.
Quinn is a member of the New Zealand Game Estates Association, New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association, SCI (since 1989) and is a Certified SCI Official Measurer who won the Master Measurement Achievement Award in 2014 for 146 animals measured.  An avid hunter, he has taken trophies from Alaska including black bear, brown bear, grizzly, mountain goat, Sitka blacktail and Dall sheep.
He works with the New Zealand Department of Conservation with tahr herd management, relocating sambar and rusa to help propagate the species and has been involved in wild animal recovery operations since 1992.
Quinn regularly donates his time and experience to youth and disabled hunters, teaching them the skills of hunting and giving them memorable experiences.  In recent years, he has donated hunts to United States servicemen including Marcus Luttrell, former United States Navy SEAL who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 facing Taliban fighters and Clint Romesha, former United States Army staff sergeant, who received the Medal of Honor for actions in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan.