DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT Shelby Keefer accompanied her husband on a bow-hunting adventure to New Zealand. Advertisement

My friend Roy Keefer travels much of the year, hunting and adventuring around the world. So, as you read this I'll be traveling and gathering stories, attempting to follow in his footsteps.

This story is about Roy's New Zealand Stag hunt, and while I plan on hunting this critter in Argentina, I'll be saving my pennies for a later New Zealand quest. My hat's off to Roy and his charming wife Shelby; they're an inspiration to us all.

Writes Keefer:

"Have you ever wanted to hunt in a place you have seen on television, but figured you could never afford? Have you thought about what it would be like to hear the roar of a rutting red stag? Did you ever wonder if water goes down counter clockwise, in a sink south of the equator?

"If you answered "yes" to these three questions, I might be able to help you. New Zealand is the place. The cost of a red stag hunt is reasonable, starting at $3,500 and going up, depending on how big a stag you want to take. The cost of airfare is about $1,000 and no hunting license is required.

"New Zealand is animal rich due to the abundant vegetation, the country's small population, light hunting pressure and a total lack of predators. All of the game animals have been brought in by various early settlers of the country, many of them coming from Europe. The countryside has stags, fallow deer, chamois and tahr, to name a few.

"The terrain changes quickly from ocean beach fronts to huge mountains like our Rockies. It's probably the prettiest country my wife Shelby and I have visited. The people are undoubtedly the friendliest we have encountered. They truly like us Yanks.

"We landed in Christchurch on the South Island in May and soon were situated in our cabin on a mountaintop overlooking the surrounding area, with a view of the Pacific Ocean 10 miles away. Remember, south of the equator the seasons are reversed, so May is similar to our fall weather.

"Early the next morning, we rode quads to our hunting area. Since I am a bowhunter, we planned to hunt in the thick forest, so I could get close enough for a shot. We roamed the mountains and occasionally heard a stag roar.

"The roar will cause the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. The rut was nearly over when we hunted, but we still got a good earful of the distinctive sound.

"The brush was unique to me. Many long, thick vines hung down from the trees we squirmed through. I expected Tarzan to swing down at any moment, and then remembered that he lived in Africa. On two occasions we found a fallow deer and a red stag that had become fatally entangled in the thick vines and had died because they couldn't free themselves.

"Although we saw stags and fallow deer the first two days, they managed to stay out of range of my bow. On the third day we squeezed through the jungle and saw two nice stags ahead. After some time they moved down a trail twenty yards away.

"My Mathews compound sent an arrow through the lungs of the largest; it stumbled to a dry creek below and collapsed. I was impressed by its massive horns. Stag horns are heavier than the average elk, and have a lot more points. Racks with eight to 12 points per side are typical.

"Later in the week I took a management stag and a fallow deer. I found the fallow harder to hunt with a bow. They are spooky and very difficult to stalk.

"After the hunting portion of our trip we rented a car and toured the South Island. Later we went to the North Island for some more sightseeing. What a beautiful country.

"This is one hunt that won't break the bank, if you save for it. The pleasure you will experience is well worth the price. It will be an experience you will never forget.

Recipe of week

New Zealand is a great place for red stag and fallow deer, but it's also known for its delicious lamb. Here is a recipe for tender young lamb chops that I've gotten from someone who knows not only how to make lamb taste good, but is also handy with the barbecue. This is a special treat she prepares each birthday and we all look forward to it each year.

Leti's Barbecue Lamb Chops

Ingredients: 5 pounds lamb chops, cut into serving-size pieces; 3/4 cup bottled chili sauce; 1/2 cup beer; 1/2 cup honey; 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 garlic clove minced; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

Directions: Trim excess fat from the chops. In saucepan, combine chili sauce, beer, honey, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic and pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Remove from heat; cool. Place chops in resealable plastic food storage bag. Pour cold marinade over chops. Seal bag and refrigerate for about two hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain and reserve marinade. Lightly oil hot grill to prevent sticking. Cover grill and cook 45 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade as needed.