4 days ago
Big 3 hunting competition nets 1500kg of meat
If it was a feral pest, then it was fair game for the freezer during Te Anau's King's Birthday Weekend hunting competition.
Freezers overflowed with 1500kg of meat from the annual Te Anau Helicopter Services Fiordland Big 3 hunting competition.
Te Anau events organiser Melissa Fletcher said hunters had the choice to donate their venison to the Southland community via Deer to Care Southland, which would distribute the meat to multiple food banks and social services in the region.
There were many benefits to removing feral pests from the environment, she said.
"Pigs are quite pesky. They can rip up a paddock overnight so the farmers are quite happy with getting rid of them."
The team named Outdoors with Tom pretty much cleaned up most of the major categories with a massive stag.
"That's what happens when you've got one really good animal ... "
But Team Outdoors With Tom did not win all the prizes — they missed out on The Best Hunting Story, which was won by team Predator Patrol.
Ms Fletcher said the wee boy in Predator Patrol had been confused about the entry field — mixing best "Pest" with "Pet".
"He was willing to give up his dog — the dog is still alive — but that's dedication."
Hunting began last Thursday evening amid heavy rain and severe gale force wind warnings.
Hunters had to shoot a deer, a pig and one other feral animal to qualify for the Big 3.
Entry numbers were down on previous years, but organisers suspected the severe weather might have influenced the turnout.
Altogether, 32 four-member adult teams, (including six women's teams), eight Mums and Kids, six youth teams and 29 children's teams rolled up to Sunday's weigh-in, vying for a prize. Fiordland Big 3 contest results
Major prize (barrel drawn): Hard Rated
Heaviest combined weight: Outdoors with Tom
Heaviest pig: Outdoors with Tom
Heaviest deer: Outdoors with Tom
Highest Douglas score (stag): Outdoors with Tom
Most outstanding animal: Outdoors with Tom
Best youth team: Summit Seekers
Best mums and kids team: Thwaites Crew
Pilot's choice: Blackmount Boys
Best pig tusks: Fang and Rack
Best female team: Win or Lose, On the Booze
Team closest to overall avg: Up Da Gully PIG CARRY
Men: Cameron Jarvie, 35.01s
Women: Charlotte Clarke, 49.80s
Adult & child: Ollie and Jack Jones, 41.23s
Kids: Ollie Jones, 35.01s POSSUM THROW
Men: Taylor Malzard, 20.35m
Women: Renee Graham, 11.80m
13-16 years: Archie Jones, 14.17m
7-12 years: Josh Porteous, 8.74m
6 & under: Maggie Russell, 3.72m PHOTO COMPETITION
Bucken Beauties KIDS
Heaviest hare/rabbit: The Three Pests (4.35kg)
Heaviest possum: Two Little Rascals (4.55kg)
Best kids team: Hey Presto's
Best hunting story: Predator Patrol
Average weight: G
Best team name: Two Little Ferrals
Jock Armitage Memorial Trophy — Encouragement award: Silverstream Shooters
By Toni McDonald
