A children's hunting competition at the weekend, organised by three schoolboys, attracted entries from 65 children.
It was open to children aged 15 and under and they had to be under the supervision of a firearms licence-holder. Brothers Luke (13) and Fynn (11) Duncan and Harry Smith (11), all keen hunters, of Becks, organised the contest for the first time last year.
Last year, contest proceeds, $240, were donated to the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter, which will also receive this year's proceeds.
At the weigh-in and prizegiving yesterday at the Becks White Horse Hotel car park, Luke said they were pleased the event had grown and the number of participants had increased this year.
Children from as far afield as Dunedin, Christchurch and Wanaka entered.
Teams or individuals could enter a bag of 15 rabbits, or a bag containing 15 rabbits, a goat, possum, hare and magpie, with prizes for the heaviest bags.
About 200 people attended the prizegiving and the young hunters received spot prizes donated by local businesses. A scaled-down .22 gun was also donated as a prize by the Central Otago Sports depot, but it had to be given to a firearms licence-holder, over the age of 18.
• It was illegal to give away a gun as a prize to a person under 18 or a person without a firearms licence, police communications shift supervisor Mike Murphy said yesterday. However, it is permitted to give such a prize to a person with a firearms licence.
