More than 460 shooters from throughout New Zealand will converge in Alexandra for a 24-hour hunt in the backblocks of Central Otago during the long weekend.
Last year, farmers celebrated the eradication of 14,799 rabbits by 39 teams.
A total of 15,495 pests were killed, including hares, stoats, ferrets, goats, possums, turkeys, and the odd feral cat.
This Easter, 39 teams of 12 will gather at Pioneer Park in central Alexandra tomorrow morning for the allocation of rural farm blocks in a police-supervised ballot.
Each block is rated on a scale of 1-10 by farmers who judge rabbit infestation levels, and most are within an hour's drive of Alexandra.
Hunt convener Dave Ramsay, of Alexandra, said hunting grounds this year were spread between Ettrick, St Bathans, the Lindis Valley, and Lake Hayes.
"The way [rabbit] breeding has been going, and from what we are hearing, we think numbers [of rabbits shot] will be ahead this year," he said.
From midday on Saturday rabbit carcasses will litter the ground at Pioneer Park for the final count, while hunters renew their strength with a hot meal, enjoy live music, and swap stories.
A prizegiving will be held later in the afternoon.
Mr Ramsay said some new shooters would be competing against seasoned bunny hunters this year, which added an element of mystery to the event.
About 120 people could not be included in the hunt as block numbers were limited, and they missed out on placings drawn by ballot.
Organised by the Alexandra Lions Club, the annual hunt has been responsible for culling almost 200,000 rabbits from Central Otago since its inception in 1991.
