Alexandra Lions Easter Bunny Hunt convener Dave Ramsay has warned hunters may have to employ tactics this year to increase their tally in the 24-hour event.
''This time, it's about tactics, 'cause you have to go out there and look for them.''
He said there would be fewer rabbits in some areas because it had been ''a bit of a funny season ... 'cause it's so dry''.
However, the pests would be abundant elsewhere, especially in the Wanaka, Cardrona and Lindis areas.
''Some pockets have huge numbers. It's just the luck of the draw and that's what ballots are for.''
On Friday morning, 36 teams of 12 hunters from all over New Zealand will converge on Alexandra's Pioneer Park, where the ballot will be drawn under police supervision to determine on which farm or station they will seek their prey.
At midday on Saturday, the bodies will be displayed in the park for the official head count.
Last year, 10,424 rabbits were killed, less than half the number killed in the previous year and the lowest tally in nine years.
Southern Hopper Stoppers, led by professional rabbiter Ray Moffat, of Cromwell, won the hunt with 1035 rabbits shot on a Queensberry property. Other top 10 tallies were recorded by teams hunting at Tarras, Butchers Dam, Moa Creek, Dublin Bay, Lindis Valley, Island Block and Cromwell properties. Mr Ramsay said 59 teams applied for the hunt this year but only 37 farmers volunteered their properties, meaning only 37 teams could take part.
A ballot was drawn four weeks ago to determine which teams could enter.
This year, the Department of Conservation would be ''paying a bounty'' for the carcasses.
The Whangarei office had ordered 1500 skinned and gutted carcasses, which would be used as bait to trap predators in a kiwi reserve, he said.
The event is an Alexandra Lions Club fundraiser and the entry fees this year will go to the CT scanner suite at Dunstan Hospital in Clyde.
Although this is the 23rd year for the event, it will be the 22nd hunt. No hunt was held in 1999 because of drought.
