More teams than rabbit-infested blocks of land meant 120 hunters had to be balloted out of the 17th annual Great Easter Bunny Hunt in Alexandra this weekend.
The hunt begins tomorrow morning at 9am and 460 hunters will be dispatching rabbits on farm blocks all within an hour's drive of the town.
The event is organised by the Alexandra Lions Club.
Convener Dave Ramsay said 39 teams of 12 hunters would be taking part.
"We had to ballot out 10 teams, 120 hunters, because we couldn't handle that number.
It's not easy to get enough similar-sized properties to meet the demand; especially ones with similar levels of rabbits on them," Mr Ramsay said.
When farmers were asked if they would allow a team to shoot on their property, they were asked to judge, on a scale of 1-10, how infested with rabbits they believed the land was.
"There seem to be plenty of the little furry fellows out there this year, " Mr Ramsay said.
The teams are from all over New Zealand.
They have to be back in Pioneer Park for the tally-up on Saturday at noon.
The bulk of the rabbits were shot at night.
Hunters were hoping for good weather this year, after last year's heavy rain, he said.
