Big 3 hunting competition nets 1500kg of meat

With a gigantic Red Stag as part of their entry, alongside four chunky wild pigs, Team Outdoors with Tom members (from left) Thomas Goble, Ethan Goble and Josh Pullar (absent: Keiran Stevens) and Meg the dog, won a multitude of first place prizes at the Te Anau Helicopter Services Fiordland Big 3 competition held during King’s Birthday Weekend. PHOTO: TIFFANY CALDWELL

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.