The seed of an idea and the addition of celebrities blossomed into a great day for hunters and a healthy fundraiser for Matahiwi Marae on the Whanganui River.
Marae trustee Lee Hall was one of the event's organisers, and said the occasion was a first for the river.
"The locals loved it."
Numbers and sponsorship were boosted by the presence of TV presenter Brendon Pongia, boxer Shane Cameron and broadcaster Neil Waka.
About 12 teams of four hunters set off to look for fallow bucks and boars in the hills of Papahaua Station on Thursday.
The terrain is steep to rolling, with bushclad gullies and slopes of manuka.
Weigh-in was at 3pm on Saturday, and the day began at 10am with a Hunt and Food Festival based in a marquee alongside Matahiwi Gallery on the Whanganui River Rd.
The first prize for hunters went to Team Holden, which included Waka and "Torchy", a legendary local pig hunter. They arrived with four stags and a 54kg boar.
There were prizes for the team, and for children who had bagged the heaviest possum, rabbit or magpie.
The band, Common Unity, played, and there was plenty of food stalls, a pig-carrying competition and several tugs of war.
The marae started with $500 to run the event, but that was bolstered by sponsorship from Wanganui sports stores and the Atihau Whanganui Incorporation.
Takings haven't been tallied yet, but Mr Hall said it probably raised thousands for the marae and everybody had a great time.
The occasion was filmed for the Hunting Aotearoa show on Maori TV, and will probably be shown next season.
The Hunting Aotearoa team donated their prizes back to the marae and said they would be back next year, when the hunt will likely be run from another marae.
Organisers were pleased with the event.
"Older hunters said it was bigger than some of the big competitions they go to," Mr Hall said.
