Home of the happy hunters

Little Aljay Junior was there to help dad Aljay Ngawati pick up the average weight prize in the pig category, a set of 4x4 tyres.

Terrible weekend weather which closed roads and cut power across the Far North wasn't enough to deter nearly 80 keen hunters of all ages and abilities from scouring the territory for pigs, possums and eels in the annual Taipa Pig Competition on Saturday.

A total of 34 adults and 44 children eventually refused to be put off by the inclement forecast to take part in the two-day event, which began on Friday and culminated in front of a full house at Taipa Tavern with the prizegiving held as darkness fell on Saturday evening. There, many hunters spoke of the difficult conditions they endured on the second day with only five pigs weighed in in total. Pig hunting is generally regarded as being better the wetter it gets, but Saturday's persistent and heavy rain made trekking difficult and often rinsed the prey's scent away.

One young local hunter who came in empty-handed was a contender for the best hard luck story of the weekend, blooding several young dogs who chased down a boar but whose collective inexperience allowed it to get away before he could close in for the kill.

"Still a good experience for them. Just stoked that they managed to catch a pig. It's good to have some good new dogs coming along. It was hard to catch pigs [in that weather]."

There were still plenty of happy hunters at the prizegiving, including Takahue's Brandon Kirtlan who weighed in the heaviest and best looking boar at 129.5lbs, Aljay Ngawati from Moerewa who snared the average weight prize, a highly sought-after set of 4x4 tyres, along with pretty much everyone in the children's section, i.e. under 14, who all received a lucrative spot prize for their efforts and with a hotdog and chips included with the $15 ticket price.

Taipa Tavern's Frances 'Fruitcake' Clarke was again the person behind another successful hunt and said she was "just really rapt" how it had gone.

"The good thing about it is for that weather, they still turned up," she said. Asked about the decent patronage on Saturday night she said, "It was good, everyone was well behaved, it was more of a family affair." She added it was pleasing to see a number of eels kept alive to be weighed then re-released and also thanked the sponsors.

The top three placegetters in each category were (noting pig weights traditionally given in pounds with other species noted in kilograms), Heaviest pig: Brendon Kirtlan 129.5lbs (e.g. 1st), Aljay Ngawati 109lbs, Scott Tracey 103.5lbs; also, Average weight: Aljay Ngawati, Best tusk: Trevor Dodds, Best looking boar: B Kirtlan. Kids, heaviest, possum: Tayshan Yates 3.095kg, 1, Kauwa Parata 3.085kg, 2, Lexi Bradbury 3.055kg, 3; eel: Camryn Logan 4.960kg, 1, Alyssa Dural 4.650, 2, Awatea Smith 3.890kg, 3.