Rabbits outwit in Great Easter Bunny Hunt

Finn Aitken (left) of Outram, and Jamie Hill of Alexandra, inspecting some of the 10,424 rabbits shot during the Great Easter Bunny Hunt in Central Otago over 24 hours. Photo / Lynda van Kempen

Conditions favoured the rabbits this year at the Great Easter Bunny Hunt in Central Otago, with 10,424 bunnies bagged - the lowest tally for six years.

Teams of hunters from all over New Zealand converged on Alexandra for the 24-hour event, organised by the Alexandra Lions Club.

Their haul was displayed in the town's Pioneer Park yesterday and the top team out of 36 - the Southern Hopper Stoppers - won the contest with 1035 rabbits.

This year's tally was less than half last year's total of 22,904 and event convenor Dave Ramsay said the odds were in the rabbits' favour this year.

"There's been lots of growth so there's lots of cover around. There's still lots of rabbits around, but they were harder to flush out."

The top team was made up of Central Otago, Dunedin, Christchurch and Southland hunters and their haul came from a Queensberry, Central Otago property.

Fifteen teams were balloted out of the hunt this year as there were not enough blocks of land offered by farmers to cater for the demand.