One by one the stags and boars were all weighed and then hoisted on to racks by Frasertown Pighunt Wairoa marshals and crew, including club president Mike Foley (third from right). Photo / Ann Revington
One by one the stags and boars were all weighed and then hoisted on to racks by Frasertown Pighunt Wairoa marshals and crew, including club president Mike Foley (third from right). Photo / Ann Revington
The return of the Frasertown Hunting Competition near Wairoa during the long weekend was warmly welcomed by hunters young and old.
The marshals almost ran out of hooks to hang all the wild boars and stags, and the Kiwi Transport yard was HQ for almost every hunter in the district on Sunday as family and friends gathered to view the results of their hard work.
Cars lined both sides of Frasertown Rd for the final weigh-in on Sunday afternoon.
One sported a boar draped over its bonnet, while the utes lined up with their quarry in the back waiting for inspection by the scrutineers before weigh-in.
Frasertown Pig Hunt Wairoa chairman Rob Whitehead, with mic in hand, said they had seen other hunts returning, so they knew there was local demand for it after a break of three years.
“Everyone looks forward to it,” he said.
“It is a big, local gathering with everyone volunteering from all walks of life to help with the weigh-in, admin and scrutineering.
The Frasertown hunt returned on Sunday, to the delight of kids in rural Wairoa. Photo / Ann Revington
He said everyone began their hunt after registrations closed on Thursday night.
With the final weigh-in at 2.30pm, club president Mike Foley said they might invest in another line of stands and hooks for next year.
“Every kid gets a prize for whatever they hang up.”
For several clubs it was the opportunity to fundraise, and at least 118 youngsters had their sights on the little critters — mallards, possums, hares and rabbits.
They were all proudly presented at the weigh-in.
About 52 juniors were chasing goats, looking for the largest head, tip to tip and wild pig, while 108 seniors scoured the hills for the biggest stags and boars.
Good feed over the summer had seen deer and goat numbers spiking from Putere to Ruakituri, Ohuka, Lake Rd (SH38) and Tiniroto.
The community and family-centred event included an auction where local farmers donated sheep, which were processed and packed as half muttons to raise funds for next year’s event.
Frasertown School cranked up its sausage and steak sandwiches production line, and Wairoa Boxing Club put down a hāngī for its fundraising, while another whanau, too, used it to fundraise.
Spot prizes, mystery and early bird winners, and prizegiving attracted huge local business support.
Shearers, netballers, hockey and rugby players joined the hunt, with one catching their first spiker and others sweating it out getting their mature stags back to the quad bikes.
Cricklewood possum: Cairo Tukaki brings in his furry trophy after a night-time adventure. Photo / Ann Revington
Not everyone was lucky, with the odd one getting away, only to be found the next day too far gone.
Mahanga Station’s Bruce MacDonald said the event was good to encourage kids to get into hunting with the junior competition.
“This competition always gets good support and it is good to see it going again.”
Another from Frasertown Rd said, “If your parents live on a farm, it is in your blood.
“It is part of life. That is what you do and it is organic food.
