Hunting for big game raises school funds

Cohen Riddell with Wyvern Hunt and the 123.5 kg stag he shot last year. Photo / Dave Murdoch

Norsewood and Districts School is holding its major fundraiser for the year on March 16-18 when it runs its eighth Take a Kid Hunting and Fishing competition.

The competition starts at 3pm on Friday March 16 with weighing in on Sunday March 18, 1pm to 2.30pm.

Weigh-in day last year was a hectic affair. Among the entries were 14 deer, 14 goats, more than 100 possums, rabbits, hares, magpies and wild turkeys.

As the possum fur was being plucked by machine, kids and adults were shooting targets with slug guns, pulling on the tug-of-war, eating cooked wild game delicacies like smoked eel, eating candy floss and watching a deer butchering demonstration.

Organisers say there are many benefits from the competition, apart from raising money for the school. "Children do not get too many opportunities to do this with their dads, and look, there is not a cell phone in sight," chief sponsor for this year, Dave Kerr of Dave's Sports 'n" Outdoors said last March.

Kieran and Braxton Rose bagged these winning turkeys near Blackhead Beach in 2017. Photo / Dave Murdoch

This year there is a cooking competition added for both kids and adults who don't have to be in the hunting/fishing aspect of the challenge. They just have to cook wild game. Entry is free.

There are prizes for all parts of the competition and every child entrant receives a free shirt. You don't even have to compete to win. Dave Kerr sponsors a slug gun for a raffle and there are many other raffles.

Principal of Norsewood School Nikkie Christie says a pool, turf and bike track are priorities for this year's funds.