An uncle and his nephew have been convicted of unlawful hunting, even though the rifle they were allegedly seen with has disappeared.
Sabin Barry Brewer and his nephew Matthew Dylan Brewer were observed pointing out areas of interest and looking through the scope of a hunting rifle on a rural block of land in Whanganui.
When confronted a while later no gun was found.
"While working on a puncture, the defendants were located by the witness," police prosecutor Drew Morrison said in Whanganui District Court on Tuesday.
"They became evasive when asked about being at the property. Police were called and the defendants were located. A subsequent search by the police did not locate the firearm."