Tauranga is hosting what is shaping up to be one of the biggest hunting competitions of its type in New Zealand. The Polaris Big Four competition in June is the brain child of a group of Quarry Tavern Community Sports Club committee members who are all keen outdoor hunter gatherers.

Bag the biggest stag, boar, male pheasant and trout to be in to win!

Thanks to the amazing generosity of Polaris Industries and the many other kind sponsors, the total prize package is now over $65,000. The Big Four is a team event, where every team attempts to bag a red stag, wild boar, male pheasant and a rainbow or brown trout. Each species is allocated a number of points relating to their weight or number of bars on the pheasant's tail. These are then added up with the winning team being the one with the most points.
If one particular team manages to bag the heaviest in all categories, together with the top pheasant, they will drive away in a 2007 Toyota Hilux. Regardless, the first prize for the winning team will be a brand new Polaris Ranger 500. And take it from me this is a prize worth winning.

A couple of weekends ago, a group of us got the opportunity to put the Polaris through its paces. Ken Griffin, his son Mark, Denney Barry, Roger McDowell and myself, took a demo model, kindly supplied by Action Equipment Tauranga-Katikati, down the east coast to get some hunting photos and video footage for advertising purposes. Ken did most of the driving and he took the Polaris to places the Americans would never dream to take them. Over mountain ranges on narrow slippery tracks, up boulder-strewn river beds and through deep muddy holes – she never missed a beat. We all had a drive and Denney summed it up by saying more than once with a big grin on his face 'she's a little ripper mate”. We managed to bag a good load of venison, with one particular stag tipping the scales to 310 pounds. The combined weight of hunters and meat wasn't a problem for the tough little wagon.

Anyway back to the comp. Along with the teams' event, there is also individual chances to win in each species category. As well as the Polaris, there's a $1000 helicopter trip, an Aluminium Dog Box for the keen pig hunters and thousands of dollars worth of other assorted prizes, including trout fishing gear, hunting gear and plenty more thanks to the many great sponsors. On top of all that, there is a spot prize of a 1988 Toyota Hilux which is up for grabs for every team member. To make it even better, the first 50 teams to enter, get two chances at winning the Hilux.
The competition will be capped at 200 teams. Entry per team is $200. The briefing starts at the Quarry Tavern at 7pm Wednesday, June 22 and the weigh in commences at 10am Sunday, June 26 in the Quarry Tavern car park. TV personality Geoff Thomas is hosting the weigh in and also filming the event for his show ‘Outdoors with Geoff'. So if you enjoy a bit of hunting and fishing and like the idea of a Polaris or Toyota Hilux parked in the shed, then what are you waiting for.
For more information, a copy of the rules and an entry form, phone or text Clive Mckenney 021 048 2833, email Sheryl.clive@xtra.co.nz or Ken Griffin 021 533 075, email ken.griffin@ihug.co.nz