Te Puke trees are no longer being plagued by possums after more than 600 of the pests were bagged in the Te Ranga School's annual Possum and Pig Hunt at the weekend.
The 16th annual hunt fundraiser, running from July 4-7, saw more than 30 teams catch a record 634 possums. More than 20 pig hunters also entered into the competition with the heaviest boar weighing in at 65.2kgs.
(From left) Curtis, Marcus and Braedyn Veysi with their hunt catch.
Friends of Te Ranga School PTA member and organiser Fee Edwards says the hunt has been a success for many years and this year proved an ever bigger achievement.
'We did very well. We probably doubled last year's numbers.”
The 634 possums have not been plucked, so Fee does not yet know how much the school has raised from the fur.
The event's auction, which saw furniture, a family fishing trip, horse treks, vouchers for three bach weekends-away and spa treatments sold to raise more than $6000.
Hunting began July 4 with weigh-in at 10am on Sunday morning.
A ute full of possums.
Hunters were allowed to catch their bounty anywhere– providing they held appropriate licences for using firearms, complied with firearm regulations and had landowners' permission.
Possums were caught by trap or gun, with fur being plucked after-event.
Activities, including a ‘killer hill pig run' where participants ran up-hill while carrying a pig on their shoulders, and ‘cow pat bingo' were also on offer.
The event is the school's main fundraiser raising funds to upgrade facilities.
Fluf Hunters collected the most pests catching 12 wallabies, nine hares and 11 rabbits across the two-day hunt.
Contractor Assassins won the award for heaviest possum with their catch weighing in at 4.9kg.
Winners are:
Best tusks: Raymond, Maxim and Neville
Killer Hill Pig Run:
Women's: Ethney Barnaby
Men's: Nick Johnson
Best black possum: Te Ranga Shenanigans
Heaviest boar: Paul Miller
Best grey possum: The Awesome Foursome
Average weight pig: Murray Winters
Most possums: Contractor Assassins 107
School parent Bryan Meyer completing the ‘Killer Hill Pig Run'.
Womens' Killer Hill Pig Run winner Ethney Barnaby.
3 comments
Detractors!!!
Posted on 08-07-2013 16:48 | By Sambo Returns
where are you???, to cold to detach yourself from your tree??, or you do not mind murdering poor defenceless possums, and then there is the photo of someone carrying a dead pig, surely thats not cricket!!!, great to see funds being raised, the "Kiwi" rural way, and people smiling, hell thats got to be good for you.
great
Posted on 08-07-2013 21:54 | By Capt_Kaveman
lets add cats to the hunt or am i pushing a bit to far
a good possum is a dead possum
Posted on 09-07-2013 09:35 | By yikes61
Any pest control is great, but was it a record year because Government contract control has slipped due to cut backs in staff and funding?
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.