The Big Three in sights for the Hunt

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 630, 2 April 1996, Page 6

The Big Three in sights for the Hunt

Hunters will be headed for the hills this weekend, out to get the Big Three for some of the top prize money in the sixth annual Winstones Pulp International Easter Hunt. They will be trying to bag the most points for a stag, boar and trout, with $6530 in prize money up for grabs as well as many other product prizes. Categories are wide-spread, aiming to give as many people as possible a chance of winning. As well as the $750 top prize for first in the Big Three, there are prizes for the heaviest boars, trout, and red and fallow stags. But new this year are prizes for the closest to the average weighted boar, stag and trout. This aims to give the average hunter, who doesn't have access to private land where the big animals are found, a chance. Ray and Tom Spry and others started the hunt in 1990, after they approached Rick Low at the Ohakune Hotel, then Winstones, looking for support. Easter was chosen to complement the Labour Weekend hunt held in Raetihi and to coincide with the roar. "Everyone (hunters) in the area is keen on fishing, pig and deer hunting," said T om Spry, "it' s a good area for that sort of thing — it' s a bit of an achievement to get the whole three in four days." The hunt has remained pretty successful with around

50-60 teams entered each year. As well as teams, the competition is open to individuals to vie for the big three as well as the category prizes. 'There' s nothing to stop an individual going out for the big three," said Tom. He said two or three usually go out and try for it and that some, such as Raetihi hunter Craig Ryland, have brought home the three a number of times. However he said it was a "little bit" easier with a team. "You get a 250 pound beast way up in the bush — it's not easy to get it out." Most of the interest in the competition is from the locals with some entries from Taihape and Taumarunui. A popular spectator event is the deer carrying competition, where one of the heaviest animals is carried across an obstacle course. And the kids (under 13) have their competition — for the Big Three — rabbit, eel and possum. "There' s always plenty in that," said Tom. After the Heartland television programme there has been some opposition to the hunt, said Tom. "But we want to assure people the meat is not wasted. The meat is all used — it's not just going out to slaughter animals." He said most hunters did it for meat for the table.

Hunting was important for keeping pig numbers in check too. He talked of the days when there were professional pig hunters, employed just to try to reduce wild pig numbers because of the huge damage they do to farm land. "Hunters are doing this environment a favour by keeping the numbers down." Ohakune Hotel provided the venue and prizes, WPI provides prize money as well as looking after the trophy and engraving costs, : DB are maj or supports as is Stanford Sports in Taihape. Other supporters include Lilburn Transport, Tony Punch, Harry Brown, Williams & Kettle, Ruapehu Farm Supphes, Turoa and Alex McLeans Sound. Tom said the hunt was a "casual affair" but that it goes off really well. "It's getting to the stage where everyone knows how it'srun." He said there was a band of 8-9 people who organise the hunt. Entry forms are available from the Ohakune Hotel.