The Dunedin woman wants to get her firearms licence so she can supply her dogs with a steady supply of rabbit meat.
"Getting a licence is a personal choice, but I think if your partner is off hunting there is no reason not to give it a go," she said while trying out a .22 rifle.
Her son Richard (16) said he was also keen on getting his licence, for rabbit shooting and for hunting wapiti.
Allan Millar's Hunting and Fishing owner Scott Kunac said there was growing interest in hunting, driven partly by increasing numbers of rabbit and deer.
"Certainly the opportunity to hunt is growing."
Mr Kunac said anyone wanting to buy a firearm should first obtain a licence and join a local hunting club, as these often ran programmes for novices, if they were interested in hunting.
The high New Zealand dollar had resulted in firearms becoming more obtainable, with a "good quality" .22 with scope costing about $350.
