Community goes wild on Matariki

Wilbur Mee, 2, of Hindon, hunts for his Red Band gumboot after dropping it outside the Hindon...
Wilbur Mee, 2, of Hindon, hunts for his Red Band gumboot after dropping it outside the Hindon hall on Sunday. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
Matariki was not a good weekend to be a wild animal inland from Outram.

Organisers of the Hindon Hall inaugural hunting competition at the weekend were thrilled with the turnout which attracted 35 team entries and 60 children.

The small population with a big heart are rallying together to raise funds to maintain their community hall for the good of the locals.

Committee member Jo Harris said they were also delighted with sponsorship from local business with prizes including drone spraying, a new chainsaw, meat processing and chilly bins.

Farmers worked in isolation which could impact their mental health and having a community hall helped people connect, she said.

Hunters at Sunday’s weigh-in chewed through 200 burgers and two large bags of sausages as they waited for the prizegiving to begin.

Teams hunted for wild boar, red deer stag, fallow stag and duck while children bagged hares, possums, rabbits and yabbies.

A red deer hind with antlers attached by twine was disqualified.

Team Tiznik won the heaviest red stag which weighed in at 152.5kg.

- Stephen Jaquiery

 

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