By Julie Walls – Focus Media
Large numbers gathered in good winter weather conditions and excellent for hunting a deer, pig and pest.
While supporting pest control to support the farmers and help preserve the natural environment in the Fiordland National Park, while celebrating the outdoors..
Hunters and onlookers came to see the entries from the Te Anau Helicopter Services - Fiordland Big 3 event on show after the weigh-ins, held at King’s Birthday Weekend. Hunters turned up for weigh-in most around 1.30pm for 2.00pm deadline creating a long queue waiting for their turn.
The keen enthusiasts young and old of the hunting fraternity were able to cast their critical eye over the entries in judging the calibre of the animals.
The 2026 13th Te Anau Helicopter Services Fiordland - Big 3 event attracted 36 Adult teams ((incl 5 Ladies Teams), 28 Kids teams, 4 Youth teams and 14 Mum’s & Kids Teams. Each team included up to 4 people started Thursday 29 May7.00pm until Sunday 31 May 2.00pm during King’s Birthday Weekend with entrants trying get their hands on the prizes up for grabs for the different categories.
Team numbers weighed-in were:- 32 Adults, 27 Kids Teams, 4 Youth Teams and 12 Mum’s & Kids Teams.
The Otago and Southland-wide competition began and ended at the Te Anau Rugby Club grounds. Teams of adult hunters were on the trail of a deer, a pig and a pest while the children chased after a possum, hare or rabbit and a pest (e.g, rat, mice, stoat) at this year's competition to qualify.
The Major Prize was valued at approximately $10,000, with a customised day hunting trip from Milford Sound Base, donated by Te Anau Helicopter Services was won by “The Bacon & Duck Brigade”- Courtney Suckling, Hannah Thorburn and Erica Slee. (The team that weighed in the heaviest deer, pig and pest).
Dallas Wilson Memorial Trophy donated by Murray Wilson & Family won by “Team Adam McFall-Schultz” for the team that weighs in the most outstanding animal of the competition.
This year an option labelled “Give Back Your Catch” for hunters to donate their game meat at the weigh-in and all donated meat ended up getting processed into 640packs of mince and 35kg of steak into hearty pies and stew and distributed through Kiwi Harvest to help feed people in need.
Southern Lakes Branch of NZDA voiced their appreciation to the sponsor Te Anau Helicopter Services, Fiordland Big Three team and everyone who pitched in on the night — organisers, volunteers, butchers, drivers, and helpers. Your efforts made a real difference.
Te Anau Helicopter Services General manager Jennie Burgess said, “We were really happy with how the event went. The weather held which made it a fun event featuring kids' activities like the possum throw and pig carry competition”.
“The Te Anau Helicopters Fiordland Big 3 competition has been running for 13 years, and we are proud to be the major sponsor. We give away a flight to the winning team with the major prize this year was a day hunting trip for their Big 3 team from our Milford Sound base. Animals to hunt could include red deer or chamois, or the team could opt for a fishing trip. They also won a prize pack containing a Stoney Creek Pelican Gear Tote bag with Te Anau Helicopters merchandise and a Stoney Creek Harvest bag for their catch on the trip”.
“During the event we also gave away plenty of merchandise and lollies for the kids who were there for the weigh in and prizegiving”.
“This year we introduced a new event with individual entries for biggest pig and biggest deer, so we were happy to see 13 people enter”, she said
What a weekend! A huge congratulations to everyone who took part in the 2026 Te Anau Helicopter Services Fiordland Big 3 and see you all next year.
The event is a fundraiser for the Te Anau Rugby Club, with the committee made up of representatives from both Te Anau Events and the Te Anau Rugby Club.
2026 Te Anau Helicopter Services - Fiordland Big 3 winners
PIG CARRY - fastest time (sponsored by Paper Plus Te Anau)
Men's Ollie Jones – 42 seconds - Ladies–No Entries - Combined (Adult & Child)–Keenan & Rui
Kid’s – Lucas Dobbin
POSSUM THROW – furthest throw (sponsored by Paper Plus Te Anau)
Men's Tom Goble–17.2m - Ladies Louise Cairns–11.5m - 13 - 16 Years Lewis Woodford–12.87m
7 - 12 Years Josh Porteous-14.05m - 6 & Under Huey Thorn – 6m
Photo Competition - Brooke Wilson
KIDS
Best Hunting Story – Silverstream Shooters -(Sponsored by Wapiti Café & Bakery)
Best Team Name – Wet Gummies -(sponsored by Wapiti Café & Bakery
Jock Armitage Memorial Trophy - Encouragement Award -(Sponsored by the Armitage family)
Heaviest Hare/Rabbit Team – Porteous Boys 4.36kg -(sponsored by Southern Lakes NZ Deerstalkers Association)
Heaviest Possum Team – Knight Snipers -(sponsored by Hunting & Fishing Invercargill)
Average Weight – Wetherhill Warriors -(sponsored by Wapiti Café & Bakery)
Best Kids Team Team – Knight Snipers -(sponsored by Te Anau Shearing
YOUTH (sponsored by Te Anau Shearing) -Best Youth Team Team – Half Rated
MUM’S & KIDS TEAM-Best Mum’s & Kid’s team (sponsored by Te Anau Shearing)) Team
Thwaites Tribe
ADULTS
Heaviest Pig-(sponsored by WB Mechanical)) Team Adam McFall-Schultz (104kg)
Best Tusks (Pig)-Team - Shannon Lynch (19-7/8) (sponsored by Fiordland Nursery & Mower Centre)
Heaviest Deer -Team Cameron Jarvie from Team Cull Stags (144kg) - (sponsored by Fiordland Frontier Supplies)
Highest Douglas Score (Stag) Fallow - Rhett Brunton from Team The Inbetweeners (DS 223 2/8)
(sponsored by Southern Lakes NZ Deerstalkers Association)
Highest Douglas Score (Stag) - Red - Nadia Pei from Team Win or Lose, on the Booze (DS 212 7/8)
(sponsored by Southern Lakes NZ Deerstalkers Association)
Best Female Team -(sponsored by Back Country) Team Win or Lose, on the Booze. (199.5kg)
Adult team closest to Overall Average (sponsored by Simply Baling & Ag)
Team Apples from the Same Team
Heaviest Combined Weight -(of deer & pig) (sponsored by Cruise Te Anau) –Team Retired Pair
