The group - two men aged 37 and 22 and two teenage boys aged 15 and 14 - were hunting in a 4WD vehicle near Paerau when it became stuck in snow.
They were forced to camp in the vehicle overnight to shelter from freezing winds and heavy snow.
A search was launched on Saturday when they failed to return home but Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw, of Alexandra, said it was "like looking for a needle in a haystack, as we had no idea where they might be," The group was found at Paerau, near Old Dunstan Rd, within 30 minutes of the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter joining the search. All were fit and well but were "a bit sheepish" at having sparked the search and rescue operation, Det Sgt Shaw said.
"They'd sheltered in their vehicle until 2pm that day and had left the vehicle and were starting to walk out."
He was strongly critical of the group, saying they had placed themselves in danger and risked the safety of those searching for them.
"Knowing the weather forecast, they chose to go into a high country area susceptible to weather extremes - the weather was polar in nature with a severe wind-chill factor.""They hadn't told anyone where they were going and they were heading into an area with minimal cellphone coverage.
The search area was vast and it was just local knowledge and a degree of good luck that meant we found them when we did."
The group had used a cellphone to tell a family member their vehicle was stuck in snow and they were OK, but they did not say where they were, Det Sgt Shaw said.
After many hours with no further contact, the family member became concerned and raised the alarm.
The men who were the focus of the search are Patearoa farm workers. Attempts by the Otago Daily Times yesterday to get a response from the hunters to the police comments were unsuccessful.
Asked whether police would seek to recover the cost of the search, Det Sgt Shaw said such a move would be "counter-productive". It might result in people delaying contacting police in such circumstances, which could be disastrous.
"However, this group may choose to make a donation to the community, considering how many local people joined the search for them in those adverse conditions.
The rescue helicopter was called because a smaller aircraft would have been inappropriate given the winds in the search area. Its passengers included a paramedic, police and Maniototo search and rescue members, Det Sgt Shaw said.
Senior Constable Steve Burke, of Ranfurly, said police and Search and Rescue members from Ranfurly and Alexandra were involved in the operation and several farmers also helped by checking tracks.
"Police are full of praise for the people who sacrificed their own time and expense to assist ... it was a good example of rural networking delivering productive results."
A friend of the hunters was able to narrow down where the hunters could be and that meant they were found quickly once the aerial search began, he said.
