Hunters bag nearly tonne of wild pork

Richie Muir (left) and Olly Higgins (9), of Lake Hawea, show their catches yesterday at the competition weigh-in. Photo by Marjorie Cook.

Sixty-five hunters brought home more than 900kg of pork at the inaugural Lake Hawea Hotel pig hunting competition.

Along with 25 boars weighed in on Sunday afternoon were eight goats, 12 possums and 14 hares, event organiser John Shea said.

Richie Muir, a Queensberry farm worker who lives at Lake Hawea, was reluctant to reveal where his dogs bailed up two prize-winning boars, earning him $750.

Giving away the location of your hunting patch was as bad as revealing your favourite trout fishing spot, he said.

The competition-winning 66kg pig was shot shortly after the competition started, on Saturday morning, while the second-heaviest, at 65kg, was shot on Sunday.

Mr Muir planned to make pork sausages.

Olly Higgins (9) of Lake Hawea shot the smallest pig, a mere 8.5kg, on his first hunt with his father Tony.

Olly's dog bailed up the small pig near Quartz Creek, between Mt Maude and Lake Wanaka.

• Results were.-

Juniors (under 15)

Best average boar: Zac Shields, 26kg.

Heaviest boar: Logan Quinn, 50kg, 1; Hugh Shields, 25.5kg, 2; Sam Rowley, 14kg, 3.

Best horns on a goat: Hamish Shea.

Heaviest possum: Logan Quinn, 2.2kg.

Heaviest hare: Hugh Shields, 3.4kg.

Seniors

Best average boar: Mat Key, 47.5kg.