A fundraising initiative kicked off across the weekend of June 6- 8, raising $6700 to go towards Project Active Turf, a community initiative to cover the front courts at Kaihere School with sports turf.
The Kaihere Hunt saw more than 70 hunters bring in a count of 813 possums, 500 kg of deer and pigs, and 302 pests such as peacocks, magpies, rabbits and rats.
The event brought the community together in a way that was unique to rural New Zealand, the school said.
As the spoils of hunting were being counted and weighed, the event featured a variety of activities for everyone to enjoy including bake sales, a colouring competition for children, face painting, a pig run for the adults and possum throw for the kids – as well as the opportunity to watch possum plucking.
Maureen Coleman and Brian Neilson, of the Thames Valley Deerstalkers Association, oversaw the judging alongside the Kaihere Parent Teachers Association.
The hunting and local community gathered at Kaihere School in good numbers to watch the results come in.
Event organiser and PTA spokesperson Clare Ward said: “every year the Kaihere Hunt gets bigger and better and none of this would be possible without the amazing support of the community, so a massive thank you to everyone who put their hand up to help or sponsor the event”.
Major prize winners were Max Skiffington for the most possums; Gary Wharton for heaviest deer and Frank Ward for most overall pests.
The Kaihere Hunt is set to become an annual fixture.
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