Post by jack on Apr 25, 2011 2:48:21 GMT -6
Gidday
Well down here we are a bit different especially when it comes to Easter bunnies. We just have way too many bunnies so some places organis bunny hunts like this.
www.odt.co.nz/your-town/alexandra/157574/winning-team-make-kill-1664
Row upon row of dead rabbits covering Pioneer Park in Alexandra on Saturday bought satisfied smiles to the faces of Central Otago farmers, reinforced with the news the pest population had been culled by 22,904.
The occasion was the 20th anniversary Great Easter Bunny Hunt, and thousands of people gathered to see the 24-hour hauls collected by the 47 teams.
The Beige Brigade Wolfpack team, from Southland, won the contest, bagging 1664 bunnies on a Luggate farm.
Captain Jason Gerken said the secret of the team's success was that it carried out the hunt like a military operation.
"We kept going for the full 24 hours, with hunters always ready to shoot."
Mr Gerken, a ferret contractor for the Animal Health Board, said the team was made up of "friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends."
It had a good support crew, which included three cooks, ensuring no time was wasted.
The top 10 teams scored their high tallies on Luggate, Lake Hayes, Matakanui, Tarras, Bendigo, Queensberry, and Waikerikeri Valley farmland.
Rabbits were the focus, but pigs, hares, stoats, ferrets, turkeys, pigeons and even a goat featured in the spoils displayed by teams.
The hunt recorded its first injury, with a 54-year-old Chatto Creek man who fell from a truck while shooting at Lake Hayes.
"He broke his ribs, punctured a lung and will be in Kew Hospital for about a week and he phoned me today from his hospital bed to check how his team-mates were going, " event convener Dave Ramsay said.
A spokesman from Animal Welfare group Safe, Hans Kriek, criticised the event yesterday and was reported as saying the hunt did more to incite cruelty than control the pest animals.
"He's entitled to his views, but he's clearly never seen the devastation wrought by rabbits in this area, " Mr Ramsay said.
"We think we're doing something to tackle the rabbit problem and I think the majority of views, especially those of farmers, are in our favour." Demand was so high for the Alexandra Lions-organised event this year that 16 team places had to be balloted.
Fox Gallagher (17), Isaac Boyce (12) and Keegan Blackadder (16), all of Christchurch, were members of the Erabbicator team. Although it only despatched 307 rabbits, 66 hares, two possums and two stoats, the event was still worthwhile "as a fun boys' weekend away", Keegan said.
"It all goes back to the caveman days - that whole hunter-gatherer thing," Tina Dooley, of Oamaru said.
Part of the support crew for Bob's Bunny Busters, she said most of the women in the crew took on the role of "picker-uppers" - "so the menfolk can get on with their hunting thing".
Ravensdown Cunning Dozen captain, Graham Geary, of Mosgiel, said his team tally was 229 rabbits and a couple of turkeys and stoats.
"That's a bit of a disappointment and the block we were shooting, we think that cocky has got any rabbit problem well under control.
"But still, being here is better than being at work and we'll be back next year."
The rabbit corpses in the park were picked up by the Alexandra Scout group, which carries out the task as a fundraiser. The animals are broken down for compost.
www.odt.co.nz/files/story/2010/04/thousands_of_dead_rabbits_carpet_pioneer_park_in_a_8673488934.JPG
Well down here we are a bit different especially when it comes to Easter bunnies. We just have way too many bunnies so some places organis bunny hunts like this.
www.odt.co.nz/your-town/alexandra/157574/winning-team-make-kill-1664
Row upon row of dead rabbits covering Pioneer Park in Alexandra on Saturday bought satisfied smiles to the faces of Central Otago farmers, reinforced with the news the pest population had been culled by 22,904.
The occasion was the 20th anniversary Great Easter Bunny Hunt, and thousands of people gathered to see the 24-hour hauls collected by the 47 teams.
The Beige Brigade Wolfpack team, from Southland, won the contest, bagging 1664 bunnies on a Luggate farm.
Captain Jason Gerken said the secret of the team's success was that it carried out the hunt like a military operation.
"We kept going for the full 24 hours, with hunters always ready to shoot."
Mr Gerken, a ferret contractor for the Animal Health Board, said the team was made up of "friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends."
It had a good support crew, which included three cooks, ensuring no time was wasted.
The top 10 teams scored their high tallies on Luggate, Lake Hayes, Matakanui, Tarras, Bendigo, Queensberry, and Waikerikeri Valley farmland.
Rabbits were the focus, but pigs, hares, stoats, ferrets, turkeys, pigeons and even a goat featured in the spoils displayed by teams.
The hunt recorded its first injury, with a 54-year-old Chatto Creek man who fell from a truck while shooting at Lake Hayes.
"He broke his ribs, punctured a lung and will be in Kew Hospital for about a week and he phoned me today from his hospital bed to check how his team-mates were going, " event convener Dave Ramsay said.
A spokesman from Animal Welfare group Safe, Hans Kriek, criticised the event yesterday and was reported as saying the hunt did more to incite cruelty than control the pest animals.
"He's entitled to his views, but he's clearly never seen the devastation wrought by rabbits in this area, " Mr Ramsay said.
"We think we're doing something to tackle the rabbit problem and I think the majority of views, especially those of farmers, are in our favour." Demand was so high for the Alexandra Lions-organised event this year that 16 team places had to be balloted.
Fox Gallagher (17), Isaac Boyce (12) and Keegan Blackadder (16), all of Christchurch, were members of the Erabbicator team. Although it only despatched 307 rabbits, 66 hares, two possums and two stoats, the event was still worthwhile "as a fun boys' weekend away", Keegan said.
"It all goes back to the caveman days - that whole hunter-gatherer thing," Tina Dooley, of Oamaru said.
Part of the support crew for Bob's Bunny Busters, she said most of the women in the crew took on the role of "picker-uppers" - "so the menfolk can get on with their hunting thing".
Ravensdown Cunning Dozen captain, Graham Geary, of Mosgiel, said his team tally was 229 rabbits and a couple of turkeys and stoats.
"That's a bit of a disappointment and the block we were shooting, we think that cocky has got any rabbit problem well under control.
"But still, being here is better than being at work and we'll be back next year."
The rabbit corpses in the park were picked up by the Alexandra Scout group, which carries out the task as a fundraiser. The animals are broken down for compost.
www.odt.co.nz/files/story/2010/04/thousands_of_dead_rabbits_carpet_pioneer_park_in_a_8673488934.JPG
Ohhhhh my! 
I don't mind wild meat but I don't like rabbit ... Blek!