The details for the highly anticipated Aotea Pig Hunt have been announced, promising an exciting event on the island for Matariki weekend.
Hunters will compete for $5,000 worth of prizes in the initiative that backs local kai, while managing feral pig numbers.
The competition officially opens at 9am on Thursday, July 9.
Crews of up to three hunters of all ages can enter for free. Registration is open now at Port Fitzroy, The Rocks, and Stonewall stores.
Vouchers of $1,000 each for the Heaviest Boar and Heaviest Sow are paired with $400 for the Biggest Tusk and the Under-18 Heaviest Pig, alongside Hard Luck and spot prizes throughout the event.
Weigh-ins take place at the Okiwi DOC Office on Thursday, July 9 (3–4pm) and Friday, July 10 (3–5pm).
The focus then shifts to a community event on Saturday, July 11, at Port Fitzroy Boat Club.
Saturday’s lineup kicks off at 11am with a pork cooking competition, followed by the prizegiving at 1pm and a hāngī at 2pm.
Organised around Matariki, the event also coincides with the Chevron skinks (Niho Taniwha) translocation from Auckland Zoo to Great Barrier Island.
Local Board member Nikki Watts championed the collaborative, community-led management of wild pigs.
“A community hunt is a proactive way to manage pig numbers rather than just focusing on eradication,” Watts said
Auckland Council is actively backing the competition.
“We acknowledge that feral pigs can be a valued hunting resource for both kai and recreation, and a wide range of views are held on this topic,” said Dr Imogen Bassett, Head of Natural Specialist Services.
The initiative is supported by the Department of Conservation, Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea, and the Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust. For more information, email [email protected] with the subject line “Hunting Competition.”
