Thieves strip hunter’s 4x4, seats ’n all

Nikki Preston

Hunters in the Canterbury area are returning from the bush to find their cars have been broken into and trashed in a spate of break-ins.

The thefts have prompted recreational and outdoors website Points South to offer a reward to anyone with information that leads to the culprits being prosecuted.

Ryan Hart returned from a fourday deer-hunting trip at Arthur’s Pass on Friday afternoon to find tents, wallets and spare changes of clothes been taken from his 4WD.

The front seats, spare mud tyre and parts of the dashboard from his 1994 Toyota Hilux were also gone.

The Christchurch man estimated about $3000 of damage had been done to his car and $3000 worth of goods had been stolen while it was parked in the Cass Saddle car park.

The thieves left cards belonging to Hart and three others in a plastic bag. The insoles from one of the three pairs of gumboots had also been taken. “It was bloody weird.”

Another hunter posted on social media that he had the front and rear bumpers ripped from his truck.

Cam McKay, director of Points South, said he was aware of at least four hunters, mainly in the Lewis Pass and Arthur’s Pass, finding their vehicles emptied out and trashed.

He is offering a brand-new puffer jacket to anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the culprits being prosecuted.

“I was just seeing numerous posts about cars getting ripped off in the Canterbury area so I thought why not spread the word a bit.”

Hunters were even discussing putting trail cameras on their cars as a deterrent.

“It’s a good idea, but I guess it’s kind of sad it comes to that,” he said.