Hunters share $10k of prizes

This was the sixth year of the Merrylees Hunt, but only the fifth actual hunt as in 2020 organisers had to cancel due to the Covid lockdown.

A record number of open entries attended this year and there were more than $10,000 in prizes overall.

A special hunt shirt for all open entrants is produced annually. These were ordered in November but their delivery was held up due to Shanghai being in lockdown.

They will hopefully arrive soon and hunters will be able to collect their shirts, or they will be posted to those who travelled to the event.

Many animals were donated and John Shannon and his team processed these for the foodbank, producing more than 800kg of mince to help feed our community.

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Heaviest boar: 1 Colin Jefferies $250 + Tui gear, 2 Mitch Nation $100 + Tui

Open prizegiving

tee. Heaviest red: 1 Triden Harris-Bush $250 + Tui gear, 2 Andrew Verner $100 + Tui gear. Heaviest fallow: 1 Blake Hewitt $250 + Tui gear, 2 Blake Hewitt $100 + Tui tee. Best jaw: Tristan Peeti-Webber $250 + Tui gear. Ugliest head: Andrew Verner — chainsaw. Average boar: Fiona McLean $500 + Tui oilskin + trophy. Average red: Shaun Potts-Burden $500 + Tui oilskin + trophy. Average fallow: Ethan and Shae Hewitt $500 + Tui gear + trophy (two separate animals and same weight and time weighed in). ■ Junior prizes

Heaviest possum: 1 Leo Haycock $50, 2 Ella Blacklaws $30, 3 Alex Wrenn $15. Heaviest rabbit: 1 Ngahere Taite $50, 2 Eden Graham $30, 3 Alice Baxter $15. Heaviest hare: 1 Tristan Lee $50, 2 Will Hogan $30, 3 Jack Melvin $15. Best goat head: Peyton Peeti $50. Average hare: Will Hogan $100.

Sunday, April 24. Above: Spectators watching the last of the entries arriving on the afternoon of

Left: There was a long procession of utes, arriving on Sunday afternoon.

Left: Best goat head went to Peyton Peeti, who won $50.

John Shannon organising carcasses on the hooks.