173 young hunters take to the hills at Whitianga's Take a Kid Hunting weekend

Despite less-than-ideal weather, this year's Whitianga Pig Hunting Club Take a Kid Hunting Competition was another outstanding success, with an impressive 173 young hunters taking part over the weekend.

Held in memory of Kyla Ngarimu, the annual event continues to grow and remains one of the region's premier youth hunting competitions, encouraging the next generation to experience the outdoors alongside family and friends.

The weigh-in reflected a busy few days in the bush and on the water, with 51 pigs brought to the scales, along with plenty of possums, rabbits and even snapper entered across the competition categories.

While prizes were certainly up for grabs, the real highlight was seeing so many youngsters enjoying time outdoors with their parents, family and mentors.

Marika Macdonald presented the Take a Kid Hunting Trophy on behalf of Pete, Kelly and Tia Ngarimu, continuing the tradition of recognising the spirit of the event while honouring Kyla's memory.

Organisers said that although the weather wasn't always on their side, it certainly didn't dampen the enthusiasm.

"Even though the weather was not in our favour, all the kids got into it and had a great time. It was a huge weekend for everyone, and a big shout out goes to all the parents who took the time to get their kids out there."

The Whitianga Pig Hunting Club also extended its sincere thanks to the many businesses and individuals who supported the event.

"A massive thank you to all of our amazing sponsors. Without your support, competitions like this simply wouldn't be possible."

Events like Take a Kid Hunting play an important role in passing on hunting knowledge, teaching firearm and outdoor safety, promoting ethical harvesting, and creating lasting memories for New Zealand families. Judging by another successful turnout, the future of hunting on the Coromandel is in good hands.

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results below

RESULTS

Heaviest Boars – ALL AGES

1^st – Leo Findlay and Charlotte Cross – 61kg
2^nd – Evie and Chase Murphy – 53.7kg
3^rd – Ridge and Blair Coleman – 51.5kg
4^th – Archie Penwarden – 47.kg
5^th – Maddox Crew – 46.3kg
6^th – Taylor Farac – 45.5kg
7^th – Brax Monrad – 45.2kg
8^th – Arlo Guildford – 45.1kg
9^th – James Murray – 44.5kg
10^th – Stella Bradley – 43.9kg

Heaviest Possums
JUNIORS
1^st – Stella Bradley – 4.325kg
2^nd – Harper Monrad – 4.185kg
3^rd – James Murray – 4.185kg

INTERMEDIATES
1^st – Arlo Guildford – 4.340kg
2^nd – Indi Hayward – 4.100kg
3^rd – Kaia Maddox – 3.955kg

Heaviest Rabbits
JUNIORS
1^st – Summer Maddox – 2.070kg
2^nd – Tommy Hanning – 2.065kg
3^rd – Nixon Booth – 1.880kg

INTERMEDIATES
1^st – Ellie Gaskell – 2.180kg
2^nd – Ryan Debenham – 2.105kg
3^rd – Reeva Nash – 2.065kg

Heaviest Combined Critter Weight (Possums and Rabbits)
Team HP – 82.9kg

Heaviest Snapper
JUNIORS
1^st – James Murray – 5.15kg
2^nd – Cronin Brown – 4.05kg
3^rd – Bronte Colvin – 3.97kg
4^th – Harley Brown – 3.11kg
5^th – Fletcher Murray – 3.06kg
6^th – Matai Whitford – 2.51kg
7^th – Ollie Hill – 2.13kg
8^th – Hadley Astwood

INTERMEDIATES
1^st – Kallem Morgan – 8.66kg
2^nd – Charlotte Cross – 5.28kg
3^rd – Hunter Te Wheoro – 5.19kg
4^th – Hazel Whitford – 2.44kg
5^th – Arlo Guildford – 2.37kg
6^th – Ryan Debenham – 2.25kg
7^th – Sonny O’Brien – 2.06kg
8^th – Frankie Hamilton – 1.92kg

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