I thought you guy's might enjoy this, It happens every year. down here
Typical Down-Under Humour

S O U T H L A N D   T I M E S


A 1080 poison drop proved to be stiffer competition than the other teams for Great Alexandra Easter Bunny Hunt winners, the Hare-raising Mutineers, at the weekend.

The mixed Southland and Taranaki team won the hunt on Saturday with a body count of 1465 rabbits, 10 hares and one ferret, despite an initial bad start to the hunt.

Leader Robert Waugh said the team's troubles started when its allocated block was found to have been dropped with 1080 poison.

"We walked the whole farm and the neighbour's farm for a grand total of 17 rabbits," he said.

"It was a pretty tough day."

A call to organisers saw the Mutineers packed up and shifted to a farm in Tarras about two hours before nightfall.

Team member Peter Loveridge, of Inglewood, said the team stayed up shooting all night to catch up with the other teams.

"We were absolutely buggered by 7.30am," he said.

The secret of the Mutineers' sixth win was partly a result of their using all-terrain vehicles, giving them access to more areas, Mr Loveridge said.

Hunt co-organiser Martin McPherson said this year's body count was down at 12,484, compared to 18,000 last year, but there had been 106 fewer shooters.

The 430 shooters and 170 support crew members were allocated blocks from Alexandra to Lindis Pass and Cardrona.

The least number of rabbits shot by a team was just three, while one team had returned with 43 turkeys, Mr McPherson said.

Results:
1 - Hare-raising Mutineers (1465 rabbits, 10 hares, 1 ferret)  
2 - Hopperstoppers (932 rabbits, 32 hares, 26 possums)
3 - NZ Ammo (811 rabbits, 1 deer, 2 ferrets)

(teams of no more than 12 Members, 24 hour competition.)