4 September 2015
THE Kauae Rebelz have unseated previous two-time winners of the Kawerau Big 3 hunting competition to claim the trophy as the 2015 top team.
Big 3 committee member Sandy Hohepa said 25 teams and 89 individuals registered for the annual land-based hunting event, which began on Friday and finished on Sunday afternoon.
Teams and individual hunters brought their catches to Kawerau’s Firmin Field for the weigh-in that closed at 3pm on Sunday.
The competition challenges individuals and teams of three to catch a stag, snapper and boar, while children are challenged to catch a possum and rabbit.
The final tally included six stags, 11 snapper, and 14 boars.
Ms Hohepa said for the past two years the K’Roa Poachers had weighed in the heaviest catch, but this year Kauae Rebelz was named the top team.
Team members Benny Haerewa, Luke Morris and Floyd Haerewa caught a 102.3 kilogram stag, 56.1kg boar and 2.16kg snapper.
Of the 109 children who entered, Khadyn Wright won the title for the heaviest possum and Tipene Tangira the equivalent prize for the heaviest rabbit.
The children weighed in 52 of the heaviest possums and 28 rabbits, but many more were caught, Ms Hohepa said.
Source: Whakatane Beacon
Photo: by Louis Klaassen