An organiser of the controversial North Canterbury hunting competition says they are doing their part for conservation in the area.
The competition has drawn criticism from animal rights advocates, with some protesters even showing up and clashing with hunters when it was held over the weekend.
Last year, the North Canterbury Hunting competition made global news when it created a feral cat hunting category for children.
The category has been scrapped and only those aged over 14 were encouraged to hunt feral cats. Hundreds of children under 14 participated in the event – which also saw the likes of deer, ducks, rabbits, pigs and possums hunted – with about 1500 people in total taking part.
Around 370 feral cats were killed.
One group, Christchurch Animal Save, said conservation was used as an excuse to “justify” the killing of animals.
Speaking on the controversy, competition organiser Mat Bailey said: “To be honest I don’t really give a rats ass about their feelings.”
He said there was an estimated two million feral cats in New Zealand, killing tens of thousands of native birds a night.
“If they’re upset, doesn’t worry me.”
“Something needs to change here, we’re doing our part out in the country, so we’ll just carry on with what we do, and hopefully make it bigger and better next year because it’s a great way to get publicity and we’ve raised a heap of funds and we had a hell of a day on Sunday.
“A few good hangovers but that’s how it goes. A good day in the country.”
Bailey said the idea for the cat hunting category started when a few cats “turned up on the back of a truck” during the hunting competition.
“One of the boys said ‘shall we chuck cats in’, and we all looked around and said ‘yeah may as well’.
“Unbeknown to us we’d go around the world with publicity and get all this backlash. Most people didn’t understand we’re out killing these cats on farms. It’s nothing new to us, we’re rural people controlling them regardless, they bring diseases onto our farms.
“We put rules in place, hunters are responsible firearms holders and kids grow up hunting so we’ve avoided that crossover into that whole domestic side of things.”
When asked if household cats could be impacted, Bailey said there were rules in place to make sure hunters were far away from homes, and had checks in place to ensure they aren’t likely to be household pets.
“I guess if there is a domestic cat way out the back of someone’s property, the question goes back to ‘why is it that far out from home’, like I said, hunters have been doing this all of their lives, they know what they’re like.
“I always refer to it as being like the devil on methamphetamine, these things will try and attack you. They’re vicious, they’re not like [household cats], they’re a different animal.”
Bailey added when one cat was killed and cut open, it was filled with skinks.
“They’re everywhere … it needs to start with government regulation really.”
