Possum cull for school funds

Feral pest control is being combined with fundraising next month, when Tauhoa School holds a competitive possum hunt to raise money for a senior student trip to Wellington.

The idea is to hunt, shoot or trap as many possums as possible, starting from 4pm on Friday, June 6 until the morning of Sunday, June 8, when a weigh-in and prizegiving will be held at Tauhoa Hall in Naumai Road.

The contest is open to individuals, families and teams, and prize categories include heaviest possum, fluffiest possum, most possums per team or individual, most possum fur collected, plus spot prizes.

The school will keep all pluckable possums killed to sell for their fur.

There is a wide range of prizes to be won, including $200 in cash donated by the Wellsford Inn, tattoo vouchers worth $150 from Uptown Tattoo and a $449 Husqvarna chainsaw from Rodney Honda.

Organisers say there will also be fun activities and plenty of food and drink available at the Sunday weigh-in, which runs from 9.30am to 11am.

Entry fees are $20 per person, $50 for a family (maximum two adults and four children) or $60 for a team of four, and all entries must be registered by 4pm on June 6. Children may be included in a team, but they must be supervised at all times, and all possums must be killed humanely. No guns, ammunition or dogs to be brought to the weigh-in.

Info and entries: Email debz_paul05@hotmail.com, contact the Tauhoa School office or see the Tauhoa Community Facebook page.