National Wild Goat Hunting Competition
Thank you for entering the competition. The winners have been announced. DOC and NZDA will be contacting the winners directly.

The competition aimed to encourage recreational hunters to target wild goats and raise awareness about the damage they cause to New Zealand's native ecosystems and farmlands.

Key Highlights

  • 12,900+ wild goats were shot, up by 2,800 from 2023.
  • Top regions: Whanganui, Waikato, and Otago entered the most tails.
  • Around 800 participants, with 64% more likely to hunt wild goats in the future because of the competition.
  • Motivations: Enjoying hunting, winning prizes, being outdoors getting exercise, and contributing to conservation.

Despite the competition's end, wild goats breed quickly. Ongoing efforts from hunters and farmers can continue to play a role in protecting the environment.

Competition winners, categories and prizes

Category Winner Entry criteria Prize pack - approximate value $5,000-$7,000

Got Your Goat

Timothy Clark

Enter just one wild goat tail and go in the draw to win.

One spot prize pack containing:

  • $2,000 Hunting & Fishing voucher

  • Nocpix Lumi L35 worth $2,999

  • $1,500 Huntech voucher

  • Bushnell’s new R-Series Bushnell R3 10x42mm binocular and Bushnell R3 3-9x40mm rifle scope

Great Goat Round Up

Pack 1: David McLaughlin

Pack 2: Gregory Bishop

Pack 3: Martin Moeller

The more wild goat tails entered, the more chances to win. Win one of three epic spot prize packs.

Three spot prize packs:

Pack 1:

  • A fully catered wild game banquet dinner for yourself and 4x family/friends – hosted by the NZ Hunter team at their South Island base. Flights and accommodation included

  • Meater Plus Bluetooth Meat Probe $279.99

  • $500 Huntech voucher

Pack 2:

  • Traeger Ironwood 885

  • $1,500 Huntech voucher

  • Meater Plus Bluetooth Meat Probe

  • Personal locator beacon

  • $500 Back Country Cuisine voucher

Pack 3:

  • Nocpix Lumi H35 worth $4,250

  • $2,000 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

  • $1,000 Huntech voucher

  • Personal locator beacon

NZDA’s G.O.A.T (Greatest of all Time)

Sam Leith

(Douglas Score 106)

Wild goat head with the largest Douglas Score. Heads can only be entered at a NZDA branch.

  • InfiRay FH35R V2 LRF Monocular worth $4,799 

  • $1,500 Huntech voucher 

  • Meater Plus Bluetooth Meat Probe 

Junior Goat Round Up  

Pack 1: Isabelle Nelson

Pack 2: Alex Wyeth

Pack 3: Gregory McKay

For hunters 18 years or under – the more wild goat tails entered, the more chances to win. Win one of three epic spot prize packs.

Three spot prize packs:

Pack 1:

  • A guided hunt worth $5,000 with a member of the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association (NZPHGA) on private property for 1 junior hunter and 1 adult. 

    Duration: 2 days, 2 nights, arrive midday on a Friday, depart afternoon on the Sunday. 

    Included: All meals and accommodation, airport transfers (if needed), cabin or lodge accommodation.

    Hunting options: 1 management male animal + 1 meat animal OR up to four meat animals. Excess meat to be donated to charity. 

    Hunting dates to be agreed upon between winner and the NZPHGA for a suitable time in 2025.

    Target species: Red deer / fallow deer etc, at the discretion of our member donating.

  • $500 Huntech voucher

Pack 2:

  • $2,500 Hunting & Fishing voucher

  • Nocpix Lumi 13 worth $1,399

  • $500 Huntech Voucher

Pack 3:

  • $1,500 Huntech voucher

  • $1,500 Back Country Cuisine voucher 

  • $1,000 Hunting & Fishing voucher

  • Bushnell’s new R-Series Bushnell R3 10x42mm binocular and Bushnell R3 3-9x40mm riflescope with DOA QBR reticle

  • Personal locator beacon 

Junior G.O.A.T. 

Tom Munro (Douglas Score 111 2/8)

For hunters 18 years or under – wild goat head with largest Douglas Score.

One spot prize pack containing: 

  • Nocpix Lumi 19 worth $2,199  

  • $1,500 Huntech voucher 

  • $1,000 Back Country Cuisine voucher 

  • Personal locator beacon  

  • Bushnell’s new R-Series Bushnell R3 10x42mm binocular and Bushnell R3 3-9x40mm riflescope with DOA QBR reticle 

Monthly Spot Prizes  

Prize 1: Ben Petersen 

Prize 2: Ben Prenter 

Prize 3: Hayley Marie Marshall 

Prize 4: Eli Goords

Enter just one wild goat tail and be in to win.

 

Monthly spot prizes valued at approximately $800.

Prizes include Huntech vouchers, Back Country Cuisine meals, InfiRay Optics NZ merchandise, and a Meater Plus Bluetooth Meat Probe. 

The Goat-Free Zone 

Robyn Jones

People who register their interest for land to be hunted go in the draw to win.

 

Note: NZDA members have full insurance, and this landowner and hunter agreement (PDF, 721K) can be used to give people who farm full assurance their property will be treated with respect.

One spot prize pack containing: 

  • $2,500 Hunting & Fishing voucher

  • $1,500 Huntech voucher

  • Meater Plus Bluetooth Meat Probe 

  • Personal locator beacon

  • Bushnell’s new R-Series Bushnell R3 10x42mm binocular and Bushnell R3 3-9x40mm riflescope with DOA QBR reticle 

NZDA branch entries winners

These winners will be contacted directly by their local branch.

Category Entry criteria Prize pack - approximate value $100-150

Goat your goat

Enter just one wild goat tail and go in the draw to win a prize pack from Hunting & Fishing NZ.  

Medium rifle bag, 126-piece first aid kit, and carabiner mug 

Great Goat Round Up  

The more wild goat tails entered the more chances to win.

$100 gift voucher

NZDA’s G.O.A.T (Greatest of all Time)  

Wild goat head with the largest Douglas Score.  

Gerber Randy Newburg DTS, and a Lanksy Quick Fix

Junior Goat Round Up  

18 years or under more wild goat tails entered, the more chances to win. 

Traverse TR5R Headlamp

Junior G.O.A.T.  

18 years or under wild goat head with largest Douglas Score.

65L Barrel Bag

Read about Douglas Score Trophy scoring.

2024 sponsors

Founding sponsor Hunting & Fishing.

Major sponsors Huntech, Nocpix. 

Supporting sponsors Traeger Grills, Backcountry Cuisine, NZ Hunter, Te Tari Pūreke Firearms Safety Authority, Bushnell, New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association.

Practise safe, ethical, and humane hunting

Always follow:

Hunters must follow the Firearms Safety Code.

More information on firearms safety can be found at the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) website. 

All wild goats must be taken legally and humanely. It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to wilfully or recklessly ill-treat a wild animal or an animal in a wild state.

Where to hunt wild goats 

Talk to your local NZDA branch or local DOC office about hunting in your local area. 

See the map for wild goat distribution and where the goat entry points are located across New Zealand – Wild goat distribution map (PDF, 5,993K)

You can use the hunting block search function to find hunting areas that have wild goats on public conservation land. Search for a hunting block that has wild goats. 

For more information on hunting wild goats and for some hunting tips, see wild goats or visit NZDA’s website.

Know the area you are hunting in

Be aware of the boundaries of hunting areas – livestock may be present. Note that wild goats are often seen in places where you are not allowed to hunt like on road edges, train tracks, river, and road reserves.

Be visible, take appropriate equipment, check the weather, and let someone know where you are going. Identify your target beyond doubt, and make sure your shooting background is safe (not towards skylines). 

Be careful in steep terrain or flooded waterways, if in doubt do not retrieve the goat and take a picture instead. Don’t take any risks with steep terrain or flooded waterways to retrieve goat tails.

Get permission to hunt each time you visit

To find out whether land might be private, check out the outdoor access maps. 

Make sure you have permission to enter, and you have a clear understanding when and where you will be hunting with the landowner or land manager. 

Follow these guidelines when asking for permission to hunt on private land. Ask if it is necessary to notify neighbouring properties so they are not concerned if they hear rifle shots or see hunters. 

There is usually a reason why access is denied. Be aware of seasonal farming activities like lambing, be fire safe, take home any rubbish, consider others in the backcountry, and respect the wishes of landowners and facilities provided. 

Any restrictions around hunting dogs should be followed. Hunters using dogs should be aware of information about hunting with dogs. Bring a first aid kit for your dog as well as yourself. 

The competition is brought to you by the Department of Conservation and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association.

Supported by Federated Farmers of NZ, Hunting & Fishing, and Te Tari Pūreke Firearms Safety Authority

Contact

For more information email: wildanimalmanagement@doc.govt.nz.