GET INVOLVED Competitions National
Every year NZDA holds national competitions

2023 National Competition Entry Forms Can Be Found Here

Competitions are held at a regional branch level with the best entries submitted to the "nationals". Nationals are held every year at conference (June, July or August). Contact your branch if you would like to enter.  

The categories are:

  • Antler, Horn and Tusk
  • Photographic and film
  • Literary
  • Shooting competitions

Full competition details and rules can be read here


Antler, Horn and Tusk ("AHT")

NZDA has long measured and recorded trophy heads using the Douglas Score and NZDA systems. Every year the best heads taken locally are sent to conference for measuring. The following are the categories of big game animal accepted for entry:

  1. Wapiti or Fiordland Deer
  2. Red deer
  3. Sika
  4. Fallow
  5. Rusa
  6. Sambar
  7. Whitetail
  8. Wild Sheep
  9. Tahr
  10. Chamois
  11. Wild goat
  12. Pig tusks - drawn
  13. Pig tusks - undrawn

Enter the 2023 AHT Comp here.

Photographic and Film

Our members often take a camera when out hunting and can enter their photos in the following categories:

  1. Game animals
  2. Birds
  3. Mammals
  4. Insects, Reptiles and Amphibians
  5. Scenic
  6. Flora
  7. Human Interest

The following film categories are open for entry:

  1. Training and promotional
  2. Hunting
  3. New Zealand wildlife

Enter the 2023 Photographic & Film Comp here.

Literary

Our literary competition comprises three sections:

  1. Philip Holden Trophy - Hunting story or article of interest to deerstalkers of more than 1,500 words.
  2.  Tony Orman Trophy - Observations of wildlife behaviour, hunting experiences, and the like of up to 1,500 words.
  3. Halcyon Publishing Trophy - Bush poetry. 

Enter the 2023 Literary Comp here.

Shooting Competitions

NZDA has a large network of shooting competitions and events held annually, many of these are awarded at our national conference:

Head to our site page dedicated to Target Shooting.