Ballot FAQ

Some common queries around the FWF Ballot

1. Is the ballot draw completely random?

Yes. Completely. Hunting parties are randomly numbered and then numbers randomly drawn. It is a completely computerised draw and blocks are allocated strictly by the preferential list hunters supply.

2. If we're drawn, do we get more than one chance at a block?

Yes... and no. If for example you have ordered all available ballot blocks from all the periods and your party is drawn, you will be offered the first available block on your list (assuming you fit). If you only want certain blocks or periods, then only those will be checked. If none are available at that point your party will be included in waitlist draws (assuming you selected to be on it) — you are therefore unlikely to get a block that year.

3. What's a Ballot Applicant?

To enter the FWF Ballot all hunters must have an FWF Account on this site and be a 'Ballot Applicant'. Ballot Applicants must agreed to the FWF Ballot Applicant terms and conditions. All those in a party must be Ballot Applicants agreeing to the terms and conditions to be eligible (you may need to update your account profile to do this if you have an account from a while ago). NOTE: If you have chosen core blocks in your list and ANY members of your party have not agreed to the terms, your block choices will be ignored. This means that you will effectively have no entry.

4. Can I enter more than once in any year?

No. You must only be registered to one party to give everyone a fair chance at hunting. If you are found to be attempting to enter more than one party, you will be disqualified entirely from the current ballot.

5. Why is my mate's username not in the list to add to a Hunting Party?

All hunters entering the ballot must have a FWF account and a unique username to identify them. You cannot therefore choose a random username, nor can you choose someone who is already added to a party (since you can only enter the ballot once in any year). If you have double checked your mate's username and still can't find them in the list, please contact us - someone else may have mistakenly added them to a party already.

Should you be a party leader and find your own username is not displayed, the same applies; you have already been added to a Hunting Party by someone. You should therefore check with your party members (just in case they did your job already!) or contact us.

TIP: When entering your party, check your list of members before submitting since their name and photo will be displayed.

6. Why can't I have just 3 or 5 in my hunting party?

One of the main objectives for the FWF is to maximise opportunities for hunters to experience the Wapiti bugle. Having multiples of 3 and 5 does not achieve this. The Wapiti community agreement states that each block has either a maximum of 6 hunters or two hunting parties. Odd numbers just don’t fit.

7. I don't have a gun license - can I still hunt?

All hunters are bound by NZ law. This means that if you are over 16, and do not have a current NZ firearms license, you must be within arms reach of someone who has a license and is NOT shooting. We therefore strongly encourage a maximum of 1 non-license holder per license holder. We also enforce a policy of only 1 gun per license.