A total of 362 feral pigs, 12 cats and 230 kilograms of toads were taken out of the region’s feral animal population during another record-breaking event. Photo: Western Cape Feral Animal Control.
Champion hunters may have gotten all the glory, but the native species of Cape York were the real winners when record numbers did their bit for the environment at the 2026 Western Cape Feral Animal Control event.
Competitors numbering 163 full and 10 juniors took on the task of putting a dent in the township’s feral animal population, with a total of 362 feral pigs, 12 feral cats and 230 kilograms of toads presented at the weigh-in night on 19 September.
Team Cape Pork Tusk Force — Luke and Shane Christie, and Brendon Watkins — bagged the biggest boar of the day, weighing in at 120 kilograms, while the runner-up boar, 110.9 kilograms, was brought in by Port Pistols — Aaron Hussey, Jordan Arndell and Maddison Horton.
The biggest sow of the day, 78.4 kilograms, was caught by Rig Pooters — Daniel Griffin, Lian Drew and Hayden Sellin — who also caught the runner-up 77-kilogram sow.
Hayden and Ryan Moss, and Jacob Suttie from Bacon Brothers got more pigs than any other team, dragging a trailer load of 32 to the Albatross Bay Resort weigh-in event. They were followed closely by Rookie Boars — Bradley Bond, Robin Solomon and Guyai Nona — with a 30-catch effort.
The biggest tusk of the hunt at 89 millimetres was brought in by Shit Dogs Small Boys — Isaac Griffin, Clancy Gordon and Riley Wellby, and the runner-up tusk from 3 Blokes 1 Swag — Zac Stewart, Trevor Head and Kane Cullen — was measured at 80.5 millimetres.
Team Achin 4 Bacon — Redman, Kimba and Eli Brett — captured the biggest feral cat, weighing 5.1 kilograms, followed by a 4.22-kilogram catch by Alex Rethus and Thomas Duncan from Dirty Thirty Boars.
The kids also did their part for feral animal management in the popular Toad Buster event, rounding up the invasive leapers known to poison native predators.
Team Swamp Rats contributed heavily to the collective 230-kilogram result, bringing in 91.55 kilograms total, which also included the biggest toad of the day at 500 grams. The runner-up total weight of 56.45 kilograms went to Bust N Croak, while the second biggest individual toad – at 300 grams – was taken out by the Busted Croakers.
Toad definitely was not synonymous with ugly on the day, with the most creative crown going to Bust N Croak with their “Game of Toads” set-up, and the best-dressed toad awarded to Busted Croakers for their tribute to the late Dolly Parton.
Bust N Croak’s Game of Toads was awarded the most creative set-up of the 2026 Toad Busters event. Photo: Western Cape Feral Animal Control.
