Kiwis urged to give hunting a shot during Get Outdoors Week

Kiwis are being urged to give hunting a try during Get Outdoors Week, which kicks off on Saturday.

More than 160,000 New Zealanders take part in the sport every year, according to Tim Gale, general manager of the Game Animal Council.

He says the community is always keen to welcome new participants.

"I am often confronted with people who are keen to get into the sport but don't know where to start," Gale said on Thursday.

"There are heaps of experienced hunters out there keen to help new people out and with clubs like the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association running training courses all over the country, new hunters can learn to hunt safely and successfully right from the start."

Gale said hunting was shown to have benefits "far beyond simply getting some exercise".

"There are major mental health and wellbeing benefits from going on outdoor adventures - and when it comes to hunting, there are also significant conservation, community and protein advantages that come from harvesting our game animal species."

Get Outdoors Week is a national campaign encouraging Kiwis to get out and explore the great outdoors in a safe way. It runs from November 14 to 22.