SOCIAL GIVING
Stoney Creek Hunt For Good - Giving Back with Jasper Osborne
BY ANGUS GOODWIN
Jasper Osborne, the driving force behind Hunt for Good, has found a way to connect his love for the outdoors with his desire to give back to the community. Based in Tauranga, Osborne grew up hunting in the Central North Island alongside his father and relatives, developing a deep appreciation for both the land and the skills required to manage it. Now raising his own children, he has passed those values on.
The spark for Hunt for Good came from a simple observation: culling deer is necessary to protect farmland and native ecosystems, but often the resulting meat goes unused. At the same time, food banks and community groups were struggling to source nutritious, high-quality protein for families in need. Osborne recognised these two challenges and formed Hunt for Good as a not-for-profit project.
Working with volunteer hunters, landowners, local butchers and businesses, the team harvests wild venison and donates it to food banks, kura, and community kitchens. In one early initiative, over 150 kilograms of venison were supplied to the Tauranga Community Foodbank.
More recently, the team produced over 1,000 kilograms of mince. Beyond providing food, the project also delivers environmental benefits. Reducing deer numbers eases grazing pressure, protects biodiversity, and helps restore balance to the ecosystems where they roam. Osborne often highlights that Hunt for Good is about more than hunting; it’s about respecting the resource, ensuring nothing goes to waste, and supporting whānau with healthy kai.
His leadership has been widely recognised. In 2025, he was named Volunteer of the Year at the Volunteer Star Awards, a reflection of the many hours he and his volunteers dedicate to the cause. The initiative now reaches multiple regions across the North Island, from Bay of Plenty to Hawke’s Bay and Manawatū.
For Osborne, the success of Hunt for Good is proof of what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose. By blending environmental stewardship with community care, he has created a model that transforms hunting into hope and support for those who need it most.
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