The Animals in the Wild photographic competition began in opposition to Narooma's HuntFest with the theme shoot with a camera, not a gun.

The exhibition was officially opened by SAFE (Stop Arms Fairs in Eurobodalla) president Allan Baxter on Saturday who announced that HuntFest had been cancelled and organisers had handed back their license to operate the event.

"HuntFest would not be running the event this year, or in years to come.," Mr Baxter said.

In March, South Coast Hunters Club president Dan Field took responsibility for the decision, due to a decline in exhibitors.

"I have to take the blame for this, I was the one who put the motion to the club to have it cancelled this year because I would rather see no show than half a show," he said.

Mr Field said the event had struggled to compete with bigger shows across the state.

On announcing the winners of this year's show, Greens MP David Shoebridge said the cancellation of HuntFest was excellent news after years of local and international opposition.

"We'd like to think that SAFE has played a role in the demise of HuntFest which we see as a celebration of hunting and killing animals," he said.

Judging this years entries was photographer Rex Dupain.

"We had more than 300 entries from all over Australia. We shortlisted around 40 entries," Mr Shoebridge said.

"Nature is there for us to appreciate, not decimate and this year we introduced a new category focussed on forests, their beauty and fragility. From the Corn Trail to Mogo and beyond the South Coast has magnificent natural reserves that are also facing extreme pressure from logging," he said

More than 200 people visited Gallery Bodalla over the weekend to view the exhibition.

Winners were: Category A - Bat plus Baby Bat by Jason Freeman; Category B Stlts by Anne Killeen; Category C - Mourning Pall by Jason Freeman; Category D - Fire Threat by Ros Osborne; and Category E - Three Kookaburras by Erika Zhou.