Edmondson was the subject of an RNZ documentary in 2018 Photo: Supplied: Amy Taylor / James Muir
The man charged with murder and attempted murder over a double shooting in Coromandel has pleaded not guilty in the High Court at Hamilton.
Kevin Mabbott died and Aaron Buckland was seriously injured when they were shot on a remote road on the Coromandel Peninsula last week.
Stuart Edmondon appeared before Justice Muir on Tuesday and was supported by about a dozen people in the public gallery.
The 77-year-old was wearing dark green clothes and the judge invited him to sit down during the proceedings.
Judge Muir ordered Edmondson to remain in custody until his next appearance in February.
Edmondson's lawyer Max Simpkins indicated to the court he planned to apply for bail before the next court date.
A supporter of Edmondson outside court said he was an original bushman of New Zealand who has endured people killing animals on his land over the past 40 years.
Heather (who did not wish to give a last name) said that the number of animals killed on Edmondson's property got worse at Christmas time.
"It's really really sad situation," she said.
She used to live on the road on which the incident took place and said she saw people killing or hurting the animals many times on Edmondson's property.
"I was there once when a crossbow was in the pig's throat and - he doesn't kill his animals, he doesn't even kill his own animals - so he took it to the vet and it was $400 to remove the crossbow so he paid $400 to get it removed and save the pig… there is a lot of years of grief," she said.
She said Edmondson called the police many times about the problem.
Heather said tourists would come to visit Edmondson's property and see the pigs, which poachers would sometimes kill even in front of the tourists.
"He is internationally known, and he is just known as a genuinely really good guy … he is quite famous for letting people hold his pigs, pat his pets, he's even let people take them ... He's genuinely a really kind, giving guy, he'd give you the shirt off his own back."
