Animal rights activists are promising to be outside the Mid Northern Rodeo at Whangarei for the third year in a row.

They've been attending rodeos around the country and complained last year that a cowboy attempted to "rustle" them up at a Whangarei rodeo.

The group Direct Animal Action will hold large "stop" signs at the entrance of the event at Maungatapere on Saturday, calling on the government to ban rodeo events in New Zealand.

"We absolutely congratulate the Green Party for putting forward a Private Members Bill that will ban the worst aspects of rodeo - calf roping and flank straps," says Direct Animal Action spokesperson Apollo Taito.

"But we're calling on the Greens and the rest of the government to take stronger action by banning rodeo full stop. No one wants to see animal abuse for entertainment anymore, rodeo has had its day in our country,.

Earlier this month the NZ Rodeo and Cowboys Association said the rodeo season was in full swing and rodeo organisers were reporting record numbers of spectators at events.

Defence Minister Ron Mark was the Grand Marshal and special guest at the Wanaka Rodeo on January 2.

"Despite the protests of some animal activists at some events, the truth is that the animals involved are humanely treated, under an independent Rodeo Code and with supervising veterinarians present," Michael Laws, the communications director for the association, said at the time.

"In 2016, parliament investigated rodeo practices and pronounced itself satisfied with the sport," he said.