Thread: Keep an eye on the neighbours...

It will be interesting to see how the Aussies get on with this. The country around Mt Gambier is perfect deer habitat. We went through there on our big trip and the forestry and cleared country around the SE corner of SA was loaded with fallow. Bloody heaps of them. We'd camp under the trees and look out over vistas stuffed with grey kangeroos browsing amongst herds of fallow. Highly memorable.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-...tion/105763068

They have the dumbest situation ever, where it's incredibly hard if not down right impossible for recreational hunters to access much public land. And then wonder why they have a problem.

Well I guess another way of looking at that is here we have unparalleled access to public land, and yet we still have a massive problem with deer overpopulation.

Not like over there, and only in some areas. The reasons are very different. We can change our situation ourselves with a simple mindset change.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

They have the dumbest situation ever, where it's incredibly hard if not down right impossible for recreational hunters to access much public land. And then wonder why they have a problem.

Correct. In addition, they actively discourage firearm ownership.

From January bow hunting was banned also.

Even worse, in a few years W.A. will be awash with ferals and the firearms industry will have collapsed. And the green and anti gun parties will be jumping for joy, but the natives will be in real trouble.

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

Correct. In addition, they actively discourage firearm ownership.

From January bow hunting was banned also.

Even worse, in a few years W.A. will be awash with ferals and the firearms industry will have collapsed. And the green and anti gun parties will be jumping for joy, but the natives will be in real trouble.

Maybe they could look to us and bring the green rain.........Maybe just maybe the aussies are smarter than that....

They already use 1080 in WA

Originally Posted by timattalon

Maybe they could look to us and bring the green rain.........Maybe just maybe the aussies are smarter than that....

Doubtful

Originally Posted by 308

Doubtful

Agreed. I dont think Aussies are that stupid.....Banning hunters and wondering why wild animal populations suddenly expode is stupid, but raining 1080 wantonly across the landscape killing all and sundry is a whole different level of stupid they have not achieved .....

As above, they do use it but clearly not in the blanket carpeting of the outdoors that we do....

Originally Posted by 308

Doubtful

Not very smart.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-...m_content=link

In Victoria it's actually illegal for the hunters to shoot feral cats.
And....for most of Victoria to shoot feral dogs on public land. Even private property in the western half. You see, the politicians think feral dogs are dngoes and in danger of extinction in that state. Belong in the joke thread if it wasn't so serious.

Originally Posted by timattalon

Maybe they could look to us and bring the green rain.........Maybe just maybe the aussies are smarter than that....

They have too many native carnivores to use 1080 in broad scale application I suspect.

They have too many native mammals for broadcast 1080 full stop.

WA just completed an aerial survey and Feral deer cull, 1500 odd animals identified with thermal imagining in targeted areas and 500 odd taken out. There is no access to public land for hunting and rules around gun ownership have tightened up significantly reducing the already limited chances of securing Private land to hunt on.

https://www.countryman.com.au/countr...ion-c-19458391

Plenty of good country thats got great feed (Kangaroos and emus have been grazing the bush for years) Deer tend to have more impact on seedlings than kangaroos but emus tend to eat the fruit/ shoots and leaves too. About 20 years ago I use to hunt a fallow herd with a bow in a bush reserve 40 mins out of Perth CBD, cant do that anymore.

Interesting too that 1080 naturally occurs in some areas / plants in WA, this can effect the the density of feral deer populations. Areas with out the naturally occurring 1080 plants (some 40 of) have higher density of ferals. 1080 baits are mainly used for wild dog, fox and cat control (Western Shield) plenty of domestic dogs lost to the 1080 fox baits in rural areas, definitely something to be mindful of when I travel rural with the dogs.

https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/managemen...ting-locations

Originally Posted by whanahuia

They have the dumbest situation ever, where it's incredibly hard if not down right impossible for recreational hunters to access much public land. And then wonder why they have a problem.

The deer management situation is so far out of control it's alarming, and likely too far gone already. There are deer populations spanning the entire east coast of Australia, from Townsville (and north of there) all the way down into Victoria. I'm a Queensland kid meself, until they allow some form of public land hunting back home I'll happily live to my dying days on Kiwi soil. Can't stand to live in a place where I have to be educated to drive carefully lest I hit a fallow deer and write my car off, yet not allowed to walk into the bush and shoot one.

Originally Posted by timattalon

Agreed. I dont think Aussies are that stupid.....Banning hunters and wondering why wild animal populations suddenly expode is stupid, but raining 1080 wantonly across the landscape killing all and sundry is a whole different level of stupid they have not achieved .....

As above, they do use it but clearly not in the blanket carpeting of the outdoors that we do....

No sorry, I was saying it is doubtful that Aussies are smart or will do the right thing

Remember they declared war on emus

and lost

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War