Queensland acknowledges role of hunters in deer management

The Queensland Government has officially recognised the role recreational hunters play in managing the state’s feral deer population, prompting renewed calls by hunters for access to public land.

The Feral Deer Management Strategy 2022-2027 explicitly includes recreational hunters as stakeholders and acknowledges their role in managing the state’s feral deer population.

The strategy notes hunters assist with implementing “best practice feral deer management for effective and humane management of feral deer (red, fallow, chital and rusa deer).”

The news has been welcomed by hunting representatives, with the State Forest Hunting For Queensland campaign manager Rhys Bosley congratulating the state’s Agriculture Minister for recognising that recreational hunters play an important part in managing deer in Queensland.

“I thank Minister Furner for being the first Minister in the Palaszczuk Government to treat
Queensland hunters like we are law-abiding Queensland citizens whose aspirations are worthy of fair consideration,” he said.

Mr Bosley said it was now time to take the next step and start opening up certain state land for recreational hunting as well.

“There is no reason why Queenslanders should not be able to hunt deer and pest species such as pigs, goats, foxes, cats and rabbits, all of which cause environmental degradation, on public land,” he said.

Shooters Union has long been pushing for public land hunting in the state and president Graham Park backed Mr Bosley’s calls for its implementation, as well as saying the organisation was very pleased to see the benefits of recreational hunting being acknowledged by the Queensland Government.

“The importance of this acknowledgement by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries should not be understated,” he said.

“We will continue our representation and advocacy work on behalf of hunters to ensure they have the opportunities to humanely and responsibly assist with feral animal management.

“We have been saying for a long time that Queensland is missing out due to a lack of state land hunting, especially given how many Queensland shooters head down to NSW, where there is a very successful state forest hunting scheme.”