Field & Game Australia magazine, issue 34, June 2024

From the Editor

Hunters, how were your duck and quail seasons?

Mine was short but sweet. While I had only a few opportunities to get out for a duck hunt this year, they were nevertheless enjoyable occasions – they always are! – with the reward of at least a few birds to grace the table later on.

Roast duck is my favourite, although I have also been known to despatch the odd duck casserole with gusto. And crispy-coated fried duck strips with sweet chilli sauce. And duck sandwiches with tomato chutney back in my school days (yes, that was a long time ago!).

The only stain on one of my outings this year was the presence of activists. I’ve been lucky enough never to have encountered them before this season, and what I saw makes me hope this was the first and last time I will do so. While they were not unpleasant – in fact, they refused to speak to us at all – they did impact our hunt to the point that we eventually had to move elsewhere. You can read about it on pages 60-63.

The funny thing is, these people don’t seem to realise that hunters are the saviours of our precious wetland environments, and without hunters’ efforts there would be far fewer wetlands in which to protest!

Other wetland helpers lately have come in the form of those who have donated to our conservation arm Wetlands Environmental Taskforce through Victoria’s container deposit scheme. While we haven’t had a great take-up yet, every little bit helps in our ongoing efforts to preserve, rehabilitate and maintain these areas for the benefit of all native flora and fauna – not just ducks – and for all people. Next time you’re at a recycling depot, perhaps consider donating your refund to WET. The ducks (and us) will thank you.

Talking about donations, we have an exciting incentive in the pipeline for those who might like to make more sizeable contributions – and don’t forget that all donations are tax-deductible. More details will be forthcoming in the near future, so stay tuned.

On the clay target front, if you haven’t already heard, the 2024 FGA ASF National Carnival is returning to Clunes Field & Game in early November. The carnival will kick off on Friday, November 1 with our industry expo day, which was a great success in 2023 and promises to be even better this year. The remainder of the carnival will follow on November 2, 3 and 4 –with the exact details to be communicated to members as soon as we have them set in stone.

Put August 1 on your calendar, as this is the date we expect to open nominations for this year’s carnival on My Clubs My Scores.

Whatever your particular bent, I trust you will find something to entertain you in these pages – and if you don’t, we’re always happy to have your contributions!

Until next time, see you around the traps.

Wendy Russell Editor – Field & Game Australia

If you have feedback of any sort or would like to contribute to Field & Game magazine in any way, drop us a line at Editor@Fieldandgame.com.au Or, you can give us a call on (03) 5799 0960.

Field & Game Australia

Lucas Cooke – Chief Executive Officer

Glenn Falla – Conservation & Hunting Manager

Wendy Russell – Editor & Media Co-ordinator

Clara Hatch – Administration and Membership Officer

Anne-Marie Blewett – Operations Lead

Chelsea Skinner – Business Accounts Clerk

FGA Board

David Anderson – Chairman

david.anderson@fieldandgame.com.au

Trent Leen – Vice-Chairman trent.leen@fieldandgame.com.au

Glenda Anderson

glenda.anderson@fieldandgame.com.au

Adam Carson

adam.carson@fieldandgame.com.au

Vicki Norris vicki.norris@fieldandgame.com.au

Paul Sharp

paul.sharp@fieldandgame.com.au

Michaela Shirley michaela.shirley@fieldandgame.com.au

Magazine Production Team

Jacqui Maskell – Graphic Designer

Wendy Russell – Editor & Media Co-ordinator

External Contributors

Glenda Anderson

Paul Brown

Karen Davies

Dwayne Devanny

Michael Kruger-Davis

Don Lomas

Reuben Patience

Trevor Stow

Robert Sturzaker

Rod Watt

Geoff Watts

Elwyne Weybury

Print Production

Deb Shields – General Manager

Deanne Martin – Account Manager

Tammie Jones/Deepika Khadgi – Customer Co-ordinator

Trent Small – Prepress Manager

Andy Shayler - Production Manager

Gary Chaplin – Warehouse/Mailing Supervisor

Peter Fletcher – Despatch Supervisor

Alex D’Ambrosio – Warehouse/Dispatch Manager

Field & Game (ISSN: 2206-0707) is published and printed by McPhersons Printing (76 Nelson St, Maryborough VIC 3465) under licence from Field & Game Australia Inc www.fieldandgame.com.au

Copyright 2024 Field & Game Australia Inc.

Page 6

FGA Chairman: David Anderson

Page 8

FGA Chief Executive Officer: Lucas Cooke

Page 10

Insurance: What your FGA membership covers

Page 12

Gun dogs: Rod Watt explains how to put some polish on your retriever

Page 14

Hunting: Season 2024 – a state by state round-up

Page 19

Hunting: A Tasmanian tour of the hunting variety

Page 24

Competition: A selection of photos from our recent competition

Page 32

Conservation: Fox drives remove pest from Limestone Coast region

Page 34

Hunting: Bennetts wallaby and goose culling in Tasmania

Page 36

Hunting: FGA board member Glenda Anderson shares a deer hunt

Page 40

Hunting: Activism impacts demand for kangaroo

Page 44

Conservation: Deer cull helps protect fragile Tassie wilderness

Page 48

Hunting: Robert Sturzaker takes to the rice in NSW

Page 52

Hunting: A GSP’s first foray on the ducks

Page 55

Food: Southern-style fried wild duck hits the mark

Page 54

Gun dogs: Trial offers chance for retrieving fans to get close to the action

Page 57

Psychology: Michael KrugerDavis offers techniques for improving your shooting skills

Page 60

Hunting: Activists take it a step too far

Page 64

Conservation: Henhouses

Page 66

Vet Talk: Karen Davies talks cold-weather care for you fourlegged mate

Page 68

Obituary: Ron Danby, the father figure of Swan Hill Field & Game

Page 70

Branch News: A look back at the history of Willowmavin

Page 77

Branch News: Poachers turn out in numbers at Donald and Minyip

Page 82

Back page musings: with Lucas Cooke

Cover Photo: Greg Smith is the winner of our photo competition, with this fantastic photo of his grandson Max Senini, a fourth-generation duck hunter. See the other winning photos plus many more on pages 24 to 31.

Anderson

Season a success on all fronts

Ihave heard plenty of successful duck harvest stories over the past few months, with most locations having plenty of birds – although after talking with some of the locals down my way it appears that some areas have been a little light on. It has been particularly pleasing to hear of the family gatherings, the meeting up of friends and the sharing of stories while enjoying the outdoors. It doesn’t get much better than that, and seeing the younger generation out there provides solid evidence that our traditions are so important and valuable to us.

On top of the pleasing stories of successful bags is the positive feedback. Politicians, regulators and observers alike have been very complimentary of the outstanding behaviour of our members while out on the wetlands and how well the regulations have been followed. It is this exemplary behaviour that in itself will secure our future in ongoing harvests. Well done to you all, you are a credit to our organisation.

The downside of the season is the ongoing behaviour of those who wish to disturb our food harvest, which is well below what is

expected in the realms of social norms.

We will continue to strengthen our position with the decision-makers on ensuring future duck harvest seasons continue in a controlled and sustainable way – and just because we were successful this season does not mean our focus is any less intense on building the science that is irrefutably in favour of the continuance of waterfowl hunting and will remain the benchmark for sound decisionmaking. Thanks again to all those who have contributed towards supporting FGA and duck harvesting in a positive manner.

Our staff and board continue to work hard on improving our performance and the growth of our organisation. Our CEO has recruited very well with new staff joining us over recent weeks, which I am sure he will expand upon in due course. The national office has set growth targets in regards to our membership numbers and the staff are proving they have what it takes to help us meet or exceed these projections. Recently the board and staff held a workshop to develop conservation and hunting strategies from the 2030 plan into actionable items which will see

them progress into visible outcomes rather than just words, and will further highlight the good work we do in these parts of our business. More to come on this, so stay tuned.

We have made it a goal to meet with as many branch committees as we can throughout the year and engage face to face to hear what is happening first-hand at member level and listen to areas of success and concern. Branch presidents have been open to inviting us along, and we have met with Bairnsdale, Sale, Kilmore, Metro and several other branches that have offered a welcome invitation. We share both ways, and take back items that require addressing. These sessions are invaluable and help us strengthen our organisation through your input.

I look forward to hearing more stories of a successful season and to be a part of the ongoing meetings with our branch committees.

Take care everyone.

Dave Anderson Chairman, FGA Board

Photo: Laurence Martin

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Many happenings in year’s first half

Welcome to the second issue of Field & Game magazine for 2024! It's incredible to think we're almost halfway through the year, but there has been no break in the work required to preserve the interests of our members and the broader hunting community. There's a lot to cover, including updates from our new office, upcoming events, and key membership benefits. Let's jump in.

National office relocation

For any who haven’t heard, Field & Game Australia's national office has officially relocated to Connewarre Wetland Centre in Geelong, at 605-649 Lake Rd, Connewarre, 3227.

This move marks a significant step for FGA, placing us right in a conservation wetland. The transition has not been easy but has been completed with no small thanks due to our hard-working FGA members and staff.

We are delighted to have several new team members on board, filling roles that had been vacant. A big thank you to our "temporary" bookkeeper, Craig Durkin, for his invaluable work over the past several years. While Craig is still around for a while during our transition, we are making way for our new internal accounts clerk, Chelsea Skinner. I’d also like to formally welcome Anne-Marie Blewett, our new operations lead. Many members have already had a chance to speak with Anne-Marie as she has been hard at work helping Clara with membership renewals. Anne-Marie brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from the energy industry. The filling of these vacant roles will have a marked impact on office efficiencies, and I look forward to returning professional office services to our members and branches.

Since relocating, we've seen increased community engagement, with visits from politicians, local government members, school groups, tourists, birdwatchers, community groups, and even some (lost) individuals. Our location now gives us a unique opportunity to discuss the positive impact of hunting on conservation and showcase what FGA does, with conservation right outside our door.

Membership renewals

Thank you to everyone who has renewed their membership for 2024. If you haven't yet done so, please act now! Along with the advocacy and administration work FGA provides, your membership comes with other valuable benefits, including: access to this magazine; online news; newsletters and updates; firearms insurance to the tune of $15,000 for accidental loss, damage, or destruction; $25 million in public liability insurance during any legal recreational hunting or shooting activity (more on this on pages 10 & 11); and accident or injury cover at FGA events. If you know someone who hasn't renewed or is considering joining, encourage them to do so. Our strength lies in our community, and in numbers.

FGA Council meeting

By the time you read this, the FGA Council meeting will have taken place on May 25. I hope you were able to attend.

What is the FGA Council meeting? FGA's structure includes two significant annual meetings: the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a FGA Council meeting. At the AGM, the board presents updates, achievements, and future plans to the members. Conversely, the Council meeting is driven by members. It provides an opportunity for FGA branch representatives to voice concerns, ask questions, and directly discuss issues with the FGA board. Your insights and experiences are invaluable to our collective mission, and we strongly encourage your participation. If your branch did not send a delegate this time, get in touch with your committee and volunteer your time to come to the next one – it’s a valuable tool to communicate not only with me, but the rest of the staff and your FGA board.

National Carnival at Clunes

The FGA National Carnival is set to be held at Clunes again this year, building on last year's success. We're addressing concerns about target difficulty to ensure the event caters to everyone while still challenging the best simulated field shooters in Australia. Even if you can't stay

for the whole weekend, join us at Clunes on Friday, November 1, for our Nationals expo day, featuring sponsors’ displays, vendors, practice grounds and "come and try" sessions. It's a fantastic opportunity to network, learn, and have fun.

There will be plenty more to share around this event between now and November, but make sure you save the date now!

2024 hunting seasons

The 2024 game bird seasons are under way in South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, with many positive reports. As always, hunter compliance is high, and the seasonal conditions are excellent. All reports are of fat, healthy birds, and plenty of them. The harvest is filling freezers and stomachs with our favourite natural meat resources. Thank you to everyone representing our community—you make us proud!

On the deer hunting front, I attended the Victorian Hound Hunters registration day in Tallarook. As a born and bred Tasmanian who has hunted over hound packs many times (not for deer – if you know, you know), it was fantastic to see the enthusiasm among hunters and their hounds. The spirit of co-operation between hunting organisations was great to be involved in.

International Support for FGA

The political attacks on hunting in 2023 certainly got the attention of hunters across the globe. We're thrilled to have been able to build upon existing relationships, and to foster some new ones to increase international support for FGA and its members. Delta Waterfowl’s chief conservation officer Joel Brice recently sent us a message of support, which you can find on our website and socials. Additionally, FGA collaborated with Blood Origins on a billboard in Sale and I have appeared on Robbie Kröger's Blood Origins podcast. If you haven't listened to it yet, I encourage you to do so—it’s filled with insights into hunter advocacy and conservation.

Another notable event was the visit by Natalie Krebs, executive editor of Outdoor Life magazine, for the start of the 2024 Victorian duck hunting season. We look forward to seeing the results of her visit in the coming months, as it's always great to have international recognition for our work.

Super-Junior earmuffs

A quick shout-out for our limited edition Super-Junior earmuffs for under-12s! Join up your under-12 family member or friend

now and they will receive a set of these earmuffs.

I love to see young people out in the field or at events, and these hearing defenders are designed to encourage parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and anyone with young ones interested in hunting or shooting to get them out in the field while making sure they are safe and comfortable. Whether chasing meat, vermin, or clays, let's ensure our youngest members are well protected, and let’s get them out there!

A heartfelt thank you

I'd like to close out this column by again taking a minute to express my deepest gratitude to all the hard-working FGA members, volunteers, and contributors who make everything we do at FGA possible. It's your dedication and passion that keep our organization thriving. Let's continue to work together to ensure a sustainable and successful future for Field & Game Australia.

Thank you for being part of the Field & Game Australia family!

Lucas Cooke CEO, Field & Game Australia

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Put some polish on your hunting dog

What does polish on the dog mean? Well, it means your dog is “working for the gun”: within range of you; steady to fur, feather and shot; and not retrieving as the gun goes off.

Now, some would say “I don’t care” –and I get that. But having shot over gundogs that are not “working for the gun”, I know the disadvantages.

You will fill your bag faster and without the worry of a dog getting in the way of you taking a shot if you have steadiness built into your hunting gundog.

There is much more enjoyment when the dog sits once it has flushed the game and you can take an easy shot without any pressure, no yelling and no blowing a whistle until you’re blue in the face.

I’m not saying your gundog should be up to trialling standards – although, I can assure you that if your dog was steady then it would compete in events quite well.

To me, the thrill of seeing a gundog working live wild game for the gun and table is a sight to behold. The splendour of a pointing dog taking air scent while working a bird, using all the natural ability that has been bred into him for the past 200 years, and then seeing him flush the bird and stand motionless while watching the bird fly, then marking the fall and showing complete steadiness is something I will never get tired of. Or seeing a spaniel’s body language change when she has located a rabbit in thick cover, then the excitement in her as the bolting rabbit she has flushed is rolled by her owner while she sits up like a soldier showing complete steadiness. Now that’s a hunting dog.

After training and hunting with gundogs for some 45 years, my thirst has never waned. I often go on YouTube to watch a pointing dog work game, or a busy little cocker flush game – but the disappointment comes when the quality work is spoilt by the chasing.

What is steadiness?

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of steadiness. There are two types: The first, while retrieving; and the second, while flushing game.

Steadiness to the flush is all about putting in the foundation work. We must teach the dog to sit on command, around the house, and in the park while walking at heel.

The key to the sit is when you release the dog. To gain complete steadiness it’s essential that you go back to your dog once the dog has assumed the sit position.

I know a lot of people in training sit their dog, walk away some metres then call their dog – the “recall”. I know obedience dog clubs do this, and while I believe these clubs do some great work in lots of areas, the recall from a sit is not what I would teach a gundog. It’s actually saying to the dog, “you can break after I have told you to sit.”

I always go back to my dog and then release with “get on”. I believe this is saying to the dog “nothing can happen until I come back”, so they learn to stay put.

Okay, so now you’re asking “when do I teach the recall?”. It’s taught when the dog is running around in the backyard.

I call the dog and give a reward of food then make a fuss of the dog. The only time I use food as a reward is for the recall. If you use food for everything then it weakens the effectiveness.

Once it’s going well in the backyard,

we continue in the park.

Remember, consistency is key to all training exercises.

When my dog has been taught steadiness and we head to the field, I never send my dog for the first retrieve. It’s my turn to pick it up – and this is teaching steadiness. My dog might get a retrieve after maybe five head of game have been shot, and then I will probably go to the dog to send him for his retrieve, once again strengthening his steadiness.

So, as you can see, it’s a bit of work – but if you’re after a nice obedient dog this is well worth it.

Over my many years in the sport of gundog training I have run many training classes, and out of these training classes I have overseen 19 field trial champions evolve – and I believe my method of teaching the lesson of steadiness in this way has been instrumental in this success.

The other factor in gundog steadiness is steady to the shot.

How many times do we see gundogs that break to shot? Yet it’s not all that hard to train or to fix.

The main reason is that every time the handler takes a shot and downs a bird or a rabbit, the next sound a dog hears is “fetch”. So, with the dog being one of the best animals at anticipation, he says to himself: “don’t worry about the fetch, I’ll get it.”

If you put a question mark in the dog’s

head – “is he going to say ‘fetch?’” – then things will change.

When you shoot game, don’t send the dog for every head downed. Make her think, “is this my turn?”. Send for the hard retrieve, while you go and pick up the easy one and make the dog sit and watch. Same in your training with dummies; make the dog sit and watch you pick up.

I believe there is not as much temptation with dummies for a dog to break, but it’s the start of teaching steadiness to the shot.

You can sit your dog with a couple of others, then throw a few dummies around and just ask one to retrieve. This will help the dogs to understand steadiness.

One of the exercises I teach with a group of dogs is to have six or eight in a line sitting beside their handler off-lead. I then throw a couple of dummies out in front of the group to tempt them into breaking, but because the handler is next to them and they get caught once or twice, we get a steady group. Once we get steadiness, I will ask one handler to send their dog for the retrieve. It’s another temptation for the other dogs – but you can see all of this is teaching your dog steadiness.

I can guarantee you, with some proper training and a little thought you’re going out in the field with a much more reliable gundog, which means more game to cook and a much more enjoyable day.

Good luck with your training and have an awesome hunt next time out.

A season to be thankful for

The Victorian duck season 2024 has been a resounding success with unmatched hunter compliance despite the precautionary approach to start times, low bag limits and the unjust late announcement of 32 wetland closures.

The 2024 season has once again proven that responsible hunting is a positive force with multiple benefits – not just for those involved, but for conservation and the environment as well.

One of the most notable highlights is the incredible level of compliance among hunters. With more than 1000 hunters checked in the first weeks of the season, fewer than 10 infringements had been issued. This is a testament to the dedication and responsibility of the hunting community, demonstrating that they take game management regulations seriously and strive to uphold them.

As hunters, we still have more to do though; and as Field & Game Australia works together with the ETU of Victoria to gain 2500 new holders of game bird hunting licences, with that comes the responsibility of educating the newcomers in the correct way to hunt ethically and sustainably, while also adhering to all the

rules and regulations that surround this outdoor activity.

As outdoor recreation activities become more popular, they naturally draw the attention of others and become more heavily regulated. Responsibilities around campfire safety and the gathering of wood for fires are examples of activities hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts need to bring themselves up-to-date with.

Critics claim that compliance officers aren't everywhere – however effective enforcement doesn't require constant surveillance. After all, police don't monitor every intersection, and health inspectors don't stand in every restaurant; there's no reason why Game Management Authority (GMA) officers need to be omnipresent to ensure compliance – and the numbers so far speak for themselves.

From the outset of the season, Field & Game Australia staff were in the field with Natalie Krebs from the USA’s

Outdoor Life magazine, chatting with hunters, ensuring they had the relevant information at hand if needed, and documenting their behaviour – and that of others. As it turned out, we needed to help some of our members handle the inappropriate behaviours of others within the community.

Keep your eyes peeled for much more to come from Natalie and Outdoor Life, and we would like to thank all those who we reached in the field for your warm welcome, kindness and willingness to share.

While hunters continue to excel in complying with the regulations, the same cannot be said for some antihunting activists. This season has seen an increase in lawlessness within the activist community, with a record number of banning notices issued. Leaders from major anti-hunting organizations were among those cited for breaking the law,

Duck, with Glenn Falla

underscoring the double standards that exist in the debate over hunting.

Despite the noise from anti-hunting groups, the hunting conditions in Victoria have been excellent, with high levels of participation from hunters.

“The science is clear,” FGA’s CEO Lucas Cooke said. “The consumptive harvest of ducks is completely sustainable, and hunting game birds is a responsible use of a valuable resource.”

The evidence of this was certainly obvious

as we visited camps around the Kerang, Boort, Donald, Sale and Geelong regions, with the camp oven ducks on offer and a large number of beverages unfortunately having to be turned down on multiple occasions – as you can only consume so much food and drink!

>> After the harvest comes the work of plucking the birds and preparing them for cooking.

This season, the hunting was reasonable if you could find a public wetland where your hunt was not hindered by anti-hunting activists, you weren’t illegally locked out of a state game reserve by those who sought to restrict your recreational pursuits, and obscenities were not graffitied on signs or posts letting you know what the activists thought of you in case you were not already aware.

Many hunters went out and found private access to wetlands to avoid any possible confrontation, and participation and harvest levels were above average.

The 8am starts each day of the season hampered and discouraged many a hunter, and it’s hard to imagine the validity of such a decision given that the end of the hunting day was left at half an hour past sunset, where each minute the light is diminishing as opposed to half an hour prior to sunrise where every minute the light improves.

Other states, including Tasmania and South Australia, have run concurrent seasons during 2024 with similarly positive results. Moreover, research indicates these states with open hunting seasons tend to have the healthiest wetlands and the best duck and quail populations. These states understand that responsible hunting contributes to conservation efforts, environmental health, and the upkeep of public land. By allowing people to access and harvest birds for their own consumption, hunting fosters a culture of stewardship and sustainable practices.

The Victorian duck season has shown that, when done responsibly and with adherence to regulations, hunting can be a force for good. It's not just about tradition; it's about ensuring a sustainable future for our wetlands, our wildlife, and our communities.

As the season continues in South Australia and Tasmania, the focus remains on safety, sustainability, and the shared passion for the great outdoors.

With less restrictive regulations and fewer activist confrontations, these other states remain popular for Victorians – and those passionate about their pursuit of the wild harvest crossed the border many times to take part. South Australia in particular – with a 10-bird daily bag limit, sensible start and finish times and the possibility to hunt hardhead or white-eyed duck – was popular throughout the season, which was a decent length unlike in Victoria.

Meanwhile, the newly formed Great Outdoors Taskforce, announced on April

1, 2024, offers the opportunity for hunting organisations such as Field & Game Australia to address the requirements incumbent upon them as custodians of the lands on which we hunt and to provide active outdoor recreation opportunities – provided there is the chance for true consultation to achieve these aims.

As our members read this, there should still be a little time to get to South Australia and enjoy the success that has been enjoyed at places like Water Valley (Wetlands and Wildlife), the narrows at Narrung, Loveday Reserve, Tolderol Reserve, Lake George or Lake Bonney SE.

Let’s also not forget that, as these southern seasons finish, we can turn our attention northwards and take a look at the prospects for duck and goose hunting in the Northern Territory that will start in September, and prepare for the management program that supports our rice industry in NSW later this year.

Here’s looking forward, also, to the transfer from the Interim Harvest Model to an Adaptive Harvest Model, and all the other processes that will assist in preserving this wonderful activity into the future; and if the anti-duck-hunting

activists weren’t on the back foot after the decision to allow the continuation of hunting following the Victorian game bird hunting inquiry in 2023, the $11.6 million pledged in the recent budget for game bird hunting to continue should seal the deal.

Onwards and upwards. With security around game bird hunting’s future in the bag, and the sustainability argument settled, let’s get stuck in and ensure that science and data are the driving factors for intelligent decisions that strive to ensure growth, sustainability, and opportunity.

Meanwhile, continue to submit your fantastic images to us that pay respect to your harvest, share your recipes, and take a while to reflect on the wonderful people you’ve shared the season with. If you are anything like us, you’ve introduced new hunters this season, shown international hunters what Australia has to offer, and showcased this wonderful country that is ours to share and enjoy respectfully.

See you on the swamp!

Glenn Falla, FGA Conservation and Hunting Manager

On the quail trail

At the time of writing, the Victorian and South Australian quail hunting seasons were well underway and the Tasmanian brown quail season was about a week away from its start.

As we’ve seen within the duck hunting community, hunter compliance has again been high, and we’re pleased to report the overall success of the season this year with plenty of birds and good bags harvested.

As the season progressed, it became evident how critical early-morning starts were to success; with seasonal conditions in much of the state drier than anticipated, early-morning moisture on the ground and in the air allowed the best conditions for working dogs to seek out their quarry.

The Victorian Game Management Authority put out this press release prior to the season’s start:

With stubble quail hunting season opening … we are reminding hunters to ensure you positively identify your target as a stubble quail. Remember, if you're NOT SURE, DON'T SHOOT. Pay attention to the size, colour, flight noise and characteristics, the type of habitat and the social organisation of the birds. Our interactive Quail Hunting Basics module is full of useful quail hunting tips and includes a section on how to distinguish between stubble quail and non-game quail species: https://bitly.ws/JHru The stubble quail season closes on Sunday, June 30, 2024. Hunting is permitted from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset throughout the season. The bag limit is 20 birds per day. If hunting on private property, ensure you have the consent of the owner or occupier of the property.

We know hunters generally do all the right things; however, this was a timely reminder that bird identification is paramount and that things like retrieval plans and the regulations around retrieving a bird to the hand before firing at another are a cultural change that requires constant attention from hunters to ensure their activities remain law-abiding. There’s

nothing more demeaning than taking that perfect pair as you have done for 40 years and posting it all over social media only to be hounded down by well-educated and astute followers who know that what you’ve so proudly advertised as having done is no longer legal.

Clearly, as the anti-duck-hunting activists feel they are losing impact, they are shifting their focus to other forms of game bird hunting and criticising hunter behaviour in an attempt to damage our reputation as responsible and ethical hunters.

Our CEO Lucas Cooke said hunter behaviour in the field – as was the case in the wetlands – was exemplary. “The behaviour of hunters is exactly what we

expect; as a community, they are highly compliant,” he said.

The banning of lead shot for quail hunting at the end of the 2024 season will require industry support and attention by hunters to ensure compliance next season.

It should be noted that Field & Game Australia did not support this ban. During Victoria’s Parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s native game bird hunting arrangements, FGA was questioned on this topic, and our CEO responded “… lead in farmland and lead dispersed across stubble quail habitat does not concentrate and is not ingested by the birds, so I think it is a very different thing to consider (than lead in wetlands). It is not quite as >>

HUNTING Quail, with Glenn Falla

Brittany spaniel Sophie is pretty happy with her efforts in a northern Victoria stubble paddock.

simple as saying, ‘It’s banned for ducks; why don’t we just ban it for quail as well?’ It has very different effects on those environments.”

While that explanation was accepted, the committee still recommended a ban. The reasoning for the transition from lead to non-toxic options in quail hunting is more about human consumption than it is around dispersal of lead into the environment. Studies around lead dust consumed per gram of quail meat are significantly higher than in waterfowl. This (just like the shift to non-toxic rounds in waterfowling 30 years ago) will be controversial, heavily opposed by some and instantly accepted as factual by others. Many of our hunters decided in 2024 to combine a quail hunt in the early hours of daylight, with a duck hunt after 8am and perhaps a little vermin control along the way. Let’s face it, bumping a fox or a hare is not uncommon in the quail paddock and any good paddock that is nearby and contains a dam or a small private swamp that hasn’t had hunting pressure can deliver a mixed bag and satisfaction for the dogs and hunter alike.

Reports from South Australia are not dissimilar to the story in Victoria: a lot of the state is dry, and moisture is critical to success. Effort equals reward, as is the case with most hunting, and those who put in the effort were well pleased.

We love nothing more at Field & Game Australia than seeing the beautiful images that our members take while in the field, leaving behind the troubles of the world as they continue the traditions and honour the heritage that is game bird hunting alongside family and friends and their trusty four-legged companions – without whom the job would be much more difficult and far less pleasurable.

Our readers will need to wait until the next issue of this magazine to find out how the brown quail season panned out on the Apple Isle, hopefully including some great new recipes from our wild food harvesters down south who believe their brown quail eat better than the stubble quail we hunt further north.

See you in the field!

Glenn Falla, FGA Conservation and Hunting Manager

A young pup learns the ropes in the field (top) while the seasoned campaigners show how it's done (right).

Island-hopping north to south: A DIY Tassie adventure

Delayed flights are never a great way to start an adventure, but living on Groote Eylandt, a remote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Australia’s north, it is a regular occurrence.

It was to have been a smooth run through Cairns into Melbourne, a quick trip to the family farm for a catch-up with my parents and to collect my bag of decoys, binoculars and callers, eat some ossobuco, enjoy a bottle of wine and be back to Melbourne

for my flight to Launceston the next day. Well, that was the plan, anyway.

Instead, I was left stranded at Cairns Airport, queuing to buy a new ticket to Melbourne. My Groote flight had been delayed two hours, and with my connecting flight having powered off without me in the meantime, I was left to wait around the airport another eight hours.

Travelling with firearms adds another level of stress to flying. The extra security

procedures, the personal escort from staff through the airport from check-in to baggage drop, wondering if your “special” baggage will actually arrive at your destination and allow you to conduct the purpose of your trip, and on arrival waiting for the staff to check your tag numbers and licence numbers before finally you’re on your way.

While these are important measures needed for the safe and secure >>

HUNTING in Tasmania by Dwayne Devanny

Joe and Dwayne push the punt out to their chosen hunting spot.

transport of a firearm, they are also a ball and chain around your ankle if you’re used to breezing through an airport without a care in the world.

I’ve often thought I should put piano stickers on my gun case to lessen the sideways looks from other passengers.

This time my wait in Cairns Airport was a great experience, as the staff I’d just purchased my ticket from had kindly allowed me to check my luggage in five hours early. Thus, freed like a hermit crab leaving behind its shell, I jumped into a taxi and was off to the Cairns CBD for a walk down the esplanade, a cold beer, and a long-needed massage after months of work. Finally, a win on the travel front!

Duck hunting in Tassie

After working up north in the oppressive tropical heat, my partner Hannah (my selfproclaimed better half) and I find ourselves longing for cold nights and wood fires in the next chapter of our lives.

Late last year, after months of searching, we found and purchased the perfect house in the central highlands of Tasmania. Most people, upon hearing of our plan, reckon they wouldn’t be able to handle the cold; I guess time will tell.

The Highlands in Tasmania are famous for trout fishing (particularly fly fishing in its many lakes), its fallow deer population, wallaby hunting and duck hunting.

While we were doing the research for our forever home, we’d also looked into what and where we could hunt in Tasmania – and this led us to the Tasmanian Government website responsible for game licensing: https://nre.tas.gov.au/wildlifemanagement/recreational-hunting-licences

An online hunting licence was soon purchased; luckily, I’d previously done my Waterfowl Identification Test in Victoria, as it is a requirement for the Tassie duck hunting licence. It was a straightforward process, and the hunting licence arrived on Groote Eyelandt a month later.

Surprisingly, in Tasmania pheasant, mutton bird and wallaby are all licence additions available to hunters as well as deer, duck and quail. Wallaby hunting is only available in Tasmania in certain areas and on private land.

A drive after dark will have you seeing wallabies every ten meters, so it’s little wonder the locals recommend trying to avoid having to drive at night.

Wallaby meat is amazing table fare. It can be tender like lamb and fine like rabbit,

when cooked right. Our mates who visited over Easter can attest to this; they raved about the Wallaby stew I whipped up and said it was the best stew they had ever eaten.

The hardest part of hunting in Tasmania is trying to work out the regulations, particularly where you can hunt. Hydro Tasmania seems to manage duck hunting areas, and the huntable areas are listed on its website as well as that of Tas Gov.

Arthurs Lake’s Cowpaddock Bay – being closest to and therefore a contributing factor to the purchase of our new home – offers trout, deer and duck on our doorstep. As you can imagine, I’m keen to get there and explore.

After a quick overnight in Melbourne, the flight to Launceston went smoothly and I was relieved when the airport staff handed me my gun case.

Budget car rentals had me a ute ready to go, and I was off! Well, almost; after a quick visit back to the Budget receptionist to ask why my car wouldn’t start (new cars do my head in), the response was “you do have your foot on the clutch, don’t you?”. Shamefully, I turned around on the spot, headed back to the ute, and set off at last.

Some decoys and ammunition were needed, and Google Maps had me heading for Sports Hut – an impressive shop with everything you could need – however, they had run out of decoys. Being a

Dwayne Devanny with the fruits of the harvest.

month into the Tassie season (March 9 to June 10), keen shoppers had long since cleaned them out. Ammo was also in short supply because of the uncertainty around Victoria’s season, and then with the excitement around the announcement those pesky mainlanders had consumed most of the steel shot supply.

Happily, I was able to buy a handful of boxes of Winchester Super X duck load, a favourite shell of mine.

Opening a box of Winchester Super X provides one of those wonderful aromas that we associate with a particular location or time in our life – it’s a smell that takes me back to being a young shooter getting ready for fox drives back in northeast Victoria.

I dropped in to visit a new friend – keen fly fisherman, experienced hunter and allround great bloke Joe – and his wife Jenny, and we hatched a plan for a duck hunt later in the week up in the northeast of the state on some private water.

Then, with a bag of fresh home-grown apples in tow, I was off to find some decoys. I could have borrowed some; but on this trip, I could simply leave them at our new place for next time, something I’ve never been able to do as a travelling hunter.

Another quick Google Maps search found Webb’s Hunting and Fishing in Longford. A phone call to confirm the availability of decoys had a positive outcome, and I was on my way.

A chat with the store’s owner Ian Webb – himself a keen hunter and fisherman –was fruitful as he pointed out some other hunting areas to explore and confirmed that, yes, where I was intending to hunt at Cowpaddock was legal, which was reassuring as a first-time visitor. I highly recommend stopping at Webb’s in Longford for the local lay of the land.

It’s a small world; Ian had had another customer from Groote Eyelandt that very morning. Ian had never heard of the place before that day – then, bam! In comes his second customer from Groote on the same day.

With decoys, information, and some milk and food supplies from the IGA

Arthurs Lake, a paradise for waterfowl of many different species.

Dwayne Devanny with a nice brown trout.

A decoy awaits commitment from the real thing.

supermarket next door, I was finally setting off up the mountain with a sense of relief that I was here in Tassie doing the right thing and everyone I’d met today was great salt-of-the-earth-type people – and I felt that I belonged here.

Winding my way up Poatina Rd, I pulled into Gunns Marsh Rd and made my way up to Cowpaddock Bay at Arthurs Lake. It was full of water and birdlife. Swans, coots, grebes, black ducks, chestnut teal and wood ducks all made themselves known.

I followed some bootprints to the water’s edge. Prints in the mud, not yet dried, and four sticks stuck in the mud – no doubt used to hold up a blind of sorts – indicated someone had hunted there earlier that day.

I’d finally made it to where I’d been wanting to be for months, and there was water and ducks to hunt. What a relief.

I found a nice place nearby to set up for the next morning. With a bit more cover closer to the water, duck footprints in the mud and endless duck poo everywhere, all was in readiness.

Next stop, home. It felt great to walk in the door of our almost Canadian-feel log cabin,

and the smell of pine wood and warmth welcomed me to our new home. With the fire lit and a glass of red poured, I settled in for the night and thought, “This is living”.

The first hunt

I arrived at Arthurs Lake a bit late – not unusual for me. It was light enough without a head torch, just light enough to see where I was walking, and with decoys deployed I loaded the Browning Cynergy and perched on a rock behind a fallen dead tree, lightly coved in branches so as not to be seen.

It wasn’t the best day for ducks; no wind, clear skies and no other hunters about made it tough hunting. The morning passed, broken up by a few hailing calls on my Fowl Talker caller with black ducks happily responding but content to stay where they were.

A pair of blackies finally decided to come for a look, appearing from my right but behind the old tree’s branches. A window of safe shooting opportunity opened up as the blackies passed by the large congregation of swans out in front, cupped up and put down their landing gear. Inserting a little lead in front of the rear

bird as the gun came to shoulder and cheek, I felt the recoil and the rear bird folded. The second shot was not as textbook as the first; my pattern landed well behind and over the top, missing completely as my head was well off the stock in amazement that I’d actually pulled off such a great shot in the first place.

The black duck landed in the decoys, gave a quack, looked around at his fellow plastic imitations and took off before I could reload – flying off as healthy as it flew in.

But I was happy knowing he was totally fine, and I’d successfully guided myself to my first Tasmanian Pacific black duck –and with that had secured my dinner for the night.

A hunt with Joe

On the Thursday before Good Friday, I drove off the hill down to Launceston and met up with Joe as planned. He’d invited me to come along with him to an area he’d hunted for more than 30 years. I’m always excited to hunt with long-time duck hunters as I’m only a newcomer.

Launceston to the northeast tip of the state is a couple of hours by road, a big

An old shack at Cowpaddock Bay, Arthurs Lake, Tasmania.

Dwayne Devanny's 'forever home' at Miena, northeast Tasmania.

drive by Tassie standards. It’s a great drive, following the coast but slightly inland behind sand dunes, not unlike the west coast of New Zealand (without the snow-capped mountains), and it’s here that I get my first glimpse of a Cape Barren goose – and not just a pair; heaps of them, outnumbering the cattle in some paddocks, managed by mitigation permits. It was an impressive sight, not unlike the first time I saw magpie geese walking around sporting ovals and parks in Darwin.

But I will have to wait for another hunting opportunity to arise for these large Tassie birds.

We arrived at a shack, unpacked the wagon, turned the water on at the tank and the hot water on at the switch, put a couple of coldies in the fridge and set off to check the blind and carry our decoys out for the morning.

Driving through private land and into teatree scrub, we popped out at small clearing with a little gap in the tea-trees where the dirt ramp cut through the scrub, exposing a glimpse out to the water. We were instantly met by the noise of a big group of teal and black ducks happily chatting away – and it was easy to see why Joe was

happy to put in the hours driving the long trip out there.

We put the small punt in with decoys and tea-tree branches, pulled on our waders and slowly made our way 100 metres or so into the waterhole. It seemed to be a lagoon off a creek; the going was tough, as Tasmania had not had much rainfall this summer or autumn, and what would normally be an easy row was now a challenging wade in the sludge. I now realised that the boat was there to hang on to, as I was on the verge of falling over at nearly every step.

I couldn’t shake the thought that a croc was about to appear; the waterhole looked just like a billabong up north and to me every bit of mud or log looked like eyes popping up waiting to ambush us as we made our way to the blind.

Joe reminded me the only real danger was a tiger snake that usually sunned himself on a railing in the bind, but as I climbed the ladder, I was happy to report to Joe “he’s not here today”.

With the blind freshly brushed and the decoys in a bag ready to be put out in the morning, we made our way back, leaving

the boat waiting at the water’s edge ready for the following day.

The alarm went off at 5am; not wanting to be late this morning, after a quick coffee we headed off, dodging wallabies and the larger forester kangaroos which I didn’t realise Tassie had. We arrived at the clearing, boat still there with ducks calling, greeting us. Waders on, we set the decoys and settled in to await shooting light.

As we waited, ducks came and went, and a platypus popped up and happily swam around our decoys. It was the fourth one I’d seen this trip.

It’s great to see healthy waterways where hunting and protected wildlife co-exist – but I’m bloody glad the platty hadn’t popped up beside me the previous day because it would have triggered my croc reaction and had me jumping for the boat and a new pair of waders!

The morning broke with clear skies and little wind. It was not ideal for hunting ducks; however, other shooters helped keep the birds moving for everyone.

The first identifiable ducks in the morning light were a good group of teal that came to the decoys, resulting in a pair dispatched. I reloaded, and soon black ducks and a few mountain ducks made up the bag.

Bluewing shovelers were about in good numbers; unfortunately, like in Victoria this year, they are not on the game bird list in Tasmania.

It was a slow morning by Joe’s standards. A full bag of black ducks is the norm, but this time the tally was a mixed bag of teal and mountain ducks and a couple of fat blackies.

I enjoyed a great morning hunting with Joe, seeing his decoy layout at work, and listening to stories about how he’d been hunting that patch of wetland for many years.

Hunting in the wetlands has to be the best use of an Easter long weekend, and I hope this is the first of many trips I get to share with Joe.

We packed up, plucked ducks and bagged meat for the table, then hit the road.

I had a couple more days to fill in the Tassie highlands, chasing brown trout on fly, and eating venison, wallaby stew, and pan-seared medium-rare duck shared with mainlanders visiting over Easter, washed down with good wine and lots of laughs.

This Tassie life isn’t too bad.

I’m sure in time I’ll get used to the maneating platypus.

For Dwayne Devanny, nothing beats a meal of game meat.

Photos tell our story

We asked for them, and you provided!

Field & Game Australia has been thrilled to receive your entries for our photo competition, with some truly stunning images submitted from our members. From sunrise over the wetlands to the duck and quail harvesting grounds, from waterside duck blinds to family campsites and the satisfaction of a well-made retrieve from your four-legged hunting mate, we’ve loved having you share your precious moments with us. With so many amazing images to choose from, it was difficult to pick the winners –but here they are:

First prize – FGA’s water-resistant fleece hoodie with wetland pattern (valued at $130) plus the matching wetland camo cap ($30): Greg Smith.

Second prize – fleece hoodie: Mike Filby.

Third prize – camo cap: Laurence Martin. We had so many fantastic entries that we decided to also give a couple of Highly Commended prizes as well; an entry from Kim Hamilton and also from Beau Asmussen have each won an FGA aluminium drink bottle ($20).

But this competition was not just about the prizes or the recognition of our members’ photography skills; it was about celebrating the passion and camaraderie that define the hunting experience. Your photos tell stories of adventure, perseverance, appreciation for the great outdoors and the wild harvest. They capture moments that resonate with fellow hunters and nature enthusiasts alike, fostering a sense of connection and appreciation for the environments and the native animals we all cherish.

So, next time you gear up for a hunt, keep your camera handy and share those special moments with us and the wider FGA community.

Help us tell our story.

OUR WINNER: Greg Smith sent us this photo of his grandson Max Senini, a fourthgeneration duck hunter.

SECOND PRIZE WINNER: Mike Filby sent in this photo of his dog Charlie Brown: “The best retriever (and mate) that a fellow could ask for. His nose, persistence and soft mouth in finding and retrieving downed game is exceptional. Coupled with his gentle good nature makes Charlie Brown my best mate.”

THIRD PRIZE WINNER: Laurence Martin took this photo looking west into the sunset at Heart Morass.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kim Hamilton entered this photo taken at Tolderol Game Reserve.

1. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Beau Asmussen took this photo at Heart Morass.

2. Craig Stoddart sent in this photo taken during the Victorian duck season opening.

3. Sarah Hawkins sent us this photo of daughter Isla, pictured with dogs Lenny and Nelly during Isla’s first duck season, at which point she had bagged two ducks so far. “A very exciting time spent with family and made more enjoyable preparing dinner together and knowing where it has come from,” Sarah said.

4. Mark Spencer took this photo of his son Owen, 13, at his first duck hunt. “He only fired two cartridges for the morning but the excitement of being there and experiencing what hunting is all about will start a long list of special memories,” Mark said.

5. Ram Eskief, quail hunting with Luna in April 2024.

6. The day before duck opening. Photo by Andy Kontou.

7. Aaron Caldwell with sixmonth-old Tilly and her first duck opening. Photo sent in by Tamara Caldwell.

8. Sam and Harriet Wilson busily plucking ducks. Photo sent in by Grace Wagg.

9. Photo by Moses Brincat.

10. A quail hunt. Photo by Paul Anderson.

11. Photo by Ram Eskief.

12. Peter Speed’s photo taken at Heart Morass.

13. Daniel, 14, and dad Ronald Winther.

14. Grace Wagg sent in this photo of Basil Wagg (holding a duck) with Sam, Grace, Harriet, Charlie and Angus all giving plucking a go. “Pop (Basil) couldn’t be more proud,” Grace said. “This year we headed out as a family for the 2024 duck hunting season opening. We scouted for ducks (and got a little wet in the process), we hunted ducks, we plucked the ducks, and we ate the ducks. The plates got devoured so quickly, there was no time for a photo!”

15. Jarvis Atkinson, at the SA duck season opening. Photo sent in by Tanya Howell.

16. A photo by Joe Spagnolo during quail season 2024. The GSPs are Bobby, Nala and Remi. “We Hunted in the Dunkeld area,” Joe said.

17. Christopher Collins and his Hungarian wirehaired vizsla, Nimrod.

18. Photo contributor Wayne Gibson’s daughter Ellie with the results of an evening’s duck hunt in the Western District.

19. Morley’s Swamp. Photo by Geoff Straughen.

Foxes’ days are numbered

About 300km south-east of Adelaide, Kingston SE is a working fishing port and a popular seaside holiday destination in South Australia’s Limestone Coast region.

Known as the home of The Big Lobster – a 17m-high red fibreglass and steel creation welcoming all at the entrance to the town – Kingston SE is also known to have a big concentration of a not-so-popular ruddy-coloured species: the red fox.

An opportunistic feeder, foxes eat a variety of foods, from insects, rodents and reptiles to small- and medium-sized mammals and birds – including ground-dwelling birds such as the Malleefowl, an inhabitant of the Limestone Coast area, which is listed as a vulnerable species under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. A single fox is estimated to consume about 400g of food a night – potentially adding up to thousands of small native mammals, reptiles, birds and insects per fox, each year. As such, it is not difficult to see why foxes are thought to have played a huge role in the eventual extinction of many ground-dwelling native species in Australia within the past 130 years.

Rosstulla Gundogs specialising in Working English Springer Spaniels for the field

In South Australia, foxes are declared for control under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. It is the legal responsibility of the landowner to control foxes on their property.

Puppies, part trained and trained dogs are sometimes available.

Patrick Torrens

0419 869 678

www.rosstulla.com.au

ptorrens@rosstulla.com.au

flood in the winter and provide amazing breeding habitat for many species of waterfowl.

Hunts are well organised with a strong focus on safety and respect for the landholder’s property. Landholders are always pleased to have foxes removed prior to lambing and report a distinct increase in lambing percentages once many of the predators are removed.

Helping landholders to keep the lid on this voracious predator are several fox hunting groups in SA’s south-east and Victoria’s west Wimmera districts, and all have hunters participating in organised fox drives throughout the late autumn and early winter months. The Kingston SE group, comprised of members of Field & Game Australia and other shooting groups, has been active for many years with its efforts concentrated in and around swamplands that

While the main focus is foxes – to date, the largest number dispatched in one day by the Kingston SE group is 91 – feral cats are also targeted although they are rarely seen during the drives.

Many of those participating have been doing this important work for up to 40 and even 50 years.

“Some of these old-timers don’t walk fast or far – but they can still shoot extremely well,” fox drive regular Geoff Watts said. The number of foxes removed each hunt is recorded and supplied to the local natural resources management department in SA, and Victoria’s Game Management Authority.

“In 2023, fox hunting groups and others that spotlight and whistle foxes accounted for 1000-plus foxes that I have been informed about,” Geoff said.

“For 2024 the number is probably half of that so far, with many more hunts to come.”

It’s an ongoing battle, and Geoff said the removal of foxes from an area during a hunt did not mean they were cleared of the pest.

“It is interesting that several areas are hunted twice in a season and often produce the same number in the second hunt as what was accounted for initially,” he said.

With this sobering fact in mind, it’s clear that the work being done by these groups must continue in order to reduce the huge negative impact that foxes have – not only for the benefit of landholders, but so that our native birds and animals can flourish unhindered by the threat of extinction that these wily predators pose.

If you’re in the area and would like to become involved with this important work, please contact Geoff Watts on 0427 717 515.

Sustainable practice benefits all

Flinders Island in the Furneaux group in Bass Strait, between Tasmania and Victoria, covers 200,000 ha (including Cape Barren Island and outlying smaller islands), with 72,000 ha as rural private land and around 45,000 ha of that used for agriculture.

With a human population of about 1000 on Flinders Island, approximately 22 per cent of employees work in the farming sector. Grazing of pastures and fodder crops is currently the main agricultural use of land, with beef and sheep enterprises being dominant. Agricultural production encompasses about 40,000 head of cattle and the same of sheep, worth about $20 million annually (2016 figures).

Livestock compete for that grass with three species of wallaby – Bennett’s, pademelons and potaroos – as well as Cape Barren geese (Cereopsis novaehollandiae).

Flinders Island shelters most of the global population of Cape Barren geese, which are also found in smaller but increasing numbers along the coastlines of Victoria and South Australia, and a subspecies also in Western Australia.

Bennett’s wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus rufogriseus) is the Tasmanian and Bass Strait Island subspecies of the red-necked wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus banksianus) which is found extensively on the Australian mainland. It is estimated that Tasmania is home to about three million Bennett’s wallabies, while standardised abundance surveys for Flinders Island sites (2016-2021) showed 191-257 wallabies per square kilometre.

The Bennett’s wallaby is prevalent on Flinders Island, where they compete with livestock for pasture.

In the 2019-20 season, control of up to 1964

The Tasmanian Government’s Game Services Tasmania has an information sheet that states that three Bennett’s wallabies can consume as much as one sheep, while 12 wallabies can eat as much as one cow. A study from Victoria in 1980, meanwhile, showed the grazing effect of four Cape Barren geese was equivalent to one sheep (16 geese are the equivalent of one cow).

In an effort to control the increasing numbers of Bennett’s wallabies on Flinders Island, from 2005 to 2010 the Bennett’s wallaby quota for the island was 15,000 – split between commercial and non-commercial harvest. Recent changes to management practices mean that no quota is presently allocated although population control still occurs via commercial purposes and recreational hunting licences.

The 2019-20 season gosling count saw a quota authorised for control of up to 1964 Cape Barren geese on Flinders Island, with an actual take of 721 reported.

Using the figures above for past quotas and livestock values, the population control of wallabies and Cape Barren geese is worth almost $700,000 (in 2016 dollars) in increased cattle fodder availability alone. That’s without considering the dollar value of the commercially culled wallaby carcases, the value of the hunting-tourism income for Flinders Island from Cape Barren goose control, or how driving the Cape Barren geese modifies the behaviour of the birds to benefit the farmer. Anecdotal reports suggest that disturbance prevents large flocks from concentrating their grazing activities on high-quality pasture over summer, instead scattering the birds into smaller and less damaging flocks.

Since 2017, the overall take of wallabies in Tasmania for crop protection purposes has averaged more than 900,000 annually (unpublished data provided by Game Services Tasmania) with no apparent decline in the population. Tasmanian wallaby hunting licence annual sales between 2011 and 2021 have risen from about 6800 to over 7600 (compared with approximately 1000 duck and 6000 deer hunting licences).

Tasmanian studies show that hunting pressure can change the age structure of wallaby populations through selective removal of larger individuals (or simply by significantly increasing the total annual mortality rate). In areas with high hunting pressure, wallabies compensate by reproducing at a younger age than wallabies in areas with low hunting pressure. Higher breeding performance in areas with high hunting pressure is due to a decrease in density and, subsequently, an increase in the quantity of resources available for the surviving individuals.

It’s important to note that all this is occurring while populations of both Bennett’s wallabies and Cape Barren geese (and people) are stable or increasing. The social-economic-recreational system evident on Flinders Island today is a great practical example of how active wildlife management – including hunter participation – can be integrated into sustainable landscape management (in this case predominantly agriculture) to benefit all.

Paul Brown Independent ecologist, for Fisheries and Wetland Consulting

Cape Barren geese was authorised on Flinders Island. The reported cull was 721 birds.

The hunt of a lifetime

After cancelled Victorian duck seasons in 2007 and 2008, my husband Ross and I decided to take up deer hunting – sambar in particular. Before this, we had primarily participated in simulated field and game clay target shooting and duck hunting.

In 2009 we attended a deer hunting and education course at Rawson – and then it took seven years of limited deer hunting opportunities before I took my first sambar.

Since then, I’ve been hooked. I have spent as much time as I can in the bush, honing the skills required to be a successful sambar hunter, and have taken quite a few on day hunts – enough for us not to have to buy red meat, anyway!

Backpack hunting piqued my interest in 2019 after hearing backpacking stories from Geoff (Gadge) Abrahall from H&S Firearms in Sale and from watching a lot of YouTube videos –particularly the channel Zebra’s Sambar Hunting Adventures.

I was determined to give backpack hunting a go – and with hubby’s interest in simulated field clay target shooting increasing and his interest in deer hunting waning over the years, my first couple of backpack hunting trips were done with our then 17-year-old son, Ben, and 22kg packs.

When Zeb announced he was seeking interest from his audience for guided hunts, I made contact and let him know that I was eager to do a one-on-one backpacking hunt.

It wasn’t long before Zeb’s business was ready to kick off, so we set about planning our weekend and quickly learnt that we lived within 25 minutes of each other. We caught up to discuss gear, how to lighten

my pack and learning objectives a couple of weeks out from the upcoming hunt.

On a Thursday afternoon in May 2022, Zeb and I set off on our planned trip. Arriving at the designated parking area we donned our packs, double-checked we had everything, then set off on foot at 5:30 pm for the 4km hike into our first camping spot. The last kilometre or so was done using head torches, taking our time as the terrain was steep and slippery as we dropped down to river level.

After setting up a basic camp we set about making a well-earned dinner before retiring for the night. The night was crystal-clear and the only sound was the river babbling beside us as a reminder we’d be crossing it

first thing in the morning.

Friday morning, I woke to find Zeb already up and making our breakfast. After packing up camp we were ready to cross the river. Zeb navigated the river first then directed me to take a different path where the water level was a little lower. The water was freezing but we managed to get across without any drama. After drying our cold feet and putting our shoes and socks on we hung our river shoes in a tree to await our return in three days’ time, and set off up the bank.

It wasn’t long before we put up a hind and calf. We continued to contour around the end of the spur we intended to hunt along. We stopped to glass a large open sunny area, where we spotted a large hind – a good sign, I hoped, of things to come. We navigated our way through chutes in the terraced terrain to the top of the spur and began slowly stalking. There was plenty of fresh sign, so we stopped looking for it and began looking for deer.

We soon noted the distinct and very strong smell of stag.

We slowly crested a slight rise, where I spotted two hinds only 40 metres below us. Halting our progress, Zeb pulled his camera out and began photographing them and playing with them with a caller. After 15 minutes or so they decided to slowly move off.

We continued along a well-used game trail and after rounding a rocky outcrop located a great spot to glass the opposite northfacing hill. Within minutes, a hind then a nice-looking stag were spotted about 750m away. After a few long-range photos, Zeb asked if I wanted to try to

get within my comfortable hunting range to take this stag. I was unreservedly willing to give it a crack as this is exactly what I was here to learn from Zeb: how to stalk in on an animal seen on an opposing face. If we spooked him and didn’t get a shot off, then I was prepared to take that risk.

Zeb came up with a game plan which I quizzed him about to understand the reasons behind the decisions. Our plan was to get up above the stag and come down on top of him.

We left the rocky outcrop at 10:30 am to start our journey across to the other side of the valley. With the wind on our south face not ideal, we decided to take our time walking down into the valley floor. It was steep, damp and slippery as we made our way to the bottom. With a small creek crossing safely navigated and the wind still not ideal, we decided to pull up, have a rest, eat an early lunch, and wait to see what the wind did. The wind remained undesirable, so Zeb explained that we’d walk around into the next gully before beginning the steep climb up.

The further we climbed, the more we detected that the wind was starting to become more favourable. It was now coming up the hill and perfect for implementing our plan. We climbed to an elevation that Zeb believed would place us above the stag’s last known position. As we continued to round our way into the small gully, we walked right under a small spiker feeding not more than 30m above us. He caught our scent and turned to trot off silently.

Rounding our way out of the small gully, we dropped our packs. Making our way onto the same spur as we’d seen the stag, we took our time placing each footstep and glassing well and often. As we quietly descended the hill we came to a small rocky outcrop where Zeb said he believed the stag would be 100 yards below.

We continued slowly and quietly down the hill, and when we next stopped I saw the top of one antler. I slowly turned to indicate to Zeb that I’d located the stag, but he had the binos to his eyes looking away from me and I couldn’t do anything but wait until he’d finished his scan to look at me. Zeb quietly whispered “there he is” – but it was clear to him that I’d already spotted the stag. We were 47 yards away!

The stag was lying in his bed exactly where we’d seen him but had obviously stood and turned to lie in the opposite direction during the time it took us to stalk in on him. He was facing downhill away from us, and with the wind still in our face the stag had no idea we were there.

My heart began to race and sweat coated my hands as Zeb quietly advised me to relax.

In the position the stag was lying, there was no opportunity to take a chest shot and I couldn’t see enough of his head to comfortably take a head shot.

Zeb weighed up waiting for the stag to stand of his own accord, to give him a little call, to break a small stick or to take a headshot. We stood, watching the stag from 47 yards, for a good 30 minutes or so until Zeb said “you’re going to have to get closer and take a head shot”. I thought he was joking!

I used the stronger gusts of wind in the heads of the trees to help conceal each footfall on the dried leaf litter to close the gap to 32 yards. As I stood waiting for Zeb to follow me down (as he’d promised) it was soon apparent that he was staying higher above me at our original distance of 47 yards to watch and video the events about to unfold. It was now all up to me.

I needed to get a couple of steps over to my left to open up a larger field of view on the stag’s head. With a quick glance, I noticed there was a thick blanket of dried leaf litter where I needed to step. Not once taking my eyes off the stag’s head, I managed to step my left foot quietly and far enough to open up an opportunity for a headshot; all I needed to do now was to move my right foot closer to have a more stable stance for a shot. Without looking down I lifted my right foot to bring it into a more comfortable position – and snap! I stepped on and broke a small twig. I squatted slightly and balanced on my left foot as the stag looked around, but he was not looking at me.

In my single-legged semi-squat position, I was pretty well obscured by some long strappy grass between the stag and myself. I repositioned my right foot – and snap! I broke another twig. I couldn’t believe it. It was now or never. Remaining in my semi-squat position, I put my Tikka 30-06

to my shoulder, then slowly stood to my full height and cleared the grass previously helping to conceal my position. Training the crosshairs on the stag’s head, I released the safety and feeling remarkably calm I squeezed off a round. BOOM. I immediately stepped my right foot back for better balance as I reloaded ready to send a second Norma 180 grain plastic point if required, but it wasn’t necessary.

As soon as I had squeezed the trigger Zeb had let out a loud whoop of excitement, before racing down to congratulate me on closing out this stalk with a well-placed shot and taking this stag in his bed.

With the safety back on we slowly made our way down to where the stag lay, carefully checking that he had indeed expired.

Zeb was full of praise and his excitement was palpable and infectious. I was in shock and speechless. I couldn’t believe it!

Everything I had wanted to learn had played out so well and so early in our three-day hunt! It was 2:30 pm on day one; it had taken four hours to get in on this stag. After taking some time to sit and appreciate the stag, we climbed back up the hill to retrieve our packs then back down to take some footage and photos of this magnificent animal and to continue to celebrate what an awesome day it had been.

A four-hour stalk, a freehand headshot at 30m, a 25”x26”x29” stag taken, and enjoying the delicacy of his heart cooked over the campfire that night. It was like it was scripted from start to finish.

The rest of the weekend was spent exploring new country. We managed to locate more deer over the course of the weekend, giving Zeb the chance to capture more footage of these elusive animals.

On Sunday we woke to a heavy frost, waiting until the sun was well up before venturing out of our sleeping bags, having breakfast and packing for the last time. We were not looking forward to wading the river again before starting the long and steep walk back up to the vehicle.

It took just over two hours to climb the 4km back to the car, where we took a wellearned rest and celebrated the end of our weekend hunt with a cooked lunch.

For me, it was the ultimate deer hunting experience and I doubt I’ll ever be able to repeat it, let alone top it. There may be bigger stags in the future but there will never be another incredible story like what I’d experienced on that hunt.

I can’t thank Zeb enough for his leadership, professionalism, dedication, patience and willingness to share his wealth of knowledge in teaching me what I wanted to learn.

New experiences were shared, new lessons were learned, and new lifelong friendships were formed. What a weekend!

Roo harvesting in the spotlight

‘Ethical and sustainable use’ is a term often referred to when discussing the principles of sound management of a resource. It’s a term that is well recognised, and rightly so: it is – or should be – the goal with the use of any resource.

With regard to resources of the animal kind, when a particular resource is in such abundance that it is causing problems for humans as well as other fauna and flora, not only must ‘ethical and sustainable’ use be the goal – we have an obligation to manage those populations for the benefit of all, including the targeted animals themselves.

The Victorian Government is on board with this aim when it comes to the

management of booming kangaroo populations in the state, with two programs targeted at controlling their numbers: the Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) and the Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW).

Keeping a lid on numbers

The ATCW system is for landholders who wish to control kangaroos on their property.

This could be for a number of reasons, including the animals competing with livestock for food, damage to and destruction of crops, and damage to property such as fences. Under this system, the landholder controls and disposes of the kangaroos themselves.

The KHP has a similar objective, with the difference being the landholder engages a licensed professional hunter to do this work for them – and the carcasses are removed for commercial use.

To make sure both these methods do not impact kangaroo populations too much, there is an annual harvest quota that must not be exceeded. The quota can be up to 10% of the estimated grey kangaroo population.

In 2023, the quota was 166,750 – of which only 61,907 or about 45% of the total quota had been filled across the first three quarters in 2023 (data not yet available for the fourth quarter). In Victoria for 2024, the quota is 155,650.

We have a well-monitored and managed system with strict reporting and compliance measures, under which everyone can benefit – farmer, commercial

hunter, those who seek to utilise kangaroo meat for human or pet consumption or ’roo-hide for leather, the environment where over-population is having an impact on other species, and even the targeted population itself through reduced competition for food resources. This is ethical and sustainable use in action.

Activists weigh in

However, all is not as simple as it should be. Animal activists, pushing fanciful rhetoric that kangaroos are in danger of being wiped out through culling, and spreading horror stories about the animals’ treatment at the hands of shooters, have managed to convince those who do not

know any better that this is indeed the case. Not only have they succeeded in convincing large swathes of the general population – they have also managed to convince governments. In the United States, Connecticut and Oregon have bowed to recent pressure and are attempting to ban the sale and use of imported kangaroo products. In California, kangaroo products have been banned since the 1970s apart from a lifting of the ban between 2007 and 2015.

Supply and demand

Jack Blake has been a Victorian kangaroo harvester full-time for a little under two years.

The job is part kangaroo management for farmers and part meat supply for commercial pet food manufacturers. Early in his ’roo harvesting career, Jack also supplied a processor who dealt in kangaroo meat for human consumption – but with the rate of pay only slightly better per kilo than meat harvested for pet food, and the hygiene standards much more onerous, he decided that side of the business was not worth the extra effort.

There was a time when there was a good market for kangaroo leather as well.

The strongest leather for its weight, kangaroo leather is highly durable and until

recently had been a preferred material for manufacturers of some sportswear goods, particularly soccer boot cleats.

However, the market collapsed when several large sportswear manufacturers –led by Puma and quickly followed by Nike and New Balance – bowed to activist and political pressure and announced in 2023 that they would cease using kangaroo leather (“K-leather”) for their products.

No doubt, considerations of brand image and consumer perception played a large part in the decision to stop using kangaroo leather, with the animal activist campaign Kangaroos Are Not Shoes

having succeeded in its mission to turn consumers against the kangaroo industry.

Jack said the dip in demand for kangaroo leather products had made an impact on kangaroo harvesters, with fewer jobs available and less money offered for the harvest.

A typical night’s work

The harvesting work takes Jack all over western Victoria, from the outer edges of Melbourne and Geelong almost to the South Australian border.

“Depending on the weather, it could be up

to three nights a week – it depends on the weather and the wind,” he said.

On a typical expedition, Jack aims to reach the harvest property by just on dark –meaning about 6pm in winter or up to 9:30 or 10pm during the summer months. He usually stays out all night or until he has a full load, but always leaves in time to meet the requirement of reaching a processor’s chiller by two hours after sunrise.

“If I have a good night, my crate can hold 48 … I haven’t really got anything under 30 for a night,’’ he said.

Jack’s targets are eastern grey kangaroos, which inhabit most of the state and are estimated to number in the millions in Victoria – despite what some activists would have the general public believe.

The February 2023 report State-wide abundance of kangaroos in Victoria, 2022 –Results from the 2022 aerial survey by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research found there to be an estimated 2,418,000 kangaroos in Victoria, with an estimated 2,146,000 of those being eastern grey kangaroos – accounting for an overwhelming majority of 89% of the total Victorian population.

Jack said he targeted kangaroos over about 20kg for the best return – with some weighing up to 70 or 75kg and even more occasionally.

Interest booming

Despite the potential for good returns, Jack said there was a bit of work involved in becoming accredited and there weren’t too many full-time kangaroo harvesters employed in Victoria currently. He personally only knows of a handful –although the interest is there from many others.

“There’s a lot of people getting their tickets now, thinking it would be good … and they just might be weekenders … but I get asked a lot. People are getting into it, they’re spending money – (but) they haven’t even talked to processors, and processors aren’t taking new shooters.”

He said the process of gaining his “ticket” was “pretty involved”, and the cost of setting up a harvesting rig could be substantial – especially if starting from scratch.

“You’ve just got to do a couple of TAFE courses, proficiency shooting, that side of things, and then get your vehicle set up

and then audited and accredited.

“You can spend a bit of money – it depends what you came in with.”

Control measures critical

The Victorian Government’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action says kangaroos “require management for the health and welfare of kangaroo populations and the protection of people, property and biodiversity”.

With one of the several commonly cited problems caused by an over-abundance of kangaroos being traffic accidents – for example, motor vehicle insurer AAMI reported 7992 kangaroo collision claims between March 2018 and February 2019 – it is not just the farming industry and our native flora and fauna that is impacted: every road user is at risk.

Sustainable and ethical harvesting that utilises the whole animal, rather than letting this resource go to waste, ultimately safeguards the prosperity of our farming industry, improves the safety of road users, helps the conservation of habitat for other native flora and fauna, and ensures the ultimate survival of the kangaroo population itself.

Cull a matter of necessity

Following on from our article on the culling of deer in South Australia in the March edition of this magazine, this issue we’re taking a look at Tasmania and the deer problem currently impacting the island, and more particularly the ancient and fragile Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) is a unique and beautiful place. One of just two areas in the world that meet seven out of the 10 UNESCO World Heritage listing requirements, the TWWHA covers more than 1.58 million hectares – almost a quarter of the island state.

Within the TWWHA lies Walls of Jerusalem National Park, a sparkling gem containing ancient forests with trees more than 1000 years old, and many plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.

Tasked with preserving this spectacular and remote wilderness is the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.

“We have an obligation to preserve it for generations to come,” a PWS spokesperson said.

A growing concern

Deer are now present within the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and are having an impact on the park’s environment. The animals have also been observed in other areas of the TWWHA and many other Tasmanian parks.

A survey of what’s known as the traditional deer range (areas of the Tasmanian Midlands, Fingal Valley and Central Plateau) in 1985 estimated the population to be about 11,000 animals. A similar survey in 2019 estimated the

population to be about 54,000 animals. Not only have deer numbers increased, but so too has the area they inhabit. It is estimated that deer now occupy 27 per cent of Tasmania’s landmass, including areas of high conservation value such as the TWWHA.

The population expansion in recent years is due to a number of reasons, including the addition of irrigation schemes in the traditional deer range, and the collapse of the agricultural deer industry in the early 2000s which saw a number of satellite populations emerge, increasing the presence of deer in areas outside of their traditional range and leading to social and economic impacts in many areas of Tasmania.

Impacting a fragile system

The Walls of Jerusalem National Park is a beautiful and wild place, but it is also extremely fragile. It has evolved over millions of years; however, new threats are emerging causing land managers great concern, such as climate change, increased fire occurrence and intensity, reduction in rainfall and invasion by nonnative species such as weeds, cats, deer and wild dogs, all of which are impacting the park’s values.

Deer are cloven-hoofed large herbivores (ungulates) and are not native to Tasmania. Not only do they compete with native herbivores, deer browse plants at a higher level and target different species not accustomed to grazing. Deer expose the understorey to the effects of wind, which in turn impacts other species such as nesting birds. Cloven hooves damage fragile soils, particularly the soft organic soils (peat soils) found within Walls of Jerusalem National Park, and as deer travel large distances they facilitate the spread of weeds into areas where weeds previously did not exist.

As the number of deer increases, the impacts associated with them increase also. Deer will have a similar impact on other areas set aside for conservation and each area will also have its own specific values that are affected. On the flip-side, each area will also have its own resilience to impacts and capacity to recover – which means there is no one-sizefits-all approach.

In addition to their impacts on natural areas, deer are increasingly involved in

unwanted interactions with the general population. Car accidents occur regularly in many locations due to deer on the road, and residents in many locations now report deer as a problem not only in their local parks but also in their flower or vegetable gardens.

Left unchecked, the expanding deer population has the potential to cause evergreater damage not only to the natural environment but also to increase negative impacts on the human population.

A solution

The burgeoning deer problem has demanded a comprehensive solution.

The TWWHA deer control project is that solution and is the first landscape-scale aerial animal control program in Tasmania.

A predecessor of the current deer control project was a much smaller program launched in the 1990s, in which Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) undertook small-scale aerial control of feral goats. This program was very successful, with many populations removed and only a few small feral goat populations remaining today.

The recent aerial culling in Tasmania was undertaken by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) staff using privately-owned contracted aircraft, pilot and thermal camera operator. The aircraft pilot and camera operator were specialist aerial culling contractors from the mainland with thousands of hours of experience in conducting similar operations.

NRE Tas staff were individually selected for the program based on firearms experience both as animal population control officers and recreational hunters. Staff were then trained in aerial control operations in an intensive two-week training course in both Tasmania and on the mainland.

“Our staff were trained above the requirements of the national standard and were independently assessed as competent in undertaking the national accredited qualification ‘AHCPMG311 Use Firearms for Pest Control Activities from Aircraft’,” an NRE Tas spokesperson said.

The method

Aerial culling, particularly aerial culling using thermal-assisted imagery, is a very efficient method of reaching the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service’s animal control goals.

“It is our preferred method for several reasons,” the NRE Tas spokesperson said.

“Firstly, the aircraft allows extremely good vision of a large area without obstructions caused by the terrain. This allows for the entire herd to be observed and provides time for the crew to determine the best approach to remove the deer (e.g. target the lead doe or target the herd from the side closest to cover to encourage them to move into the open).

“The aircraft covers large areas quickly, minimising time spent travelling and searching for herds. In addition, using thermal-assisted imagery allows the aerial team to remain in contact with the herd during shooting and allows for tracking of animals during the shoot.” >>

Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania.

A fallow deer stag rests in long grass. Deer culling in Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park is necessary to protect the park’s ecological values.

Aerial vs ground hunting

The management of the TWWHA is complex. Tasmanian reserve management legislation (National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002) guides the use of and management within the Tasmanian reserve estate. This legislation prevents hunting in many reserve classes – and this means the Walls of Jerusalem National Park cannot be hunted.

While hunting is not permitted within the project area, the plan does allow for animal population control.

The terrain of the Walls of Jerusalem National Park project area is mostly trackless, rough and remote, and deer were often located many hours and even days’ walk from the nearest track head or road. With access to the area limited to a single point-of-entry road, ground shooting – if it was allowed – would require shooters to walk up to five days in order to cull deer.

While there is no doubt that a shot taken with an appropriate firearm at rest on the ground at a non-moving target is the best way to shoot a single animal, the problem with using this method for culling purposes is that the shooter will only get one or maybe two deer at best and the herd disappears at a rate much faster than any ground shooter can travel. From an efficiency perspective, aerial culling is much more effective in this type of terrain – and with the right personnel, attitude

and ethical approach good animal welfare outcomes are achieved.

Ongoing management

The TWWHA has a management plan which becomes the land management framework. Management plans are legally binding documents that are approved by both houses of parliament. The TWWHA Plan of Management 2016 specifically prevents deer hunting west of Highland Lakes Rd, however there are areas within the TWWHA that are available for recreational deer hunting.

Tas PWS is working with the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) and the Australian Deer Association (ADA) to develop a trial utilising members of the associations as PWS volunteer animal control officers. The volunteers will undertake training in animal population control and work closely with Tas PWS to assist in removing deer from the project area. If the trial is deemed successful it will be extended to include more volunteers and potentially other reserves as well.

Project challenges

One of the greatest challenges in relation to the TWWHA deer control project is its location. The project area is located between 1000 and 1500 metres in altitude in the state’s central plateau region. Snow can happen any time of year and, once the ground gets cold, snow can settle for extended periods. The project area is also

part of the Western Lakes Wilderness Fishery – a world-renowned brown and rainbow trout fishery and an important economic and social resource for Tasmania.

To minimise the disruption to anglers and local businesses it was decided to wait until the fishing season had closed (most waters). The brown trout season closes the last weekend in April, which meant that the window for operations was restricted to commence after the closure. Any later than May (the last of autumn’s stable weather) would increase the chances of snow causing major disruptions to operations. With such a short window available for operations, aerial culling utilising thermal-assisted imagery provided PWS with the greatest chance of success.

During 2023’s aerial cull, the aircraft was required to operate for 21 days to enable the project area to be thoroughly searched. Two days were lost to snow.

Animal welfare addressed

Animal welfare is the project’s and marksperson’s prime responsibility.

PWS has developed fit-for-purpose aerial deer culling operational guidelines, modelled on the PestSmart national guidelines but further strengthened for Tasmanian conditions and with greater emphasis on animal welfare. Veterinary input was requested and received prior to the guidelines being finalised.

All aerial markspersons received dedicated aerial marksperson training and were required to pass stringent accuracy assessments conducted from moving aircraft. The markspersons are required to pass accuracy standards each year before being approved to participate in an aerial cull.

Aerial shooting, particularly with thermal assistance, allows animals to be quickly found and targeted, and any wounded animal can be quickly relocated and euthanised.

Aerial shooters are trained to shoot the chest cavity of the animal and to continue shooting until the animal is pronounced dead by two people on the aircraft, one of which must be the pilot. The minimum amount of rounds per animal is three to the chest cavity regardless of whether the first round killed the animal.

In addition to detailed animal welfareorientated operational guidelines and highly skilled markspersons, an independent contracted veterinarian was engaged for the entire deer control project. This role was created to provide animal welfare oversight and provide independent advice to the project co-ordinator on animal welfare.

Having a veterinarian on site proved to be an extremely beneficial asset to the operation, not only from viewing the operation first-hand but also necropsying deer that were shot.

Each deer that was necropsied had the

bullet pathways tracked and recorded as well as signs of struggle noted. Each chest cavity was examined to determine what the cause of death was and what amount of catastrophic damage was located in the essential organs – which assists in determining the time to death. Of the 21 deer that were necropsied, all indicated that time to death was very fast and good animal welfare outcomes were achieved.

Additionally, not only the welfare of the targeted species is being taken into consideration. To reduce lead in the environment and in scavenging wildlife, PWS will be undertaking the second cull using lead-free ammunition. Specialised lead-free ammunition was ordered prior to the first cull; however, due to international supply issues there was a 10-month delay and the ammunition did not arrive in time to be used for the first cull.

A wasted resource?

PWS understands the concern hunters have around the wastage of meat from the cull, however from an economic and efficiency perspective the removal of carcasses during the aerial cull is not practical.

Carcasses were left in situ, and are only removed if they pose a social, health or environmental risk such as to water courses, reserve and hydro infrastructure, and walking tracks, huts and campgrounds. The cost to remove the carcasses would make the deployments too expensive and inefficient.

Ongoing monitoring

Any program worth its salt should include ongoing monitoring or evaluation efforts to assess its effectiveness, and the TWWHA deer control project is no different.

The NRE Tas Conservation Science Section conducts both pre-cull and postcull monitoring for each operational deployment, with the results reviewed by the University of Tasmania.

The monitoring determines if the cull has been successful in eradicating deer from the project area. The monitoring from the first cull estimated a reduction in the deer population of Walls of Jerusalem National Park of between 84% and 93%. These figures do not include remigration back into the reserve from nearby areas with large deer populations, and some remigration is expected.

The monitoring has also assisted in determining the locations for semipermanent sentinel cameras, the use of which will provide information about when and where deer return to the reserves.

A place for ground-based hunting

While we can see that ground-based deer hunting may not be the best option for deer control in Walls of Jerusalem National Park due to the remoteness and difficulty of the terrain, opportunities nevertheless exist elsewhere in Tasmania for groundbased hunting to occur.

A key part of the Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan is the establishment of three zones to guide deer management, with recreational hunting being key to deer population management in Zone 1, known as the traditional deer range. Areas such as the TWWHA and national parks are in Zone 3.

For more information on the Deer Management Plan visit https://nre.tas.gov. au/Documents/Tasmanian%20Wild%20 Fallow%20Deer%20Management%20 Plan%202022-27.pdf

The information contained in this article was supplied by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.

This deer was captured by monitoring cameras at the base of Mount Jerusalem in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.

Teaching old duck hunters new tricks

After the Field & Game Nationals, we decided to take a trip to the rice for some duck shooting.

Tony Pratt, ‘Rockjaw’ Rhodes and ‘Pinky’ Kemp joined me and we headed north where we had been advised there was a duck problem and that we would be made welcome.

With full water allocations, rice was being planted everywhere. Flooding in recent years meant good breeding conditions for ducks, and many farmers had lost crops and were reseeding.

On arrival, our host informed us that a couple of young locals, Nate and ‘Bush’, were in charge of the Native Game Bird Management Program (NGBMP). They took us to our accommodation, a rustic but serviceable farmhouse, to unpack and change clothes.

Our first lesson was to begin at a rice paddy adjacent to a ‘turkey’s nest’, where the guys had set up decoys just to the east of some trees at the side of a small section of the rice. We would sit in comfort in the shade and move to the other side when it started to get dark. When Pinky asked whether we should spread out, the response was that this was where the birds were coming in and, if we spread out, we might find the birds shying off –especially as there was little other cover.

The second surprise was the vigour and effectiveness with which Nate called the birds to us. As soon as they lifted off above the edge of the turkey’s nest, he was quacking and cackling and meowing. He kept it up while the ducks circled towards us, and as soon as they saw the decoys we were set. All we had to do was sit still, because although we were in plain sight, they could not see us in the shadow.

As a dozen black ducks set their wings, the guns fired and only half a dozen escaped. For the next hour the shooting was steady and we harvested a good pile of ducks, the majority of which were big fat black ducks.

As the sun fell below the horizon and the west lit up with vibrant oranges and reds, we switched to the other side of the paddy and those who could see in the low light brought down some more. My sense of depth perception disappears with the fading light, so I left off from shooting in favour of admiring the scene with ducks whizzing through and the sun sinking lower.

It was exciting stuff with some memorable shots and plenty of not-so-memorable ones – but even the young blokes had to admit we had not lost our touch.

Finally, it was time to pick up and pack up and return to camp to breast the birds, make dinner and fall into bed to dream of more ducks.

In the morning, our breakfast was brief as it was best to make the most of the cool morning conditions. We set up on a large open water, again with the sun behind us and some saltbush for cover. Decoys were set in ankle-deep water and Bush was tasked with taking the quad bike around the creek side of the lake to keep the birds in the air.

As soon as he got around to the western side the birds rose in their hundreds, and Nate began calling like his life depended on it. From half a kilometre away, he got the attention of the birds and the majority came for a look to see what all the fuss was about. Many mobs of teal swooped into the decoys and then tried to climb and zigzag away when we began firing.

Shooting in close proximity creates a problem; the first two shots start the birds flying wildly, and getting a smooth swing on them is difficult. More than once as I started to squeeze the trigger a bird zigged away or folded and fell, leaving me stranded.

Only one thing to do: pick up the pace –and I managed to bring a few to ground. After an hour or so the birds got wise and moved to other more peaceful places. We cleaned the birds in the field and moved to the creek.

Creek shooting can be hit or miss. Waiting in the heat and hearing shots in the distance

while no birds appear can be testing. We only managed a handful of birds for an hour’s effort before we pulled out to conserve our energy for the evening shoot.

After lunch and a welcome snooze, we headed out to set up under a tree in a paddy where Nate reckoned the birds would come in. Wading is not my forte and I was pleased with shallow drains at the sides of the paddy and firm footing. Something to be said for drilling rather

than aerial sowing, perhaps. Making the most of our seats, we perched in the shade and waited. Before long two of the biggest fattest blackies you would want to see appeared over the tree line. Nate fired up the caller and turned them our way.

They came straight over to us and set their wings to land in the decoys. They didn’t make it. A procession followed and in groups of two, four or six the blackies appeared, were lured closer and clobbered.

At that range, the old duck hunters with 200 years of duck shooting experience between them, made sure not many escaped. We ended up with a big pile of black ducks and a few woodies.

Back at camp by 9pm, birds were breasted and packed away, dinner was prepared and the bad news was received. 4am? Surely they were kidding? No, apparently not.

After a brief sleep we fumbled around in the dark, ate a hasty breakfast and >>

headed off, following Nate and Bush, into the unknown. Half an hour later we were parked overlooking one of the depressions that dot NSW and periodically fill with water. The ducks love these spots, and we could hear the cries of black ducks, teal and wood ducks in the distance.

Wide awake now, we headed out into the shallow water which once again offered firm footing. It was easy going, especially in the canvas boots I prefer to waders.

Light was starting to appear in the east and we set up in the trees about 100 metres in. Standing around weighed down by shells is not much fun, but as the light improved the ducks started to move and the most enjoyable part of the trip began.

Having shot at many different game birds around the world, I believe that pass

shooting of ducks in among the trees is the most exciting of them all. The birds are fast, come at all angles, can be within a few metres or up to 40 metres. You can sometimes see the birds’ approach from a long way off as you get glimpses through the trees, other times they appear overhead flaring away before you are ready, or as you swing around responding to the reports of shooting by your mates or their calls: “Sturzy, on your left!”

The excitement level is high and it requires discipline to shoot consistently under these conditions. I am not as fast as I was 30 years ago, and my ability to turn around in the mud is about zero, so I try to locate a patch of water that gives me a view and some time to react. I stick with the outlook that I can swing the gun across, preferring to make the most of my opportunities than try

the constant 360-degree swivelling I used back in the day. It is cheaper that way too.

Of course, my mates are sometimes confused as I let birds go. “Didn’t you see them? They were right over your head!”

We had found the teal, and these little jet fighters whistled through in mobs of eight or 10 – and anyone who can pick a double out of the mob is doing well. Of course, you take the good with the bad and when two birds fall to one shot it is more for the bag.

Bush rode the four-wheeler around the lake and stirred up the birds, harvesting a few ducks and a bunch of rabbits just to demonstrate his versatility.

I could have stayed out there all day but eventually the ducks got wise, and we started to pick up. This was our most successful hunt, and the old duck hunters

were gleefully talking about shots taken and inglorious misses as we dragged our duck carriers towards dry land. Even Nate admitted that the old duck hunters weren’t finished yet and could shoot a bag of ducks in fine style.

A large mixed grill for brunch was welcome, with Rockjaw doing the cooking and those of us with lesser skills the washing up. The opportunity to shower was welcome as was a snooze with ceiling fans and air con keeping us comfortable. Nate and Bush were out scouting and the old duck hunters were happy to leave them to it.

It was back to the rice in the evening. Sadly, this time the gutters were deep and the mud glutinous. I went down on the way in and on the way back. Gun held high, I flailed about to the amusement of all. But the water was warm and the mud soft, so let ’em laugh.

Although we were set up next to a turkey’s nest with birds on it, none appeared. The only bids we saw were 20 wood ducks which would not decoy, and a few black ducks which came in like trains but did not leave.

As we departed, Bush opened a gate for us and then commenced a Mexican hat dance, hopping from foot to foot. Our confusion was relieved when Bush said he met not one but two juvenile brown snakes about 30 cm long. He is a vigorous dancer but lacks style and we scored him six out of 10.

On our last day, the evening found us back in the water among the trees. By now it was 36 degrees Celsius and the smell of eucalyptus was strong.

We’d each stocked up on water and cartridges for the last dance, and Bush

kept the birds moving for an hour or two of fabulous pass shooting with only the odd mozzie to bother us.

Judging by the shots and calls from Nate, Tony, Rockjaw and Pinky were having a ball. In my quiet little corner, I was doing okay too. Once again, however, the fading light undermined me and I was first back to the car followed by a very thirsty Pinky and Rockjaw, who were finding that their water bottles were not cutting it any more. Finally, Tony, Nate and Bush came in by torchlight and a well-earned beer was enjoyed by all.

It was a great trip with old mates and we all had a ball. Many thanks to the property owners and Nate and Bush, who taught us a thing or two about Native Game Bird Management. Can’t wait to go again (once I have recovered!).

Dead man’s hand on a winner of a day

Finally, the day was here.

I had gotten onto a new patch of land after a long few months of anticipation. This might have happened sooner, but I’d made what I perceived to be the mistake of mentioning I wouldn't mind a deer – and people get a bit protective of their deer.

The new place was over 4000 acres of formerly blue gum forest in a transition stage heading towards perennial pasture. The stumps had been ground down and the phalaris was starting to poke through.

This was also a special day because it was the first time I was able to take my German shorthaired pointer, Isidoro, on a waterfowl hunt.

We started the day at sunrise on foot. I wanted to run the anxiety out of Issy

before we got into the action. We began along a fence line and walked that to one end, checking a few dams on the way, but didn’t come up with much; there had not been much rain in this area for a while. Then, about the fourth or fifth dam in, I spied a small group of maned goose loitering on the water’s edge.

We made a wide loop to come up on them from underneath the dam wall, but the loop wasn't wide enough and they took off.

Back to the drawing board.

We continued on to the back of the property on the low side and then started working our way through the middle towards the dam where we had chased off the woodies, thinking they’d had enough time to return. When we sprung the dam wall, we found to our dismay they had not yet come back, so we continued on

through the hills, heading towards the side we hadn't explored yet.

Through the binoculars, I spotted a small mixed group of wood duck, grey teal and Pacific black ducks on a dam that was halfway down a hillside with some rushes, about a kilometre away.

We pushed down into a gully and came up underneath them, and it all went perfectly – but I didn't take a shot. When I’d approached over the top of the dam wall they were further away than I’d expected. When they took flight I hesitated and thought they might be too far away.

On reflection, it was only about 30 meters and I should have had a go – but on the other hand it was probably a wise move to hold back, as wounding with a low percentage shot would have felt awful.

HUNTING with Reuben Patience

It was time for lunch, so I went to meet the caretaker and have a chat. I mentioned that there were only ducks on those two dams on the lower elevations and he confirmed his experience had been similar – but then he mentioned there was one more like that in a part of the property I had not been to yet.

I finished my sandwich, and we made our way to the new landmark, where it played out like a waterfowl hunter’s dream.

I have trained Issy as a game-indicating dog and haven’t really put much time into training him as a retriever, but my best friend here is a natural. He heeled with me as we crept up the bank. He sat and stayed as I took the last few steps. I stood up as two grey teal took flight from the water and let out a single shot which knocked both birds out of the sky while Issy still sat behind me.

Then I looked at him and said, “where's the ball?”.

That was all he needed. He tested the water cautiously at first, then he dove in and retrieved his first duck. He nearly drowned himself trying to get out with the bird in his mouth. He handed me the first one, then went straight back in for the second. Same deal, straight back to me with his bird. I was stoked. I gave him a celebratory back rub for a while before getting a few pics, sending a few boastful text messages and then moving on.

We then made our way back to revisit the dams from earlier in the day. The first dam we passed had a small group of wood ducks on it, so I kept moving a little further down the road before we circled back underneath and went through our process.

We stalked up to the dam wall from the low side; Issi sat at the base while I crept up to the bank; and as I stood up, the birds took flight off the water with almost the same result except this time I took two shots. Then there were another two great water retrieves from the Brown Bomber.

We finished up at that point and went back to camp to do the plucking and enjoy a rest.

It was a memorable day, and having a good dog really amplified the whole experience.

I hope all hunters reading have the chance to experience something similar at some point in their journey.

With a long interest in hunting, fishing and food self-sufficiency, chef Reuben Patience is keen to teach others the tricks of butchering and cooking wild game.

Visit https://naturallysufficient. com.au/product/wild-game-meatcooking-butchering/ to find out more and signal your interest in attending Reuben’s workshop.

Southern-style fried wild duck

(serves 4)

Get ready to satisfy some serious cravings with our southern-style fried duck recipe.

Picture this: Tender pieces of wild duck, double-dipped in seasoned flour and fried to golden perfection! Each bite delivers a burst of flavour that will have you coming back for seconds (and maybe even thirds…).

Perfect as a quick meal with some chunky-cut chips, or with a simple green salad – or just dig right in and enjoy the finger-lickin’ goodness of fried duck all by itself!

Ingredients:

• 10 pieces of wild duck (preferably thighs and legs with skin, or breasts flattened with a meat tenderiser)

• 2 cups wheat flour

• 5 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup evaporated milk

• 1 tbsp mustard

• 1 tbsp chicken or beef seasoning

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Wash and dry the duck pieces. Season with a little salt and pepper.

2. Place the duck pieces in a large pot and fill with water until half covered. Place pot (lid on) over low heat for 10 minutes.

3. While the duck is cooking, prepare two large bowls. In the first, place the flour, cornstarch, minced garlic and seasoning, and stir well. In the other, place the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper and stir thoroughly with a fork until well combined.

4. When the cooking time has elapsed, remove the duck from the water and dry well. Coat each piece of duck with the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and again with the flour mixture, making sure that each piece is very well covered, then place the coated duck pieces in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a stockpot or high skillet on medium heat, heat enough oil to submerge two or three pieces of the duck.

6. When the oil is hot, remove the duck from the refrigerator and place two or three pieces in the oil, frying until nicely browned on all sides. Take care not to burn the duck or the oil!

7. Once fried, leave the duck pieces to rest on a plate covered with a couple of sheets of absorbent paper to soak up any excess oil.

8. Serve with chips, salad or veggies.

Can you lend a hand?

Field & Game Australia members are being called upon to assist with the National Retrieving Trial Championship and the Victorian State Retrieving Trial Championship.

Both trials will be held on rural properties in the Bairnsdale area of Victoria. The Victorian State Championships will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2024. The National Retrieving Championships will be held on three consecutive days –September 20, 21 and 22, 2024.

Organisers are looking for people to assist with the following tasks:

Throwers: Volunteers will be trained to operate mechanical throwers and launch “game” into the air and to place “blinds” where directed by the judge. This is a great job as it puts the volunteer right in the middle of the trial with a grandstand view of the dogs and their handlers.

Assembly stewards: These volunteers will be responsible for organising the competitors. Their duties will include calling the competitors up to the line, showing the competitors where to stake out their dogs, showing the gallery where

to sit to watch the event, and many other vital roles. You will get a great view of the event.

Car stewards: We require a number of volunteers to direct drivers to park their vehicles in the correct areas. A very important piece of organising the jigsaw puzzle of a major event such as this, you will have the bonus of being able to chat with the competitors when they are not competing.

Gun stewards: These essential people are responsible for handling the firearms used at the event. You will need a gun licence. You will have the responsibility of preparing the gun in readiness for competition as directed by the judge and be responsible for gun safety. You will be sitting right behind the competitors and the judges, and as such will be able to see everything they see. This is one of our most sought-after jobs.

Volunteers can nominate when they

are available to work and what their job preferences are. There will be opportunities for the organisers to rotate volunteers around different tasks during the course of the event.

If you are a football fan and are not confident of your side being in the finals this year, give us a call and we will be pleased to fill you in on all the details! This is a great opportunity to get up close to the action and see some of the best dogs and handlers in Australia.

If you have a dog yourself, you can expect to learn plenty about gundog handling and training. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a keen hunter, so signal your interest now.

CONTACTS:

Tony Palmer on 0401 996 518

Kate Eltringham on 0419 820 433

Trevor Stow on 0438 524 363

As a volunteer, you have the chance to get up close to the action at state and national retrieving trials being held in Bairnsdale, Victoria, in September. Pictured here is Mark Davis and Flip. Photo: Jenine Tracey.

Centring: A quick and easy relaxation skill

I have had some great feedback following the article about the “Black Box Technique” in the previous issue of Field & Game Magazine, so I am now following it up with a very simple and effective relaxation technique.

Anyone who has watched the Australian Open tennis or Wimbledon has most likely seen the players practising ‘centring’. It is often used by athletes to regain their composure after losing a point or if they are in an advantageous position and they want to focus their attention and eliminate doubt.

The exercise was developed by American psychologist Dr Robert Nideffer.

Michael Kruger-Davis is the consulting psychologist and a member of Wagga Wagga Field & Game. He uses ammunition from Hunts Shooting Supplies. Questions regarding psychological aspects of sport and shooting can be addressed to him at mjkrugerdavis@gmail.com

In Chapter 8 of Psyched to Win, Dr Nideffer refers to “centring” as a technique, borrowed from the martial arts, the purpose of which is to instil feelings of emotional control. These simple breathing and cueing exercises are used to calm and relax the mind and the body.

How to practise centring

Stand with your feet about shoulderwidth apart. Focus on your centre of mass – which is located one or two inches below and behind your navel. If one can consciously bring one’s attention to this point, one feels grounded or centred. While you are focusing on this point take three deep breaths (from the diaphragm).

Dr Nideffer describes the importance of keeping a balanced, stable lower centre of mass. This balanced foundation allows

The centring technique can help athletes to focus their attention for improved performance.

athletes in all sports to be ready to react swiftly and efficiently to any situation.

Anxiety or negative thoughts alter an athlete’s centre of mass, making them feel clumsy, self-conscious, and off-balance. An uncentered athlete makes physical mistakes, usually leading to more anxiety and negativity.

A variation of the technique used to re-centre is to use cue words. These cue words remind an athlete of the feelings of being centred. Words such as ‘balanced’, ‘trust and let go’, ‘breathe’ and ‘relax’ can be used to recreate physical centring, while words such as ‘confident’ and ‘focused’ can be used to recreate psychological or emotional centring.

Dr Nideffer combines these cues or trigger words with a relaxing deep breath (from the diaphragm) to re-centre an athlete.

Pay attention to the target

For shooters to be able to perform at their ideal performance level, it is necessary to ‘pay attention’.

How many times when we were at school did a teacher say: “pay attention”; or your mother or father muttered, “I wish you’d pay attention.” What did our teachers and parents want us to do, and why is it so important?

This concept of paying attention jumped out at me recently when I was helping a shooter: I was trying to get her to understand being in the here and now and used a mindfulness technique.

To make sure that she was focused on what was happening for her right then and there, I asked her to focus on the feeling of her weight in her shoes. Could she feel where the pressure was? Was it her toes, was it the balls of her feet, was it her heels feeling the weight and

pressure? I then asked if she could feel the collar of her shirt against her neck, the brow of her hat against her forehead, the feel of the hem of her skirt against her legs. She replied: “I can now, because I’m paying attention to them.”

That is the secret of staying in the here and now: pay attention to what is happening to you.

According to Burton and Raedeke (2008) attention is the process that directs our awareness to information available through our senses.

That’s great, but what does it mean?

Most of the time our senses are attacked and bombarded with stimuli. For example, you may be reading this article but you might also become aware of external stimuli of something cooking and you may feel hungry. You might smell something burning and you might feel worried. When you notice certain sensory information, you must make a decision on what action

to take, and this process requires attention. Thus, according to professors Thomas D Raedeke and Damon Burton, attention involves perceiving sensory information and using it to make decisions and choose responses.

Each sport is unique in the sensory information that needs to be attended to for an ideal performance state (IPS).

Dr Robert Nideffer (a renowned US sports psychologist) has developed an applied theory of concentration, which should be considered by all athletes and coaches.

To understand this theory, it is necessary to realise that for each of us an optimal level of arousal will coincide with efficient use of attentional capacities; this is referred to as our ideal performance state (IPS). At this IPS, we efficiently match the attentional demands of the situation with the use of the appropriate type of concentration. When we are not at our ideal performance state, it is because the

types of attentional focus are inefficient and mismatched with the situational demands.

Dr Nideffer believes that we all have an individual concentration style, which means that we have characteristic ways of using our attentional capabilities.

Dr Nideffer describes concentration as being either broad or narrow. An analogy here is like a torch with a variable beam: the broad type of concentration is when the beam is broad and wide, while the narrow type is when the beam is focused on a small point.

Jeffery Bond argues that Dr Nideffer also sees influences on concentration as either external or internal.

We can now measure our concentration style in each of these types of concentration:

1. Broad external: Awareness of everything that is going on around –seeing, hearing, feeling. Necessary for good court/field vision. Probably more critical in team sports than in individual sports.

2. Narrow external: The ability to concentrate in a focused way, to attend to one thing, to focus on the relevant aspects of the task. Very useful in target skills and as a way of blocking distractions.

3. Broad internal: Needed to analyse, organise and plan. The ability to mix this trait with what is going on and draw some logical conclusions. Being able to deal with a large number of ideas at the same time.

4. Narrow internal: Ability to focus on a single thought or idea and stay with it. Needed to enhance awareness of aspects of body reactions to stress (tight muscles, too high heart rate, etc). Usually indicates extreme dedication

Michael Kruger-Davis is the consulting psychologist and a member of Wagga Wagga Field & Game. He uses ammunition from Hunts Shooting Supplies. Questions regarding psychological aspects of sport and shooting can be addressed to him at mjkrugerdavis@gmail.com

and capacity to follow instructions, to stick to a performance plan.

Beyond focusing on the task-relevant cues (attention), athletes need to be able to block out all internal and external distractions. This ability to sustain focus and effectively block out distractions is called concentration. Effective concentration allows athletes to apply appropriate attention to their internal and external cues.

According to Perry, an athlete who can focus, or pay attention, on the task at hand and avoid distractions enjoys the greatest possibility of success.

Attention vs focus

It is difficult to differentiate attention from ‘focus’ or ‘concentration’.

Bruce Abernethy, from the University of Queensland, has identified three major uses of the term attention:

1. Firstly, attention as alertness. This includes concerns with the development of both short-term and long-term maintenance of optimal sensitivity and readiness to respond. The best example I can think of to describe this would either be walking through a paddock and you flush a quail, or waiting for the target in a ISSF skeet. As an athlete, your alertness and readiness is dependent upon your emotional state: basically, being either too relaxed or too anxious. Anxiety tends to restrict your attention span, that is, narrowing the focus, which may lead to missing important cues that would have contributed to a successful performance. Anxiety also has the effect of shifting you from the automatic and the subconscious, to the controlled and conscious processing, which would lead to the phenomenon called choking. Also, the anxious state makes the task involve more effort which will increase fatigue and increase the likelihood of developing

References:

• J. Bond. Concentration; Focusing on the Right Thing at the Right Time. AIS paper.

• C. Perry. Cited in Concentration: Focus under pressure.

• S. Murphy (Ed) 2005 The Sport Psych Handbook; A complete guide to today’s best mental training techniques. Human Kinetics

self-doubt because you will overanalyse every shot and movement, and in the process tighten up your muscles, meaning you are unable to perform to your ideal state.

2. Secondly, attention as a limited capacity or resource. For the shooter, this means the ability to have a broad focus while you are waiting to shoot and being able to shift your attention to a narrow focus when it is your turn to shoot.

3. Finally, attention as selectivity. By this, I mean that that some information is selected as important, and some stimuli are ignored because they are irrelevant. Effective selective attention begins with an understanding of how to differentiate between distractions and the relevant cues.

Abernethy describes the concept of selective attention by using the metaphor of a searchlight and describes three common errors: If the searchlight beam is too broad, then you are failing to focus all attention on the limited essential elements for success. If the searchlight beam is pointed in the wrong direction, then you are being distracted from relevant information by irrelevant information. Finally, if the searchlight beam is too narrow, then the athlete is unable to move from one stimulus to another rapidly enough.

If we look at attention, focus or concentration, what should we know and what should we do to use it to maximize success? Be aware that attention involves being alert, being able to shift and being selective. You need to know when to have a narrow focus or a broad focus and when to focus on external stimuli or internal stimuli. You should be attending to the process of what you are doing and not the product you wish to achieve. And finally, you should stay focused and attend to the present.

• B. Abernethy. Cited in Concentration: Focus under pressure.

• S. Murphy (Ed) 2005 The Sport Psych Handbook; A complete guide to today’s best mental training techniques. Human Kinetics

• T. Raedeke & D. Burton (2008) Sport Psychology for Coaches. Human Kinetics

by Wendy Russell

Anatomy of a hindered hunt

It was fantastic to see gamebird hunters following the letter of the law (as usual) this season, with compliance again exceptionally high – and of course we expect nothing less. It was also great to witness the increased enforcement of the laws regarding the hindering and harassment of hunters. The following is an account of how one duck hunter, Geelong Field & Game’s Trent Leen, dealt with activists hindering his hunt at Connewarre in April.

Just letting you know, we intend to hunt ducks here, can you please move away?”

Geelong FGA conservation officer Trent Leen had politely addressed the two fluoro-accented kayakers with partlycovered faces who had paddled their

orange vessels to the opposite side of the open wetland area we had set up to hunt.

There was no reply.

It was just after 8am on a Friday morning, and they were about 40 metres away from us, slowly paddling back and forth, our decoys floating serenely between them and us.

“We have set our decoys and intend to hunt this area now. Please move away,” Trent said, loud and clear. Again, silence.

We’d arrived at Reedy Lake before 7am to find a group of five antiduck-hunting activists already at the launching spot, two kayaks ready for deployment in their ongoing battle against hunters seeking to participate in the legal harvest of wild ducks.

I’d wished them good morning as I walked past and had received “Good morning” in reply – but those were the only two words addressed to any of our party throughout the following six or so hours of their proximity to us.

We had set out into the wetland about 7:30am and chosen a likely hunting position, then carefully set out our decoys in the flyways and were awaiting the arrival of ducks when the white-masked orange-bellied swamp-paddlers found us.

We were dressed in camouflage –essential, as any good hunter would know, to remaining out of sight of their quarry.

The activists were kitted out in white boilersuit-like gear including hand and face coverings, looking more like they were about to enter a nuclear reactor than a swamp. Perhaps they were being sun-smart, or maybe their clothing and faces were covered because they didn’t

want to be identified. Perhaps they were afraid of the “freezing cold, sludgy, stinky, horrible water” (not my words; I quote Coalition Against Duck Shooting’s assistant director Lynn Trakell’s exact description of the wetland environment in her presentation to the panel inquiring into Victoria’s recreational game bird hunting arrangements, during which anti-hunters attempted to convince the inquiry panel that duck hunters would be replaced by hordes of tourists at similar locations and times of the day if hunting was banned). Who knows? We certainly do not know, because they would not speak to us.

Trent made our intentions clear. We could hear them talking between themselves, so they could hear us – but they made no move to leave.

Nevertheless, we pressed on with our hunt. Or, at least, we attempted to.

Trent is a dab hand on the duck caller, and

as he spotted small mobs of ducks in the distance, he set about calling them in. And come they did, locking onto the sound and then our decoy spread – until they spotted the kayakers on the opposite side and flared away, winging it at top speed.

This happened multiple times, and multiple times Trent politely informed the activists that they were hindering our hunt and asked them to move elsewhere. Alas, they did not.

After more than an hour of this, and with only one duck to show for our endeavours thanks to being hindered by the orangebellied swamp paddlers, we abandoned our hunt, collected our decoys and made our way out of the watery labyrinth.

Back on land, we relaxed with a cuppa and a biscuit and settled in to await the return of the other groups of hunters we knew were out there somewhere. While we waited, the constabulary arrived to check

on the proceedings and was duly informed of the activists’ activities in relation to our abandoned hunt.

As the other hunter groups emerged from the wetland across the next several hours, there was much swapping of tales of the morning’s activities. Turns out, the other groups had enjoyed reasonably successful outings, particularly earlier in the day while the orange-bellied swamp-paddlers had been occupied with us – a positive outcome for some at least.

Reporting illegal activity

Protesters abusing us or hindering our hunt is a reality that many hunters will face at some point. Our aim is always to remain respectful and safe.

Carry a checklist with you when you go hunting so you will know what to do if confronted or provoked by protesters – and record your actions and theirs if you can. >>

If a protester approaches you, start filming them and say the following: “I’m hunting here, I would prefer that you didn’t hinder or obstruct my hunt, please stay away from me.”

If a protester continues to approach you, or in any way hinders or obstructs your hunt or harasses you, remain calm and say: “I feel threatened/harassed by you. You are hindering and obstructing my hunt. Please move away.”

Record or jot down the following details if you can: Location, time, date, registration of activist’s vehicle, their name (if known), the details of what happened. Or, you can fill in the GMA’s online form at https://www. gma.vic.gov.au/enforcement/report-illegalhunting-online

If you are hunting on private property, the protester will be trespassing. You can act as an agent for the landowner and ask the trespasser to leave. You can say: "Do you realise you are trespassing? This is private property, and you do not have permission to be here, please leave."

If they do not immediately leave, say: "You are trespassing, please leave now."

If they still do not go, say: "You are trespassing. Leave now. I am going to contact the owner and the police."

What the law says

Section 58E of the Wildlife Act 1975 covers hindering or obstructing hunting. It states: “A person must not interfere with, harass, hinder or obstruct a person who is engaged in hunting or taking game in accordance with this Act.”

Hindering and obstructing can come in many forms, with some being more obvious than others, and some being easier for the GMA or police to prosecute than others. For example, an activist paddling out to you in a canoe, calling you names, paddling through your decoys and continually moving around your decoy spread provides a much clearer case of hindrance than an activist standing 10m out the back of your decoys taking photos and not moving. To a hunter, both scenarios are clearly obstructing the duck hunting session – but to a court of law it appears it’s not so clear-cut.

Any unlawful activity should be reported to the relevant authorities as soon as possible.

To help achieve a conviction against an activist:

• Record as much of the interaction as possible on your phone, so you can create a timeline of events. This is your main source of evidence, so it needs to be clear and complete.

• Always remain polite and calm.

• Call the GMA and the police. Notify them

Say to the activists: “You are hindering and obstructing my ability to hunt safely under the conditions of my game licence.” Because of their open presence and movement, they will most likely be flaring the ducks away; and, if you have decoys out, they will be severely limiting the likelihood of a duck committing to your decoys. This needs to be said to the activists in your recording, and if it’s shown in your video that ducks are indeed flaring away – that’s even more compelling evidence.

• Pack up and move to a different spot. If the activists follow you, repeat the above steps. Their action of following you to a different location shows their intent to hinder and obstruct you.

• If your hunt is so severely hindered that you need to abandon it and pack up and leave, make sure you say this in your recording. Abandoning your hunt will help prove hinder/obstruction.

• Take the time to follow up with the GMA and write an official report. If you think it’s just all too hard and you do nothing about it, most likely nothing will come of it.

Contact numbers

Game Management Authority: 136 186.

Victoria Police: For non-urgent reports (reporting a crime after the event has happened, for example motor vehicle theft or malicious damage) call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444. Do not call this line if the reportable offence is in progress.

If you have immediate concerns for your safety or the safety of others, immediately call 000.

Creating habitat a hands-on project

The construction of duck ‘henhouses’ is an ongoing initiative of Field & Game Australia.

Based on a design originally conceived by Delta Waterfowl in the United States about 1990, these henhouses are essentially artificial nesting structures that aim to provide safe breeding habitats for native duck species – particularly in regions where natural nesting sites have been diminished by agricultural and urban development or are under threat from nonnative predators such as foxes and cats.

The structures are designed to mimic the spaces in which native ducks prefer to nest. Cylindrical and made from durable materials like wire mesh and straw, they are placed on poles in the wetland environment to help protect the nests from predators.

“The henhouses offer much less predation of eggs due to increased difficulty in animals being able to climb and access the nest,” FGA’s conservation and hunting manager Glenn Falla said.

As well, the placement of henhouses over water allows newly hatched ducklings to access the wetland water straight away, rather than having to navigate a dangerous overland journey – however short it may be –before reaching the water’s relative safety.

The effectiveness of the henhouses has been demonstrated through increased nesting success rates in areas where they have been installed. Monitoring programs are in place to track the usage and success of the henhouses, providing valuable data that informs future conservation strategies.

Highlighting the hunting community's active role in conservation, the construction, installation and maintenance of these henhouses is almost entirely driven by FGA volunteers – and there is always room for more. If you or your branch would like to become involved in the henhouse program, or you have a wetland on your property that would be suitable for henhouse installation, please contact FGA conservation and hunting manager Glenn Falla via email at glenn.falla@ fieldandgame.com.au

Winter hunting: Preparing your dog for the cold season

As winter sets in, some of our more avid hunters eagerly anticipate the thrill of the hunt amidst the snowy landscapes.

For those who rely on their faithful canine companions as an integral part of the hunt, the winter months bring a unique set of challenges and considerations. From conditioning dogs after a summer hiatus to managing cold-related ailments, preparing both hunters and their furry friends is essential for a successful and enjoyable winter hunting season.

Conditioning after a summer rest

During the warmer months, many hunting dogs enjoy a well-deserved break. However, getting them back into hunting shape requires deliberate effort. One common challenge is retraining dogs to hunt effectively after a period of rest. To address this, gradually reintroduce your dog to hunting activities, starting with short sessions and gradually increasing duration and intensity.

Incorporating obedience training and

reinforcing hunting commands will help refresh your dog's skills and ensure they're ready for the field.

Cold weather challenges

Hunting in cold weather presents unique challenges for dogs and their handlers. Frostbite, hypothermia, and icy conditions can jeopardize safety and performance.

To prevent cold-related issues, outfit your dog with appropriate protective gear, such as insulated vests and paw boots, and monitor them closely for signs of discomfort or distress. Additionally, provide ample breaks and shelter from harsh weather conditions to keep your dog safe and comfortable throughout the hunt.

Monitoring mobility and arthritis

As dogs age, they may experience mobility issues exacerbated by cold weather, including arthritis.

It is crucial that owners monitor their dogs for signs of decreased mobility, such as limping, stiffness, or reluctance to move.

If you notice any changes in your dog's athleticism or agility, consult your veterinarian for a thorough evaluation. Your vet may recommend diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, to assess joint health and formulate a treatment plan tailored to your dog's needs.

Treatment options for arthritis

Treatment options for arthritis in hunting dogs vary depending on the severity of the condition. Your vet may prescribe supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, to support joint health and alleviate pain. In more advanced cases, medication, physical therapy, or alternative therapies like acupuncture may be recommended.

Working closely with your vet to manage your dog's arthritis will help maintain their quality of life and ability to participate in hunting and other activities.

Nail care and foot health

In addition to joint health, proper foot care is essential for hunting dogs. Keeping your dog's nails trimmed is crucial to prevent

elongation, which can lead to discomfort and even flat-footedness. Long nails can stretch the tendons under the toes, causing pain and impairing your dog's performance in the field.

Regularly inspect your dog's paws for signs of overgrown nails and trim them as needed to ensure optimal foot health and agility during hunting expeditions.

Nutritional needs and hydration

Proper nutrition is essential for preparing hunting dogs for winter expeditions. Adjust your dog's diet to meet their increased energy requirements during the colder months, ensuring they receive adequate calories and nutrients for sustained performance.

High-quality protein sources, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats are essential components of a well-rounded diet for hunting dogs.

Additionally, prioritize hydration by providing access to fresh water and incorporating moisture-rich ingredients into meals to prevent dehydration, even in cold weather conditions.

Jackets for protection

Using jackets for dogs can be beneficial not only during the hunt but also afterwards.

Jackets help prevent rapid cooling down after a hunt or when wet, providing essential insulation to keep your dog warm and comfortable in chilly temperatures.

Investing in a quality jacket designed for hunting dogs can help protect against cold-related ailments and ensure your furry companion stays safe and cozy throughout the winter season.

Honouring Bella

Amidst the challenges and triumphs of winter hunting, it's important to celebrate the remarkable stories of resilience and perseverance. One such tale is that of Bella, our old German shorthaired pointer who defied the odds to continue hunting well into her golden years.

Despite battling arthritis and old age, Bella remained lean and high-spirited thanks to proper management and support. With the help of supplements like Glyde, anti-inflammatory medication, and Zydax injections, Bella continued to pursue her passion for the hunt until her last moment. She was 17 years old on her last hunt.

Her unwavering love for life serves as a reminder that age is no barrier to living life to the fullest, and every hunt is an opportunity to create cherished memories with our beloved companions.

Dr Karen Davies’s beautiful German shorthaired pointer Bella, on her last hunt at age 17. Despite battling arthritis and old age, Bella remained lean and high-spirited thanks to proper management and support.

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Remembering a man of action

If you want to know who the “father” of Swan Hill Field & Game was, anyone in the region will be able to tell you that man was Ron Danby.

Back in the 1980s, interest was growing among a group of duck hunters in the formation of a Victorian Field & Game Association branch in the Swan Hill area.

Seeking information on how best to proceed with such a venture, keen duck hunter Ron was put into contact with Graham Eames, who at that time was on the VFG State Executive.

“Ron and a group of people up there were looking at setting up a Field & Game branch,” Graham said.

Following several phone calls back and forth, Graham went up to meet Ron at Swan Hill and stayed a few days to help Ron nut it out.

“We chewed the fat and kicked it around and worked it all out … and then he picked it all up and ran with it from there,” Graham said.

About six months later Graham returned to Swan Hill to find that Ron had organised a group of people who were to be the backbone in the foundation of the fledgling club.

“Once you gave him the information, he just went from there,” Graham said. “He knew all the people to talk to – he was an agronomist … so he knew every farmer out there on the land.”

Ron was the instigator of the acquisition from one of those local farmers of the land on which the branch’s ground sits today and became the inaugural president of Swan Hill Field & Game in 1987.

Ron was a man of action, according to Graham.

“He asked the questions, you gave him the answers, and bang – he just went and did it.”

Ron’s friend Alan Turner said Ron’s involvement in the birth of the new branch met with “immediate success”.

“He had a real rapport with a lot of people,” Alan said.

“He had many contacts associated with other branches like Natimuk, Geelong and Shepparton.”

Alan said Ron’s contacts and friendships with those at other clubs proved a boon for the fledgling Swan Hill branch, fostering good reciprocal relationships.

“We had lots of interclub shoots and bus trips,” Alan said.

He said Ron was instrumental in all the branch’s work, particularly with regard to hunting and habitat.

“He organised many meetings within the area, and he was really the mover and shaker of forming the north-west region,” Alan said.

“Most of that work was all about the water regimes and wildlife habitat, and he spent a lot of time doing that work with the late Des Thomas, from Kerang.”

Although known to have a shot at the clays on occasion, Ron’s passion was hunting ducks.

“I’m not a target shooter, I’m a duck shooter,” Ron said when he was presented with Life Membership of Swan Hill Field & Game in 2018.

“That was what he was all about,” Alan said. “He was a duck hunter through and through, and all the other things he did were peripheral to that – that was his priority number one.”

Ron’s family agrees with that assessment of Ron’s interests.

“He was a passionate shooter from a young age and loved shooting in the bush. He loved everything about shooting,” Ron’s

family said during his eulogy.

“He took his passion for shooting to great heights, particularly through Field & Game. His voluntary contribution was recognised with Life Memberships for Swan Hill, Victoria and Australia.”

Ron was one of the driving forces behind the very successful “Duck Hunt Challenge” held from 1996 to 2006 at Kangaroo Lake, Seaspray and Wangaratta which drew hundreds of shooters across a decade.

Alan said Ron spent a lot of time each year organising the branch’s Duck Fever nights and was very much involved in Waterfowl Identification Testing in the Swan Hill region.

Alan said he and Ron spent a lot of time travelling to different areas with the waterfowl identification program, and they would regularly see large numbers turn out.

“There was one night at the Barham Club where we had in excess of 100 people go through,” Alan said.

Regardless of which pillar of the branch’s activities Ron was involved with, he gave it his all.

Ron became the VFGA regional delegate, then a full State committee member and eventually reached the highest position

when he became State President. He served as State President in 1992 and ’93, and again from ’97 to 2000.

“Ron helped us transition from a statebased VFGA to the national body of Field & Game Australia that we are today,” Graham said.

“I was privileged to be his Vice-President during these terms and we worked together very well.

“He had some very tough times, not just the transition to a national body but he also had to get the organization through the fallout from Port Arthur and, of course, Animal Liberation.”

Ron was not averse to shaking up the status quo if he believed there was a better way of getting something done.

“Any meeting that he’d go to, he loved to roll hand grenades down the aisle under someone’s table,” Graham said of Ron’s propensity for seeking action – even if it caused somewhat of a stir.

“His passion was really about Swan Hill Field & Game,” Alan said.

“After he received his Swan Hill Life Membership, he said it actually meant more to him than his FGA Life Membership.”

With such a love for and involvement in Swan Hill Field & Game, it’s not surprising that Alan described Ron as a “father figure” within the branch.

“What he did for Field & Game was not really for him,” Alan said.

“It was all about future generations … he just loved mentoring the young ones.”

The Swan Hill branch will not soon forget the man whose passion brought it into being, and the Ron Danby Memorial Shoot has been planned for November this year as a tribute to his efforts over many years, with the major prize of a Miroku shotgun to be donated by the Danby family. Further details of this event will be shared closer to the date.

The last word in relation to Ron, we will leave to his family:

“The ducks around Swan Hill can be a little more relaxed, knowing the news of his passing.”

Ron Danby passed away peacefully at Swan Hill on November 24, 2023, leaving behind his much-loved family – wife Aileen, daughters Kirsty and Amy, sons-in-law Rob and Francis, and grandchildren Caitlin, Emma and Jack.

Greener pastures for evolving club

The FGA branch now located at Willowmavin has endured an interesting and varied past, with the journey to its current iteration punctuated by three changes of location and a number of Victorian Civil Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearings.

The kernel that would ultimately grow into Greenvale-Kilmore Field & Game (now more commonly known as Kilmore Field & Game) came into being in 1978 when a group of wardens from Melbourne’s Pentridge Prison sought a place at which to practise their shotgun skills.

Robert (Bob) Lomas was a prison overseer at the jail at that time and is credited with being the organiser of shoots for the wardens at an old goat farm near the corner of Mickleham and Somerton Rds, Greenvale.

These informal events involving the prison officers, their family members and friends continued for some years until civilization in the form of urban development began to encroach upon the area and the farm was sold to make way for it – leaving the fledgling ‘club’ homeless.

Members on the move

For four years between about 1984 and 1988 the group travelled to other branches throughout the state to attend organised shoots, and it was at one of these events –at Seymour in 1988 – that Bob Lomas was introduced to Anthony (Tony) Jessop, who had heard about the Greenvale gun club that had no ground to call its own.

As it so happened, Tony’s family owned a property at Kilmore. Talks were held and the Jessop family offered the Greenvale shooters the use of a small property at the back of Monument Hill, on Monument Rd, Kilmore.

Greenvale FGA is born

That same year it was decided that the club should be formalised and associated with the Victorian Field & Game Association. An incorporation was duly lodged by Tony Jessop, a meeting was held, and Tony became the inaugural president of Greenvale Field & Game Association. A constitution was adopted, a full committee was elected, and the new branch was officially in business.

For the following eight years, Greenvale Field & Game’s members enjoyed their new home at the Monument Rd range. The club continued to grow in member numbers and infrastructure during this time, with many working bees held to improve the grounds and the facilities, and with summer shoots often finishing up in the swimming pool!

Charity shoots were held each year and aimed to help a different cause each time, with the average donation being $500 to the likes of Kilmore Fire Brigade and the local hospital, to name just two. The club also supported the local Scout group by hiring its members as trappers at its local shoots, with the fee paid directly to the group to help it purchase any equipment the Scouts might require.

During its time at the Monument Rd ground the club was also approached by a representative from Kilmore’s Assumption College, who sought to hold training

shoots for selected students during the week. Unfortunately, a lack of time available from suitably qualified members meant this plan did not get off the ground.

Towards the end of 1995, with the valley below beginning to be developed and several new homes being built, the club could see the writing on the wall and began to consider a move away from Monument Hill. This need was sealed further in 1996 when Tony’s mother Mrs Pat Jessop sold the property.

It was about this time that Brian Weybury was elected president of Greenvale FGA.

A new venue

With no ground immediately available at Kilmore, the Greenvale members began holding their monthly shoots at Puckapunyal in 1996, on a basic sporting clays ground not affiliated with Field & Game that had been developed by Dudley Plunkett.

While the committee continued to keep an eye out for a suitable ground closer to its Greenvale/Kilmore origins, Greenvale FGA operated from the Puckapunyal venue throughout 1996 and 1997, developing the ground with Dudley’s consent to be able to offer a wide variety of targets, and continuing to grow in membership –although the numbers who turned up to the monthly shoots were inconsistent, perhaps due to the increased distance of this venue from the club’s original setting.

During this time Greenvale FGA applied for a funding loan from Field & Game Australia for the purpose of securing a new range; however, this was not approved.

Having promised the members he would find a permanent home for Greenvale even if he had to buy it himself, president Brian asked family friend Graham Moore – a sheep farmer at Strathbogie – if he knew of any farmer who might have an empty paddock that could be used one day a month for clay target shooting. Graham’s farming network came up trumps in the form of Alan Tomlinson, who owned a property in Tantaraboo Rd, Willowmavin, and was willing to host the club there.

Greenvale FGA then applied to the local Mitchell Shire Council for a shooting range to be established at 345 Tantaraboo Rd and the wheels were in motion – but it was to be a long and bumpy road ahead. Neighbours objected to the establishment of the shooting ground – some from overseas – and thus began a lengthy and rather bitter stoush with the “Willowmavin Anti-shooting Range Group” (it continues

On July 10, 2004, Bob Lomas (second from left, and second from right) was presented with a plaque recognising him as a founder of Greenvale Field & Game.

to this day) which went all the way to a VCAT hearing in Melbourne.

Brian and his wife Elwyne were present at the tribunal hearing on the happy day in June 1997 when Greenvale won its case for the Willowmavin shooting ground development to proceed – albeit with some heavy restrictions in place regarding the number of shooters allowed and the hours during which shooting would be permitted. These original conditions allowed shooting on 12 Saturdays a year between noon and 5pm, with a maximum of 100 competitors.

On December 13, 1997, an agreement was made between Greenvale FGA and Dudley Plunkett which turned the club’s current infrastructure over to Plunkett’s Dalhousie Sporting Lodge as Greenvale once again prepared to move location.

Work begins

Work then commenced to fence off the shooting ground and begin setting up the trap houses, safety walls and paths

to ensure all shoots could be conducted in a safe manner. Pat Dunn and Tom Davern were just two of those who spent countless hours helping to improve the grounds for the benefit of all.

On February 14, 1998, Greenvale Field & Game held its first shoot at its new Willowmavin home. The club’s new digs were an instant success, and membership continued to grow.

Elwyne’s father Eric Mounsey, a “rabbiter”, was a regular visitor to the club on shoot days and enjoyed talking to the shooters. Upon his death, Elwyne used her inheritance to fund the construction of the branch’s clubhouse and amenities block, which was built by Frank and Scott Chamberlain with help from other members. Over some time, the cost of this construction was reimbursed to Elwyne.

Bob Lomas had been there through all these changes, and it was with great pleasure that the branch’s committee in 2004 acknowledged Bob as the founder of Greenvale Field & Game and thanked

him for his foresight and dedication to the sport of clay target shooting.

But this historic occasion did not signal the end of the trials that would face Greenvale FGA.

Changes afoot

Five or six years after the club moved to Willowmavin, the property’s owner Alan Tomlinson’s health began to falter and he decided to sell part of his land, including the area occupied by the Greenvale FGA ground.

Being a very community-minded person and realising that the club was good for the wider community, Alan had no wish to see it ousted from its home; as such, he made it a condition of purchase that the club would stay. This unfortunately deterred prospective buyers, who refused to accept that the club would come with their land purchase.

With so much work and worry that had taken place to get the club to this point in time, there was no way that Greenvale Field & Game president Brian and the committee wanted to give it up, and they tried all avenues available to them to raise the money so that the club could buy the land and never again find itself in such jeopardy. When these efforts failed to come to fruition and all seemed lost, in

2005 Brian and Elwyne sold their home in Mickleham to raise the money required for the purchase of the shooting range land.

Again a tribunal battle ensued, when a relative of the vendor objected to the agreed selling price. Two-and-a-half years later the objector gave up the battle and Brian and Elwyne purchased the property in 2008 – allowing Brian to fulfil the promise he had made to the Greenvale members to find the branch the permanent home, even if it came to buying it himself. It had indeed come to that.

A bitter pill

Not long after this, Brian and Elwyne received legal advice that it was a conflict of interest for them to hold committee positions. At that time, Brian was still president and Elwyne was secretary. As a result, the couple stepped down from their roles.

A new committee was elected, and within months the branch’s name was changed from Greenvale FGA to Kilmore FGA, with the reason given for the change being that the name did not reflect the range’s location at Willowmavin.

Elwyne said the name change was a “huge disappointment”, given that she and Brian had spent so much of their time

and money to obtain the ground for the “Greenvale” Field & Game branch.

Conditions eased

In 2012 the branch sought to have the conditions changed to enable the shoot time to start at 10am and to have up to 200 shooters, and for shooting to be allowed on 40 days per year – and once more the neighbours objected.

Another tribunal process was endured, and the branch was victorious in part.

On May 24, 2013, VCAT determined that shooting must not occur on the land before 10am or after 5pm Monday to Saturday and not at all on public holidays; that use of the range was permitted on a maximum of 24 days in any calendar year (excluding Sundays and public holidays) plus a maximum or four weekdays per year (excluding public holidays) allocated exclusively to training for an educational institution or public authority; and, a maximum of 200 shooters was to be permitted at any one event.

Bought out

Then, fate came knocking in 2014 in the form of parliamentarian Damian Drum, who at that time was Victoria’s Minister for Sport. The government was keen to

purchase sporting complex properties, and funding had been allocated to facilitate the purchase of several such properties around the state.

The earlier hardships and disappointments they had faced in the formation of the branch at Willowmavin made the decision to sell the property easy for Brian and Elwyne Weybury – and they did so in March 2015 with half the purchase price stumped up by the government and half by

Field & Game Australia.

The road ahead

These days, FGA’s national ground at Willowmavin is not just home to Kilmore Field & Game. Metropolitan Field & Game made the ground its home and held its first shoot on July 23, 2022, after its tenure at Metropolitan Clay Target Club’s ground on the northern edge of Melbourne ceased in May of that year.

With a new committee in charge at Kilmore Field & Game, a wish-list of long-term plans for FGA’s national ground hovering in the background, Metro FGA also in residence, and all countered by the ever-present pressure from those who still seek to see shooting end or at the very least decrease at the ground, what lies ahead now at Greenvale/Kilmore/Metro/ Willowmavin?

Only time will tell.

Don Lomas in action at Kilmore Field & Game. Don's brother Robert was instrumental in the formation of Greenvale Field & Game.

A personal recollection of Greenvale days

Iwas very fortunate to have an older brother, Robert, who instilled in me his love of hunting, fishing, camping and to enjoy the beauty of the "great outdoors".

It was back in the late 1960s, during the long drive home from Bob’s and my duck hunting trip at the rear of the of Hume Weir, that the conversation shifted from duck hunting to the subject of clay pigeon shooting and how it could possibly improve our wing shooting skills. The decision was made to obtain further information about it, and where we might be able to participate.

Lo and behold, two weeks later saw us heading up to a farm at Craigieburn with some clay targets and a hand thrower that Bob had purchased at O'Brien's gun shop. Due to the limited distance that we could throw the clays, it was decided that we

should look deeper into the subject.

The following Saturday night Bob was at my house reading The Age newspaper, which happened to contain an advertisement for Keysborough Gun Club, inviting people to come along and shoot down the line (DTL) and skeet.

A week later we headed south, me with my Mossberg bolt-action shotgun and Bob with his Browning auto.

On arriving at the gun club and making some inquiries, it was suggested that due to the fact we were both novices and that I would only be shooting single-barrel, we should only try DTL. Well, that experience that day was the start of a lifelong love of clay target shooting for both of us.

It was a mere few weeks later that my brother was again back at my house,

informing me about another gun club that was very close to home at Epping – and the following weekend saw two very keen novice shooters head over to Metropolitan Gun Club to have another go at these clay pigeon things.

On this particular day the club was shooting tower birds, which suited me, being a duck hunter.

We paid our nominated fee and found ourselves shooting with a couple of gentlemen who had lovely Browning O/U shotguns and skeet jackets that had humungous break badges on them – which made us feel a little intimidated, especially when one of the chaps inquired about the Mossberg and he said he knew a fellow with one who had “killed a pig by hitting it over the head with it”. After I’d shot a 25-target round and only missed >>

An article in the North Central Review, dated July 27, 2004, details Bob Lomas’s recognition as the founder of

>> two, the same gentleman jokingly asked if I wanted to sell it.

Several weeks later, Bob rang to tell me about a goat farm in Greenvale that had a clay target trap set up in a steel trap house in one of the paddocks that the farmer’s son and his friends had used but now sat idle. After meeting with both the farmer and his son, it was agreed that we could use the trap on a monthly basis.

So began the existence of Greenvale Gun Club, complete with our own club emblem.

With that simple manual trap, we not only shot our monthly DTL, but outgoers from each side, crossers from both sides and even incomers once set up with the protective barrier in front of the trap house to protect our "trapper". We also had a walk across at the back of the trap house at the 11-yard mark where a target would be released at the trapper’s discretion.

Once our main shoot was completed each month, Bob would organise a jackpot shoot at the cost of one dollar from every member. The shooter whose name was drawn out would have to shoot five targets, one from each DTL station, at which the yardage would be decided by a

spinning wheel. All targets had to be hit or the money jackpotted to the following month.

In those early days at Greenvale, Bob was not only the president of the club, but also the secretary, treasurer, trophy maker and events co-ordinator.

Being a prison overseer with the jail and with the Governor's approval, he purchased and set up a clay target manufacturing industry, complete with moulds and formulas he’d obtained from an older gentleman in Coburg who had retired.

I think Greenvale was one of the first clubs to shoot the new Battue target.

The little club only had about 20 members, which consisted of friends, family, and workmates etc, and the Greenvale members were also members of either SSAA or VFGA.

We would attend many of the simulated shoots that Field & Game clubs were running throughout Victoria, and at these events Bob would collect a couple of dollars from each one of us and we would conduct a little side competition within our group, as

well as shooting the club competition. It was at one of these VFGA shoots that Terry Eldridge, a Seymour member who was aware of our little club, told us of his mate and keen duck hunter Tony Jessop.

Tony had a 60-acre property in Kilmore that could be used as a simulated shooting ground as it had hills, valleys and dams etc. As the Greenvale property was starting to have housing developments encroaching upon it, the club took up the offer to move to Monument Rd in Kilmore.

Back in those early days, we only had manual traps, some of which were homemade with Holden bonnet springs on the throwing arms. The trappers would release the targets at the sound of a buzzer, which was connected to the trap house from a lead and had a 6-volt torch battery.

The word quickly got around about the shoot at Kilmore, and due to the number of shooters turning up regularly it was decided to approach VFGA to see if we could become a branch – and so Greenvale Field & Game was born.

- Don Lomas, Kilmore Field & Game

Greenvale Field & Game branch.

Shooters turn out in numbers

What a ripper of an event it was once again at Donald and Minyip & District Field and Game for Poachers’ Weekend!

In an amazing team effort from everyone – the clubs, the competitors, and the workers both in the public eye and out of it – we have once again enjoyed a successful event with a great atmosphere and something for everyone.

Although most of the weekend was a time for enjoying the competition and the camaraderie, there was a solemn moment before the action began on day one when the life of Donald member Keith ‘Paddy’ Bloomfield, who passed away in October 2023, was commemorated. Tim and Ben Bloomfield, surrounded by Donald F&G members, planted ‘Paddy’s Buloke Pine’ within the grounds of Donald F&G – a place Paddy loved and was very proud of.

Following the formalities in memory of Paddy, Poachers’ Weekend got under way.

The 2024 Poachers on February 29 and March 1 saw an excellent roll-up of 173 shooters on day one and 167 on day two – of which 152 of those competitors shot both days for the overall event –

representing 31 different clubs from around Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Ray Gould from Minyip who scored a $750 gift voucher for Buloke Firearms, and Darren Hoskens from the Grampians who took home the Promatic Trap 50 Hopper.

Competition was tight over the 75 targets faced each day, necessitating shoot-offs in AA, A, B, C, Ladies and Vets on both days.

As always, thanks must go to our sponsors. For day one at Donald, we thank Buloke Firearms, Donald Hardware, Dunstan Wool, Donald Hotel, Customised Spreading, Brunt Truck Repairs, Spuds Café, and SA Coffee; and for day two at Minyip, thanks goes to Nutrien Ag (Murtoa & Rupanyup), Water Tech Solutions, and C&R Sheet Metal. Special acknowledgement goes to Outdoor Trading Company (OTC), which once again was the generous sponsor of the overall competition.

Major raffle prize winners were Phillip Toose from Clunes who won the Road Chef oven on day one at Donald; and Gavin Krause from Minyip who took home the Companion 45 litre fridge on day two at Minyip.

The overall lucky door prize winners were

Last but certainly not least, a massive thank you to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make this event happen, whether in the kitchen, the office, doing the set-up, the number-crunchers and anyone else who helped make the event the fantastic success that it was. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes to make this weekend happen – and we couldn’t do it without you all.

It was a brilliant weekend of shooting and with an amazing bunch of people from three different states including lots of old and new faces supporting the sport of shooting.

Both clubs hope to see you all again at Poachers in 2025 – and bring some extra shooting buddies as we’d love to hit 200!

– Sarah O’Brien, Donald Field & Game

Donald day 1 winners, back row (L-R): Nathan Cassells, Greg Deutscher, Michaela Shirley, Vicki Norris, Ross Tyben, Andrew Pollock, Shane Norris, Mark Phillips, James McNeil, Brad Harris, Tony Barrett, Abby Harris, Kailie Krause, Mark Sloper, Naomi Sloper, Doug Ratcliff, Caleb Melville, Boof Lorenzen; front row: Peter Chace, Leigh Raine, Leigh Norton, Jeremy Jardine, Ray Gould, Ben Krause.

Tim and Ben Bloomfield visited in the morning of day one to plant Paddy Bloomfield’s memorial tree at Donald FGA, joining the others in the memorial line of Buloke pines.

Donald FGA & Minyip & District FGA

SCOREBOARD: Donald – day 1

High Gun

Leigh Norton (Sunraysia) 68

AA Grade

1st Greg Deutscher 65 (Minyip)

2nd Nathan Cassells 65 (Ballarat)

3rd Brad Harris 65 (Sunraysia)

A Grade

1st Leigh Raine 67 (Dunolly)

2nd Peter Chase 63 (Ararat-Stawell)

3rd Damien Taylor 60 (Sunraysia)

B Grade

1st Mark Phillips 57 (Sunraysia)

2nd Mark Sloper 56 (Grampians)

3rd Doug Ratcliff 56 (Dunolly)

C Grade

1st Andrew Pollock 51 (Grampians)

2nd Boof Lorenzen 40 (Dunolly)

3rd Ross Tyben 44 (Bendigo)

Ladies

1st Michaela Shirley 55 (Clunes)

2nd Brenda Murphy 51 (Swan Hill)

3rd Vicki Norris 51 (Kyabram)

Veterans

1st Ray Gould 58 (Minyip)

2nd Tony Barrett 55 (Morwell)

3rd Shane Norris 54 (Kyabram)

Juniors (under 18)

1st Caleb Meville 55 (Kyabram)

2nd James McNeil 51 (Grampians)

3rd Ben Krause 37 (Minyip)

Sub-Juniors (under 15)

1st Abby Harris 40(Sunraysia)

2nd Naomi Sloper 31 (Grampians)

3rd Kailie Krause 20 (Minyip)

SCOREBOARD: Minyip – day 2

Congratulations to the following shooters on their possible, 25/25: Leigh Raines (Dunolly), Chris Ball (Barmera Moorook) and Chris Charleson (Swan Hill).

High Gun

Leigh Raine 69 (Dunolly)

AA Grade

1st Chris Ball 68 (Barmera Moorook)

2nd Kevin Jacobs 67 (Moe)

3rd Russell Chaplin 67 (Deni)

A Grade

1st Brock Ezard 65 (Deni)

2nd Doug Longmuir 64 (Minyip)

3rd Trevor Dumesny 63 (Natimuk)

B Grade

1st Jason Dekoning 55 (Sunraysia)

2nd Mark Phillips 54 (Sunraysia)

3rd Jason Growers 54 (Sunraysia)

C Grade

1st James Fritsch 44 (Donald)

2nd Tom Manifold 44 (Donald)

3rd Rex Rudd 44 (Sunraysia)

Ladies

1st Michaela Shirley 59 (Clunes)

2nd Vicki Norris 52 (Kyabram)

3rd Brenda Murphy 52 (Swan Hill)

Veterans

1st Chris Charleson 66 (Swan Hill)

2nd Ian Chapman 56 (Ballarat)

3rd Kenneth Mikkelesen 56 (Natimuk)

Juniors (under 18)

1st James McNeil 56 (Grampians)

2nd Caleb Meville 55 (Kyabram)

3rd Ella Lewis 34 (Timboon)

Sub-Juniors (under 15)

1st Abby Harris 42 (Sunraysia)

2nd Naomi Sloper 41 (Grampians)

3rd Kailie Krause 20 (Minyip)

SCOREBOARD: Poachers’ Weekend Overall winners (combined two-day scores)

Off the Gun, High Gun

Leigh Raine (Dunolly). (All other winners include handicap on countback.)

High Gun Handicap

Mark Sloper (Grampians)

AA Grade

1st Leigh Norton (Sunraysia)

2nd Russel Chaplin (Deni)

3rd Brad Harris (Sunraysia)

A Grade

1st Peter Chace (Ararat-Stawell)

2nd Trevor Dumesny (Natimuk)

3rd Neil Campbell (Benalla)

B Grade

1st Doug Ratcliff (Dunolly)

2nd Brock Ezard (Deni)

3rd Mark Phillips (Sunraysia)

C Grade

1st Andrew Pollock (Grampians)

2nd James Fritsch (Donald)

3rd Boof Lorenzen (Dunolly)

Ladies

1st Brenda Murphy (Swan Hill)

2nd Michelle Parker (Ararat-Stawell)

3rd Michaela Shirley (Clunes)

Veterans

1st Roy Skelton (Sunraysia)

2nd Stephen Tamme (Benalla)

3rd Ray Gould (Minyip)

Junior (under 18)

1st James McNeil (Grampians)

2nd Caleb Meville (Kyabram)

3rd Ben Krause (Minyip)

Sub-Junior (under 15)

1st Naomi Sloper (Grampians)

2nd Abby Harris (Sunraysia)

3rd Kailie Krause (Minyip)

Jarred Newell smashes a clay while Shannon Ware (Benalla) watches on.

Minyip day 2 and Overall Handicap winners, back rows (L-R): Trevor Dumesny, Ken Mikkleson, Andrew Pollock, Brock Ezard, Mark Phillips, James McNeil, Mark Sloper, James Fritsch, Chris Ball, Abby Harris, Chris Charleson, Roy Skelton, Tom Manifold, Neil Campbell, Stephen Tamme, Nathan Cassells (OTC rep), Vicki Norris, Bill McFarlane (Minyip president), Jeremy Jardine (Donald president), Doug Longmuir, Ben Krause, Kailie Krause, Boof Lorenzen, Jason Grower, Brenda Murphy, Jason Deckoning, Leigh Norton; front row (L-R): Ian Chapman, Rex Rudd, Naomi Sloper, Michelle Parker, Michaela Shirley, Leigh Raine, Peter Chace, Ray Gould, Doug Ratcliff.

Nathan Cassells (Overall sponsor – OTC representative) in the AA shoot-off.

High Gun winner, day one at Donald: Leigh Norton

High Gun winner, day two at Minyip: Leigh Raine.

Cooking up a recipe book

Are you a culinary enthusiast with a passion for wild game?

Field & Game magazine invites you to showcase your culinary prowess by contributing your favourite wild duck and quail recipes for a recipe book! This is your chance to share your kitchen creativity with fellow outdoorsmen and women, while also celebrating the bounty of nature.

Wild duck and quail offer a unique and delicious dining experience, but sometimes finding the perfect recipe can be a challenge. That's where you come

in. Whether you have a cherished family recipe passed down through generations or you've recently discovered a culinary gem, we want to hear from you.

By sharing your recipes, you're not only contributing to a collection of mouthwatering dishes, but you're also joining a community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for hunting – and cooking up the spoils of the harvest!

Let’s help to inspire a wider audience to

explore the culinary delights of wild game. Send us your recipes (please use metric measurements if you can) and we’ll do the rest!

So dust off your recipe cards, fire up the stove, and let your creativity run wild. Submit your favorite wild duck and quail recipes to Field & Game magazine today, and let's create a cookbook that will be cherished by outdoor enthusiasts for years to come.

Send us your branch news

Field & Game Australia is an organisation built around conservation, sustainable hunting, and responsible shooting.

FGA’s members have carried and promoted these values for more than 60 years, and our branches are the backbone that supports our members in their activities.

We’re keen to share branch news with the wider Field & Game audience, and we invite you to get in touch.

Send your branch news (and any photos you’d like to share) to editor@fieldandgame.com.au and please include a contact phone number and ensure that any photos are at least 1Mb in size.

Baked quail stuffed with mushrooms, eggs and bread.

BACK PAGE YARNS with Lucas Cooke

A call to arms – in camouflage

Field & Game Australia (FGA) is at a critical juncture in the evolving narrative of hunting and conservation. Political inquiries in the Victorian and South Australian parliaments have confirmed that game bird hunting is a legitimate and sustainable way to harvest a renewable resource. Despite this victory, we cannot let our guard down, as efforts to ban hunting continue.

Hunting as a conservation tool

For FGA, hunting is not just an activity; it is a commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation. As interest in hunting grows, attracting new enthusiasts and experienced veterans alike, it is crucial to ensure this attention leads to a greater focus on conservation. The increased participation must align with heightened volunteerism and proactive efforts to maintain our hunting heritage.

The science discussed during recent parliamentary inquiries in South Australia and Victoria underscores a key point: habitat is crucial. The sustainability of Australian waterfowl depends on maintaining high-quality habitat. Lead Australian scientists were clear – any narrative of long-term declines in waterfowl numbers can be neatly tied to a corresponding loss of habitat. Australian waterfowl are only in decline in areas that no longer hold water!

This principle is central to FGA's mission, which has always been about securing public land habitat to support biodiversity in Australian wetlands and allowing for responsible and sustainable hunting.

Legitimate responsible conservation organisations realise this. The World

Wildlife Fund (WWF) acknowledges that regulated hunting can play a role in effective conservation when it supports sustainable wildlife management and benefits local communities.

Engaging new hunters

To ensure the future of hunting, we must embrace newcomers while guiding them toward conservation efforts. In North America, hunting conservation is often financially supported by hunters. In Australia, the contribution is more indirect, with "sweat equity" as a primary payment for public land hunting. This indirect approach encourages hunters to be more involved in conservation work and understand the importance of their role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

The character John Dutton's words from the TV series Yellowstone resonate here: "If you want to see the change, you've got to be the change. Unless you're talking about the weather, then you're better off hunting." This message is a call to action for hunters to lead by example.

In 2024, compliance among hunters has been high, but doing the right thing as a hunter is about more than just following the law. It's about demonstrating commitment to conservation and inspiring others to join the cause.

A call to action

Your participation in conservation efforts can make a difference. If you haven't yet taken part in restoration work, consider joining an existing FGA project or, if you don't find one that suits you, start your own. Contact our national office to learn about conservation projects in your area. Engage your hunting

companions and new recruits in these activities to demonstrate that hunting is not just a pastime but a way to contribute to preserving our natural heritage.

This path requires more than participation; it calls for a dedication to conservation and rehabilitation. It's a call to arms, where the tools are shovels and seeds, and the battleground is the wilderness we aim to protect. The future of hunting and FGA's legacy depend on inspiring a resurgence in volunteerism, turning enthusiasm into tangible action.

The way forward

In the spirit of stewardship and unity, let's step forward into this new chapter. The call of the wild is not just to hunt but to heal. We must ensure the tracks we follow are ones we've helped maintain, and the fields we roam are ones we've helped restore. This is the essence of hunting, the heart of FGA. Though we may don camouflage, our path forward should also contain some "high vis," indicating our commitment to conservation and a better future for hunting.

By embracing conservation, engaging with new hunters, and contributing to our public lands, we can preserve hunting as a valuable resource conservation tool while ensuring its sustainability for generations to come.

Lucas Cooke CEO, Field & Game Australia

If you have a topic you’d like to discuss, or a question you’d like to ask and have discussed here, send it through to Editor@Fieldandgame.com.au

Field & Game’s quarterly magazine is distributed to about 15,000 households in March, June, September and December each year. The magazine holds a wealth of information, articles and photos on all aspects of Field and Game Australia’s activities. No other publication can offer the same targeted, repeated exposure to our shooting members! Call us now to secure your spot. Phone 0427 431 663 or email wendy.russell@fieldandgame.com.au