$1m boost for deer hunting, to help cull numbers

Deer hunting in alpine bushland will be bolstered through a $1m investment by the Victorian government. Minister for Outdoor Recreation, Steve Dimopoulos, recently announced the government will spend the money building and upgrading remote huts, to give recreational deer hunters the perfect basecamp and making hunting trips easier and even more rewarding. He said huts will feature basic facilities and secure meat safes, allowing recreational hunters to safely and sustainably harvest more deer, store venison and extend their trips. "Until now recreational hunters have had to rely on game bags, but these new meat safes will change the game, ensuring high-quality, hygienic storage," Minister Dimopoulos said. "With better meat storage, recreational hunters can bring home more venison, helping to reduce deer populations that can cause damage to native vegetation, agriculture and forest ecosystems – a win for the environment and the local economy." The huts are also to be available to bushwalkers, four-wheel drivers, mountain bikers and adventurers of all kinds. The government said it will collaborate with hunting and community groups to help guide how the huts are delivered, including determining their number and locations. North East bushland areas, including those in the Alpine Shire, remain among some of the most popular for deer hunting in the state. According to the Game Management Authority’s (GMA) 2023 deer harvesting in Victoria report, the local area was second only to the Mansfield area for the total reported number of deer harvested using hounds, and also the fourth for the total number of reported deer hunting days using hounds. The North East region was also the second most frequented region, behind Goulburn Broken, for total deer harvest in the state. Of the estimated 137,090 deer harvested in 2023, as many as 40,000 came from the North East. The 2023 deer harvest was an 11 per cent increase on the estimated 123,400 deer harvested in 2022 and a 59 per cent increase on the long-term average of 86,400. Sambar deer were the most harvested species with an estimated harvest of 106,500 deer, of which 53 per cent were female. Fallow deer were the second most harvested species, with an estimated harvest of 27,500 deer, of which 59 per cent were female. The number of licenced recreational deer hunters in 2023 was 52,321, an increase of more than 3.6 per cent from 2022 (50,478). Of the licenced deer hunters, 60 per cent actively hunted in 2023, with hunters harvesting an estimated average of 4.3 deer over 10.5 days.

$1m boost for deer hunting, to help cull numbers

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