At first when I read this news item I was horrified... shooting in National Parks? Never!

But then think of the feral animals that are not being eradicated, everywhere you go you see evidence of rabbits, wild pigs, and feral cats and dogs in NP's. Shooters might be able to make a difference there.

But then think of the reckless behaviour of a few of the shooters and the pig dogs that accompany them... surely they wouldnt let dogs in?

 I wouldnt like to be camped in a NP at night and find bullets flying close by!

What do others think?

I think that this could be run the right way it will help eradicated the feral by closing national parks down for so many days of feral shooting if anyone shoots anything else they lose their guns and get a very large fine.This could run by the gun club at a charge to be part donated to the np and part to the club.

I am an archer, registered and accurate, i would welcome the chance to correct the our natural habitat.

Gday...

On a couple of my trips to USA I have seen signs in their National Parks warning visitors to exercise care as shooters are allowed to 'hunt' during given periods - like seasons. Thankfully shooters are also warned to be careful of hikers and yobs like me.

I did meet a couple of shooters from time to time. Thankfully shooters in USA have to wear those lovely, cute BRIGHT RED vests. Lucky the prey are colour blind .

I guess, if it gets rid of the feral population, and shooters are 'responsible' it should be OK.

Cheers - John

 Hmmmmm ???? Could be Dangerous ??? But it depends on when and where ??? Any chance that we could make CANBERRA a National Park and use it for a Trial Area first ??????

dazren wrote:

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 Hmmmmm ???? Could be Dangerous ??? But it depends on when and where ??? Any chance that we could make CANBERRA a National Park and use it for a Trial Area first ??????

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 Thanks dazren... I live in Canberra.

This latest thing is the work of Barry OFarrell of the NSW Govt.

Spot on Mary.

  I used to go on fox drives run by the field and game and they were very well organised. I'm sure the sporting shooters  ( SSAA ) would also do a great job.

     Landy

 Gertydaner wrote

Thanks dazren... I live in Canberra

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Gerty My ''tongue in cheek remark'' was aimed at the Pollies ! Not nice Forum members like you ?

and any shooters we send up there, will be excellent shots and well educated to tell the difference between The FERALS [ pollies ! ] and the nice australian natives ! [ you ! ] so you will be quite safe

And if this trial is sucessful, and those 3 main Feral species that reside there [ Lib, Lab, and Grn / are thinned out a little, I think Canberra will become a much nicer place for you to reside in.

You know I think my Father was right, when i was young and he tried to explain politics to me. ?????

he said we should put all the politicians in a paddock, and let them Fight to the death !!! the last one standing is the Winner. and when he steps outside the paddock, We shoot him ?? and start over again ?? 

Cruising Granny wrote:

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I think they've declared open season in Adelaide. Drive-by shootings happen everywhere, in many suburbs, most nights.
Talk about ferals! We got 'em all here!

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They are definitely not the respectable citizens who would ever apply for a licence or register their firearms though, let alone qualify for a licence. The first clue is that they have difficulty hitting the front of a building.  The gun licensing system and the gun registry were never invented to hamper criminals only honest folk, and police would much prefer to be out catching offenders than inspecting some licensed owner's safe.

The ones you talk about want gansta guns to hold sideways and club their drug dealers with and import them through that wide-open 'risk-based' customs inspection.  All of that drug money finds a way.

However I am waiting for news of an organic pig roast surrounded by grey nomads somewhere, sometime.  An old fuel drum split in half with nicely glowing coals and a home made contraption made from a discarded windscreen wiper unit driving the spit.  Spare 12V battery?  I have visions of grey nomads living off the land with some game (venison maybe?) to eke out those meagre existences.  Venison biltong or jerky maybe? 

http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/docs/Brochure-WildDeer-Jan11.pdf

What is proposed in NSW is simply an extension of the very successful NSW Game Council supervision of the control of feral species by trained and certificated hunters. It is very tightly controlled. See here for the effectiveness regarding feral species:

http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/portal.asp?p=Ferals1

The only other option is to extend the 1080 poisoned carrot drops from helicopters, which presumably those who are anti the NSW Game Council must favour. 1080 poison is not a slow death, it leaves first rate meat like venison to rot in the field and there are misgivings about unintentional poisonings. Google 1080 poison + NZ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yJSvAe8SXw&feature=relmfu

Use of contractors shooting from helicopters or dropping poison is very expensive. For example, the Tasmanian Parks management spent $25 million in 5 years on rabbits on Macquarie Island.

In NZ it was estimated that the direct financial cost of 1080 poison drops to kill possums was $120million.

If the large scale poison drops were stopped because the mindset of total eradication of possums is foolishly idealistic (and the method horrendous), the alternative could be:

• income of $20million from feral venison and associated industries + $80million from the possum industry = $100 million

less

• $30 million for government assistance for control of feral cats and mustelids = $30million (-)

• bounty system = $20million (-)

Leaving an income of $50million

Through the NSW Game Council's approach (link given above) there are savings for the taxpayer; a heap of animal suffering is prevented (less 'copter loads of 1080 and less aerial shooting); meat from deer, pigs and goats can end up on the tables of hunters and there is no indiscriminate spreading of poison in the food and water chain.

My interest is in the income that hunting and the tourism associated with it can deliver for country towns, which is often still available during seasonal lean times. A lot of migrant groups and Australians too have hunting traditions as part of their cultural heritage.

I believe there are over 800 NSW NPs and and hunting is proposed in only some of them and the land concerned is most inhospitable.

Gerty

There are always those from whatever side with a secondary agenda in mind who get a headline from spreading alarm and fear (scaring the horses). However the original licensing of firearms owners is extremely tight.

Licensing by the Games Council to cull feral animals in NPs, the 'R' licence, requires an additional training program and certification on top of the firearms licensing.

As a long time bushwalker myself I must say that NPs where access by the public is limited or refused are havens for exotic plants and feral animals. I would much rather hunters go into the NPs, many of them are bushies and others who have the interest to identify and warn authorities of the spread of exotic diseases and pests.

I don't believe in the extinction of introduced animals like deer. It isn't possible anyway.  The aim should be to conserve them and the environment, which means culling through hunting. As a Queenslander I treasure Queen Victoria's gift of Red Deer and one features on the Qld coat of arms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Queensland

Ahem, now if there is anyone out there who could make some organic venison sausages (drool) or do a charcoal spit featuring organic goat or hog (drools again) I am willing to attend to bring the red and be of very good cheer.  I have fond childhood memories of being invited to the delightful family gatherings of Greek neighbours where organic goats were done on spits.

G'day johnq , I'm a shooter too .

Aah ! Venison jerky . I make it fairly regularly . It's the best .

You dont hear from those shot, if the shooter; is a good shot.

There again, old white bones have spoken of the past..

Hunting in the Victorian High Country has been going on for years. Often when 4WDing in remote areas you would come across a vehicle/s on the side of the road/track with empty dog cages and the driver/passenger nowhere to be seen. You would have no idea where they were but they were nowhere near any camping/rest areas.

On one occasion, midweek, a group of us was driving the Haunted Stream near Swifts Creek. A hunting group that were working up the hill on one side of that valley heard our convoy CB communication and communicated their position and asked for our position. As we came further along the track, at the start of the valley, we came across a young chap all alone sitting in a small clearing with a campfire. He was there as a "human" spotter to warn the hunters if anyone was driving the track.

At the westerly end of the valley the hunters had set up an elaborate large camp where their wives (and children) could observe the other tracks that entered the valley. They were in CB communication with the hunters up the hill, plus scanning all CB channels which is how they picked us up on channel 14. They communicated to the hunters that we had arrived at their camp and informed them when and what track we were going to use when we left the valley. We again came across another lone "human" spotter at the end of the different track we used to leave the valley.

We were most impressed with that groups efforts to ensure the safety any other people in that area.