A way to reduce ferals?

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

A way to reduce ferals?

rgren2 · Guru

Feral goats used to be a big problem in western nsw and farmers would welcome someone to cull. Not so now, the goats are a big money earner.

oldbloke · Guru

Young goat tastes great.
Many more would be shot if it was permitted. The problem is more and more public land is becoming National Parks or various types of "park". Shooting is not generally permitted in these areas. The State forests are shrinking. Goats, pigs, deer, feral dogs & foxes then build up numbers in these "parks". What else would you expect?

Governments spend little to "manage" these animals. Sometimes pull a lever and get incredibly expensive helicopters in to do the work hunters would be happy to do for free. Or lay 1080, great, almost kill everything.

The Greene's are constantly pushing for more parks. Then they winge that the natives are being killed by foxes or pigs are destroying vegetation. Or that bush fires are getting out of control, well if the parks are " locked up" and no wood collection is allowed, and no regular burns, what would you expect?

Dogs are so restricted in NPs that they are actively discouraging visitors.

Greenies are dumb.

Victoria and NSW are now the only states where hunting is allowed on public land, and that is slowly shrinking.

Farmers are paying the cost in lost sheep and cattle and ruined pasture.

Thankyou Green party and goodies, goodies.

P.S. In Victoria it's still illegal for the public to shoot feral cats on public land. What a laugh.

peter67 · Guru

Hit the nail square on the head oldbloke.

ps Buzz, eat a Possum first, they make cats taste great.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

oldbloke wrote:
Many more would be shot if it was permitted. The problem is more and more public land is becoming National Parks or various types of "park". Shooting is not generally permitted in these areas. The State forests are shrinking. Goats, pigs, deer, feral dogs & foxes then build up numbers in these "parks". What else would you expect?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Some parks in SA (notably the Flinders Ranges) are closed for a week each year and members of the Sporting Shooters Association go in for an organised goat eradication shoot.

A problem with promoting goat as a staple meat is that pastoralists on marginal land are farming the ferel goats rather than trying to eliminate them because thy can make good easy money from them. They are terribly destructive of the land.

But I agree we need to do lots more to eliminate ferels of all descriptions.

Cheers,

Peter

oldbloke · Guru

Yes, SSAA do sometimes get permission to hunt in these areas. Rangers oversee it. But by and large they are close to most hunters all year. Unless you marry someone's daughter. Lol Seems I married the wrong one. Lol. Just joking.

All the decisions are political. No logic.

Hunting, if carried out in traditional ways is very low impact, very safe and environmentally very good.

P.S. I figure every fox removed saves a few hundred birds and who knows how many other natives.

-- Edited by oldbloke on Saturday 12th of March 2022 12:22:41 PM

Bobdown · Guru

Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
I'd also eat feral: camel, donkey, deer, pigs, rabbits and hares. After hunting foxes for money I know that they stink so I wouldn't eat them. I don't know about cats and they are the biggest threat to Australian wildlife.

A bit like the old joke....

A bloke got fined $1000 for eating a platypus, and he told the judge it was a one off and he wouldn't do it again.

A reporter outside court said 'What did it taste like?'

The bloke replied 'A bit like Koala'

oldbloke · Guru

Bobdown wrote:
Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
I'd also eat feral: camel, donkey, deer, pigs, rabbits and hares. After hunting foxes for money I know that they stink so I wouldn't eat them. I don't know about cats and they are the biggest threat to Australian wildlife.
A bit like the old joke....
A bloke got fined $1000 for eating a platypus, and he told the judge it was a one off and he wouldn't do it again.
A reporter outside court said 'What did it taste like?'
The bloke replied 'A bit like Koala'

Oldie, but a goldie

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Ooops, when I read the subject heading I thought you were going to tell us a way of getting rid of ferrel campers and we have all come across many of those, I know I have.

As for your ferrel topic. I only just this morning read a small article asking if you/I would eat goat I thought for a couple of minutes and decided I would. Somewhere, sometime, someone, had to try lamb, cow, pig, roo, chicken, duck and so it goes on. We eat all those now so why not goat

Keep Safe out there.

Bicyclecamper · Guru

I have about 1500 feral goats on my place, and eat one a month, and butcher 1 for my daughters family. I wont kill them off, as they are a good money earner. They are the only stock I've got otherthan pets. The place is a fauna reserve primarily. All the animals can live together quite ok, as my place is just over 10,000 acres. I don't live there, I live in town, have a caretaker/manager out there to look after the place.

Corndoggy · Senior Member

At first glance when you said ferals I though you meant the not so popular human ones.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Bicyclecamper wrote:
The place is a fauna reserve primarily.

Sorry, but the goats destroy the flora and the soil. And the neighbours get goats wether they like it, or not.

This is exactly why we have such a serious feral goat problem in this country.

Cheers,

Peter

boab · Senior Member

Peter here in the Gascoigne region station owners are have massive problems with feral dogs, some areas they are in such large numbers pastoralists have completely destocked

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Yes, dogs are a serious risk to stock in some areas, but they don't do the direct damage to the environment like goats and pigs.
Those who wish to stock goats (comercially or not) should be forced to erect goat proof fences and accept that any native flora may be destroyed. If that is not acceptable they should be eliminated.
Cheers,
Peter

the rocket · Guru

Corndoggy wrote:
At first glance when you said ferals I though you meant the not so popular human ones.

Me too. Thats why i clicked on it. Ha ha.

landy · Guru

P.S. In Victoria it's still illegal for the public to shoot feral cats on public land. What a laugh.

Only if you get caught oldbloke ... Ooooh So many cats and so few recipes . biggrin

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

the rocket wrote:
Corndoggy wrote:
At first glance when you said ferals I though you meant the not so popular human ones.
Me too. Thats why i clicked on it. Ha ha.

Oh, so I've created my first click bait. Well I'm sorry that I've misled so many of you. blankstare

bratboy · Veteran Member

I must admit i was expecting a story about mullets , VB and burnouts confuse biggrin

peter67 · Guru

In WA substitute VB for Emu Export ( wifebasher )

ps who remembers that old book " 101 uses for dead cats " or did that book go the same way as Dr Zuess?

Bobdown · Guru

Reminds me of this........

oldbloke · Guru

peter67 wrote:
In WA substitute VB for Emu Export ( wifebasher )

ps who remembers that old book " 101 uses for dead cats " or did that book go the same way as Dr Zuess?

I remember it well. Dad had a copy. Regrettably I think it went to the salvo's.

Great book

bratboy · Veteran Member

I have a roadkill recipe book somewhere . As for cat inline them but can't eat a full one .

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

peter67 wrote:
In WA substitute VB for Emu Export ( wifebasher )

ps who remembers that old book " 101 uses for dead cats " or did that book go the same way as Dr Zuess?

I have two books on the 'Official' I hate cats books:

oldbloke · Guru

Lol. Love the slide

peter67 · Guru

Thanks Buzz, I like the slingshot one, the cats face :)

Izabarack · Guru

Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
There appears to be little effort to get rid of the feral animals in Australia.

They could fix the feral horse problem in Kosciusko National Park for no cost if they let the Doggers in to harvest the horses destroying the place.

Locally, we have a deer problem but Fall-of-Shot issues are already making it hard for Council Pest Animal Management officers to shoot more than one a week. Council officers would love to make a serious inroad into the burgeoning deer population but they are in and around residential developments.

oldbloke · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Buzz Lightbulb wrote:
There appears to be little effort to get rid of the feral animals in Australia.
They could fix the feral horse problem in Kosciusko National Park for no cost if they let the Doggers in to harvest the horses destroying the place.
Locally, we have a deer problem but Fall-of-Shot issues are already making it hard for Council Pest Animal Management officers to shoot more than one a week. Council officers would love to make a serious inroad into the burgeoning deer population but they are in and around residential developments.

There are plenty of bow hunters out there that may help.

peter67 · Guru

Way to cruel for any serious consideration.

Izabarack · Guru

oldbloke wrote:

There are plenty of bow hunters out there that may help.

Council officers are required to use 7.62 and a suppressor. Head shots only. Removal of horses from the NP would be by trapping then trucking to a Knackery. Broadhead arrows do not kill instantly like headshot with a large caliber rifle does. I have no issues with killing feral animals, I only endorse Humane methods of dispatch.

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

Some animals need to be shot in the chest to kill. I've seen pigs shot in the head and some walk away dazed. A shot through the heart with a high powered rifle is more likely to kill.