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Ducks
As Victoria continues to suffer drought conditions, the duck season for 2009 has been shortened. It will be the most restricted Victorian duck season ever, starting on 21 March 2009 and finishing on 8 May 2009.
The duck open season is timed to occur when the population is at its maximum and to avoid periods of vulnerability. The close season is timed to prevent hunting during times of peak reproductive activity, impaired flying ability during moulting, and temperature extremes, low population levels and food shortage.
Waterfowl in eastern Australia display a regular breeding peak in late winter and spring (August - November), with some breeding commencing as early as June and extending as late as January. Following breeding, chicks must be given the opportunity to mature to the point where they are self-sufficient and strong in flight. For adult birds, moulting occurs soon after breeding, with large flocks of moulting birds often observed in February each year. During late winter, population levels are at their lowest and ducks are subject to environmental extremes and food shortages and preliminary breeding activity may occur.
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Stubble Quail
The open season for Stubble Quail is from the first Saturday in April to the last day in June annually.
The open season for Stubble Quail is timed to occur when the population is at its maximum and to avoid periods of vulnerability. The closed season is timed to prevent hunting during breeding, moulting, temperature extremes and food shortage. There is a regular annual peak in Stubble Quail breeding between August and December, with some breeding occurring into late summer. For adult birds, moulting occurs soon after breeding. The end of the open season is timed to avoid the late winter period when the Stubble Quail population is at its lowest, under stress from environmental extremes and food shortages and when preliminary breeding activity occurs.
There is some evidence of a frequent second peak in the breeding cycle that coincides with autumn rains which result in a flush of plant growth, providing quality food and cover resources. Because of this, it has been suggested that the Stubble Quail season could be divided into two distinct periods, avoiding any autumn breeding events and taking greater advantage of the post-breeding harvestable surplus. Further scientific evidence specific to Victorian conditions is required before an educated and informed decision to change the season dates could be made.
The bag limit of twenty birds per day for Stubble Quail minimises any long-term effects of harvesting on the overall population and ensures that the harvest of Stubble Quail is shared equitably among recreational quail hunters. The bag limit does not reduce hunting opportunities for the majority of quail hunters, as few individuals have the necessary skill, perseverance or opportunity to take more than 20 quail per day. The average opening day bag of Stubble Quail over the last five seasons has been approximately eight birds per hunter and the average total seasonal harvest for each hunter over the same period is approximately thirty-four birds.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that Stubble Quail numbers have declined in recent decades, a phenomenon consistent with the reduction of many other ground-dwelling game birds in other developed countries throughout the world. Reports from both hunters and researchers suggest that changes to agricultural practices have degraded already highly modified agricultural environments, which once provided suitable Stubble Quail habitat. Intensified range management and "clean" farming practices using herbicides and pesticides are known to compromise quail habitat by reducing relative food abundance and degrading nesting, brood rearing and protective cover. Any increase to the bag would be inconsistent with a probable declining population or the precautionary principle of management.
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Sambar Deer by stalking
There is a year-long open season for hunting Sambar Deer by stalking.
Being an Asiatic species, Sambar Deer are capable of breeding at any time of the year. Periods of vulnerability, therefore, are not well defined, and a closed season is not needed to protect the population during a time of susceptibility to over-hunting. The twelve-month season for stalking of Sambar Deer appears not to have any negative impacts on the success of the species, as anecdotal evidence suggests that the Sambar Deer population continues to extend its range, density appears to be increasing and harvest levels remain high.
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Sambar Deer using scent-trailing hounds
The open season for hunting Sambar Deer using scent-trailing hounds is restricted to the period from the second Saturday after Easter Sunday to the last day in November each year.
The close season during the warmer months reduces potential conflicts of interest between hound hunters, local residents and other user groups during peak periods of public land use (ie. the summer holiday period). Scent-trailing hounds are more susceptible to heat exhaustion and snakebite during the warmer months, so a close season that coincides with the hotter months of the year has minimal impact on the majority of hound hunters.
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Hog Deer
The open season for Hog Deer is restricted to a single month from April 1 to the April 30 each year.
The total Victorian population of Hog Deer consists of a number of small, isolated populations and is under pressure from a decline in habitat quality and quantity as land is cleared and freshwater marshes and wetlands are drained. Therefore, when considering the timing of the open season, it is important to ensure the population is at its maximum and that hunting does not occur during periods of stress or vulnerability.
The current month-long Hog Deer season in April is considered to be consistent with the biology of the species as, generally, the majority of hinds have conceived, stags are in hard antler and calves born in spring have been weaned and are self-sufficient before the season opens. The open season avoids hunting during the peak breeding period in Summer, when stags are particularly vulnerable, and avoids any disruption to mating, which may affect productivity. An April season also avoids the hardships of winter when population levels are at their lowest and deer are subject to environmental extremes and food shortages.
The restricted length of the Hog Deer season is also used as a mechanism to regulate harvest. While it is considered that the current yield of Hog Deer is sustainable, should the season length be extended beyond one month, there is some concern that the increased level of take could not be sustained. Should the season be extended in length, it is considered that alternative measures would need to be employed to limit harvest to an appropriate level. This could be done by further restricting the bag limit or limiting the number of hunters permitted to hunt.
Details on regulations can be found in the Hog Deer hunting PDF below or from the information sheet page.
Hog Deer Hunting (PDF - 205 KB)Back to top
Red Deer
The open season for Red Deer is restricted to the months of June and July each year.
The open season avoids the peak breeding period for Red Deer when stags are particularly vulnerable and avoids any disruption to mating, which may affect productivity. Red Deer have a short rutting (mating) period that lasts only three to four weeks, beginning in late March/early April. Most hinds give birth to single young in November or December after an eight-month gestation period. Stags cast their antlers during September and October and regrow them by mid-February.
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Fallow Deer
There is a year-long open season for hunting Fallow Deer, with hunting permitted in State Forest and other areas of unoccupied Crown Land where the carriage and use of firearms is permitted. Hunting can also be carried out on private property with the permission of the land owner/manager. Fallow Deer can not be hunted in National Parks, reserves or other sanctuaries.
The year-long open season is designed to assist private land owners to significantly reduce or eliminate Fallow Deer, particularly herds that are causing problems for landowners or having a detrimental effect on conservation values.
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Please note: Document(s) on this page are presented in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download a copy free from the Adobe web site.