The simple reality of recreational deer hunting on public land is that it is an activity that is not mutually exclusive with other uses; it doesn’t preclude or intrude on other users and, if anything, complements them.
Hearing only positive interactions between hunters and other bush users is the norm. Many of us have shared a campfire and a cold beverage with non-hunters, regardless of whether they are four-wheel drivers, bushwalkers, or just campers. After all, we all love the outdoors, being amongst the gums and reconnecting with nature away from the demands of our busy lives in cities or towns.
We must continue to build this goodwill with other users. Many are sympathetic to our cause and have developed an understanding of our way of life through positive engagements in the field, even if it’s not for them. This goodwill is often repaid during land use conversations, and it emerges that hunters are a well-received cohort amongst the bush user fraternity.
In 2025, we will again face the challenge of public land tenures and a cultural push by a motivated minority committed to the ill-fated concept of the ‘Great Forest National Park.’ Only time will tell, but it's possible that the cessation of native timber harvesting sounded the death knell for the concept, which, ironically, was the park's original purpose.
As always, the Australian Deer Association will continue its advocacy work on this issue, as it has since it arose more than a decade ago alongside parallel subjects such as The Great Outdoors Taskforce.
While we often must deal with ‘threats’ to our way of life, there are also opportunities that we continue to seek out and prosecute. The issue of access goes both ways; while some people are trying to lock recreational hunters out of the public land estate, we never stop advocating for creating additional access to areas we currently cannot hunt in. The Australian Deer Association has had great success with this in the past, unlocking public land in New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria, but it is something that we will always strive to build upon.
We have launched our new t-shirts, The Public Land Access series, to celebrate this. It honours the hard-fought victories of the past that enable the access we have today whilst reminding ourselves that the fight to keep what we have never ends. They are included in our Value-Added Memberships and on our web shop to purchase.
As hunters, we must continue to be proud of our lifestyle, knowing it's not for everyone, but it is for us. Many people won’t do what we do, but they will share the spoils of the hunt with us and appreciate the value of wild-harvested, free-range venison. This is the power of venison diplomacy at work, and as hunters, it’s a rewarding way of helping build our social licence and goodwill, which is vital in our ongoing advocacy efforts.
“We must continue to build this goodwill with other users.”
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