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Volume me 28
Issue 4
August g 2015
Come and hear celebrated deer hunter and educator Noel O’Connor as guest speaker at this month’s ADA Central Vic General Meeting. – see Page 4
The next General Meeting g will be held on August 12,, at: The Axedale Tavern, meals available from 5:30pm and meeting to start tartt at 7:30pm. New memberss most welcome.
Photo courtesy www.noeloconnor.net
Applyin for your firearms licence? Applying A If you’re beginning your journey in learning to hunt, an ADA membership not only puts you in contact with thousands of hunters across Australia, it qualifies your ‘genuine reason’ criteria for a Victorian firearms licence application. If you are looking to join a club and applying for your licence, consider an ADA membership, which will give you access to branch camps, bi-monthly meetings, hunter education, great fellowship and includes a subscription to the Australian Deer magazine. Visit www.austdeer.com.au
Central Victorian Branch Committee & Officers 2014-15 President: Ern Addington E: centralvic.pres@austdeer.asn.au
Secretary: John Molinia E: centralvic.sec@austdeer.asn.au
Treasurer: Rod Reddish E: centralvic.treas@austdeer.asn.au
General Committee: Tom Ryan Jack Kinross Kelvin Tatti Peter Meekings Daniel Sherriff Matt King
Magazine Editor: Damian Griffin E: sambarsroarcv@gmail.com
State Executive Rep: Bill Thomas
Lead Sled for hire he ADA - Central Vic Branch have bought a new Led Sled Plus, which is available for Branch Members to use for a nominal deposit (returnable) and weekly fee. To sight in any new rifles the Led Sled is a must, particularly
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for big calibers. If you are interested in using it contact Rod Reddish for pickup details centralvic.treas@austdeer.asn. au Proof of Branch Membership will be required.
Public Relations: Rod Reddish
Property Officer: Len Trewhella (03) 5449 6691 E: trewella.len.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
Hound Working Group Rep: Ian Spiers (03) 5483 2270 E: ian.spiers@bigpond.com
Librarian: Harold Hall and Lex Silva E: akinross@chcaustralia.com
Branch Scorers: Lex & Di Silva (03) 5449 3752 E: dilex@aapt.net.au Gary Hogan (03) 5442 2852
ROAR DISTRIBUTION To reduce printing and postage costs, and to bring you a better quality, colour, publication, the Roar is now primarily distributed via email to the email address nominated on your ADA membership form. To change your email address please advise the ADA Membership Office or the Central Vic magazine editor. Hard copies are provided to our sponsors, who will display these in store. If you are a member and are unable to access it electronically, contact the editor for a hard copy. ROAR TRADING POST Free Member Advertising! All your unwanted hunting, fishing, 4x4ing and camping gear can be advertised to your fellow members here. Send details and photo of items to be advertised to ‘Roar Trading Post’
sambarsroarcv@gmail.com Conditions apply with firearms; you will need to provide the serial number of the firearm and shooters licence number before it can be advertised. SEND IN YOUR STORIES AND PHOTOS! Photos, articles or relevant items of interest. Anything to do with your hunting, fishing, outdoors exploits. Items can be forwarded to sambarsroarcv@gmail.com Please include as much detail about of the event/s as you are prepared to share, general area, time/ date, firearm, equipment, etc. The more stories the better the Roar. PAST EDITIONS WANTED If anyone has any old copies of the ADA magazines please contact Rod Reddish centralvic.treas@austdeer.asn.au as he is trying to obtain a full set from the first edition.
New to hunting? The Australian Deer Association provides some of the best hunting education in Australia. Join the Central Victoria Branch or attended the ADA’s highly regarded Hunter Education Course (open to nonmembers). For more information visit www.austdeer.com.au
2 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
President’s message t’s been greatly pleasing to hear that so many of our members have been out enjoying the outdoors in what has been for the most part a rather mild winter. Congratulations to Rod Reddish on his 62kg tuna (see Page 5) and there’s been a few deer taken too in the past few months. Many of these success stories are shared at our General Meetings, which I encourage everyone to attend as often as they can. As the Longlea clubroom is still undergoing renovations, we’re again going to meet at the Axedale Tavern on August 12. There’ll be the opportunity for a meal from 5.30pm before the meeting starts at 7.30. I hope to see as many of you there as possible, and remember, as always there’ll be some great raffle prizes drawn at the end of the night. I’m also very happy to see that our Branch Facebook page, Australian Deer Association – Central Vic Branch, has grown significantly in the past few months, and now boasts more than 1230+ likes. It is important to note that most of these ‘likes’ are from non-members, whom we would very much like to convert to Branch members! I’d also like to draw attention to the Facebook code of conduct (located on Page 15), which outlines the general behaviour expected. If you’re using
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email address, we’ll continue to post one out to you! We will also continue to send send hard copies to our sponsors, gun shops and outdoors stores, which we hope will encourage new members to join. As always, we are encouraging new member growth and seek your help in achieving it! Our Branch is getting a lot stronger with a new committee and we now have 231 members which has grown from about 170 since November last year. If you know someone who might be interested in joining the Branch, I encourage you to invite them along to our next General Meeting – if you are a new member please come and say G’day to me at the next meeting. Don’t forget our branch camp on the weekend of August 15-16. This will be an excellent camp, and I’m hoping as many members can get along as possible. There is a slight clash with dates, as some members will be joining the Melbourne Branch in attempting to qualify for ADA and Parks Vic deer management program on August 15 at Little River. I wish all those members attempting the shoot all the best!
Facebook, please familiarise yourself with this. On the subject of communications, Tom Ryan has developed a fantastic new ap for smart phones. The ap alerts members of any news, events, photos or documents that you should be aware of. Download the Team Ap and search ADA Central Victoria Branch. Staying in contact with members has never been easier, and as technology advances, the Branch is adopting new approaches to ensuring members are able to enjoy the full benefit of the ADA by attending Branch Meetings, Branch Camps and other events. I’d also like to remind members that if you have an email address, we will now be distributing your Roar via email only. This delivers a a significant saving to the Branch, and allows us to put the Best wishes, money towards better promotional Ern Addington activities, club facilities, raffle Central Victoria Branch President prizes, Branch Camps and so on. However, if you don’t have an
Download the Ap! p! Downlod ‘Team Ap’ for smartphones and d search ‘ADA Central Victoria ctoria Branch’ to access ss the latest News, Photos, Documents, Events, Newsletters ters and Sponsor details. Access is approved for Branch members only. Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
Australian Deer Association – Central Vic branch Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 3
ADA Central Vic. Branch 2015 calendar of events (SUBJECT TO ALTERATION)
August 12 General Meeting – Axedale Tavern. Guest speaker Noel O’Connor (Planned buy, swap, sell and butchering demonstration postponed until Longlea clubrooms reopen TBA) August 15-16 Branch Hunt – Location available to members only. (Members see last page attachment – not available in online or print versions) September 9 Committee Meeting – Location TBA October 14 General Meeting – Longlea Rec. Reserve 6.30 BBQ Phil Nieta – “Cod Candy Lures” October 17-18 Branch Family Camp – Location TBA November 11 Committee Meeting – Location TBA November 21 Branch Annual Dinner – Tooleen Hotel
About Noel O’Connor Noel will be guest speaking at the next ADA Central Vic General Meeting, 7.30pm, August 12, Axedale Tavern, where he will showcase his latest DVD HUNTING SAMBAR DEER – THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE. He will show footage from this DVD and explain the circumstances in which it was filmed. live at Benalla in Northeast Victoria adjacent to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.
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My passion for hunting started quite young and at 14 years of age I picked potatoes during my school holidays to buy my first firearm, a double-barrel shotgun. After hunting foxes, rabbits, hares and ducks I graduated to hunting goats and pigs with a centrefire rifle. At age 21 my deer hunting career started and I hunted sambar deer at every opportunity I could get. After taking several nice sambar stags my interest expanded to the other species of deer in Australia. Over the next 15 years I managed to take representative specimens of the six deer species in Australia. I have since duplicated that first Grand Slam of deer in Australia six times. My love
of hunting has taken me to some incredible hunting locations, New Zealand (13 times) North America (twice) and New Caledonia. I purchased my first video camera back in 1992 and, after much encouragement from family and friends, released my first deer hunting video (Sambar Safari Volume 1) in 2000. Having worked as a trade teacher for the Education Department for 25 years I wanted to make my productions as educational and as informative as possible. The footage I collected of deer while hunting and guiding others has seen me win the Australia Deer Association (ADA) National Best Wild Deer Video on seven occasions and the ADA National Best Video Documentary on five occasions. I have now produced a DVD of how to hunt all of the deer species in Australia except hog deer which I am still working on. My latest release is HUNTING SAMBAR DEER – THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE.
Have you read the latest ADA magazine? The new-look highquality ADA magazine Australian Deer is now available in stores for $9.95, or is complementary ary for ADA members. Full off great articles and hunting g tips for deer hunters. 4 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
Happy hunting!
Roar Trading Post
(Send in your hunting/fishing/outdoors/wildlife photos or stories to: sambarsroarcv@gmail.com or text photos to 0418 162 536)
(Members only: Send your free trading post ad subject ‘Roar Trading Post’ to sambarsroarcv@gmail.com)
Wanted: Unwanted shotgun reloading components, wads, shot, primers. Also full cartridges for rifle and gun. Please call John 0419 257 684 Lancruiser for sale: Toyota Landcruiser tray for sale reg. no. UYV 795 Price is $50,000.00 the vehicle is well serviced and is fitted with a lot of extras. Has done 200,000 Klm for any enquiries please call Damian 0407 520 848
Rod Reddish landed this 62kg tuna in Portland with Roar sponsor fishoncharters. com.au
Your photo here! Support the Roar and email your pics to sambarsroarcv@gmail.com or text them to 0418 162 536
Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 5
ADA CENTRAL VIC BRANCH FEATURED SPONSOR
R. F. SCOTT & CO GUNSMITHS . F. Scott & Co gunsmiths was first established in 1886 and situated in Main Road Ballarat during the Gold Rush era.
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Richard F. Scott was an importer and well known big game hunter, the business thrived selling guns, ammunition and bikes to the miners. It remained in Main Road until 1890, when it burnt down along with most other Main Road properties. Frank Butler took over the business and they relocated to Sturt Street, with the store being at 192 Sturt Street and the ammunition factory at 714 Sturt Street. In 1933 the business, now being run by Arthur Butler, moved to 45 Lydiard Street Nth where the store and reloading facilities operated for 36 years. 1969 saw another move for the business to larger premises at 22 Lydiard Street Nth where the Butler brothers, Bob and Joe, operated as gunsmiths and locksmiths until 1985. The store remains at the same premises til this very day thus making R. F. Scott & Co. the oldest continuous firearms business in Australia. During the early 1900s R.F. Scott & Co directly imported the world’s finest handguns rifles and shotguns from famous makers such as Webley & Scott, Bonehill, John Rigby & Co., Greener, W.J. Jeffrey & Co., and Holland & Holland to name but a few. In the early days the popular eight and 10-gauge shells were loaded as were 12, 16 and 20-gauge shells and pinfires which are today usually found in brown quality Eley cases. The larger gauges were usually loaded in brown Eley Gastight cases. They advertised their loaded shotshells as being suitable for pigeon and sparrow shooting. Today we stock Winchester, Sako, Tikka, Howa, Weatherby, Remington and all the top rifle makes as well as Fabarm, Akkar, Yildiz, Browning, Miroku and Beretta shotguns.
Gary Huntington at the counter of R.F. Scott & Co, Ballarat, Australia’s oldest continuous gun shop. Available in store are all your accessory requirements from ammunition, cartridge belts, hard shotgun or rifle cases and padded bags, gun cleaning products, bullet reloading equipment and so much more. If your preference is target shooting, a wide range of ear and eye protection merchandise, rifle rests and scopes, portable targets, clay throwers and clay targets are in stock. For the spotlight shooter, the window rifle rests give greater stability and safety when firing, not forgetting the large range of spotlights and torches that are available. As for game shooters, we have it all at R.F. Scott & Co from the bird and predator callers, knives, axes and binoculars. Don’t waste time cleaning your prey by hand, clean them in seconds with one of the bird or duck breasters. Browse through our large range of camouflage clothing and hats to
6 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
wear for comfort and warmth while out hunting. Store your firearms securely in one of the “standards” approved firearm safes. Various sizes are on display, both key or combination locks are available. We are exclusive suppliers in the Ballarat area of Lokaway products, Bronze Wing ammunition, Nitecore torches and Boyd Industries dog vests as seen in the boar hunters’ magazine. Repairs and servicing of your firearms by qualified gunsmiths is a service provided by our shop. For all your firearm requirements look no further than Australia’s oldest continuous gun shop, for friendly service and advice. R.F. Scott & Co 18 & 22 Lydiard St Nth Ballarat Victoria 3350 Phone: (03) 5331 7111
Support our sponsors! To become a Roar sponsor contact Rod Reddish email: centralvic.treas@austdeer.asn.au
SSS Car Wash and Detailing Echuca & Moama Now two great locations: 401 High Street Echuca & Meninya Street Moama Contact Shorty Bek on 0417 058 482
Sambar Country Hunting Equipment
Featuring Mr Magic Touchfree Automatic laundromat and two new self-serve dog washes
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Sambar-Country-Hunting-Equipment Phone Kane0418 582 116
At Smiths Outdoors, we’re all for the hunter. That means all the apparel, accessories and equipment you’ll need on your next hunt. Stocking the world’s best brands and with the best service in the business,
Smiths Outdoors is a differentwww.smithsoutdoors.com.au kind of hunting store. 13C Roanoak Ct East Bendigo PH 03 5443 3444 matt@smithsoutdoors.com.au : ¸»²·³²¿Ë : ½À»Æ·Ë : ˵ÁÂ·Ë : µ³¿Á : ´»ÀÁË : ´Å¾¾·ÄË : ²·¾Á³¶»À¹ ¹·³² 13C Roanoak Ct East Bendigo
www.smithsoutdoors.com.au
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Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 7
Support our sponsors! To become a Roar sponsor contact Rod Reddish email: centralvic.treas@austdeer.asn.au
Shaun Bannister Insurance agent
T 03 9334 3900 F 03 9334 3955 M 0408 037 223 E Shaun.Bannister@elders.com.au
Elders Insurance Essendon Shop 13/30 English Street ESSENDON FIELDS VIC 3041
Just for laughs...
8 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 9
Robbed by a log CV Branch member Richard Chan takes us on the hunt for his first stag, where he came oh so close!
have been what I call a farm hunter all my life, always hunting duck, rabbits, foxes and quail on the farm and neighbouring farms.
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I had heard of blokes deer hunting and the efforts they go to chase down illusive sambar deer. I was looking to broaden my hunting horizons and taking on a new challenge, so deer hunting was the obvious option with so much public land available across the state and the next step in difficult game. The deer had never really interested me, it was an extra $20 on top of my duck stamp to have the deer licence so I always had it just in case someone invited me along for a hunt for a weekend but never used it, you hear many people taking over three years to even see a deer let alone fire a shot at one! It did not sound like there were a lot out there (how wrong this is I was soon to learn) and was an expensive hobby to take on. But I took the plunge, I thought after hearing all these unsuccessful stories I thought the best way to get into the sport and get bit of a head start was to join the ADA’s forest edge hunter education weekend, which I found on the ADA website. I thought $400 would be worth it to cut out three years of stumbling around in the bush and not ever seeing anything (I would spend a lot more on fuel traveling around blindly looking for spots) so paid up and got myself registered. As the weekend was approaching I saw a post on Facebook from Rod Reddish asking for people to join the Central VIC education weekend, I saw this thinking that it was the ADA weekend that I had paid $400 for and commented on the post introducing myself and saying hello. Before I knew it I was a different education weekend for Central VIC members only and best part was that it was FREE! So I got my name on the list to join the crew on the weekend camp. This provided to be the perfect start to my deer
hunting ambitions. I learnt so much and it gave me a huge head-start showing me things that I would have had to learn the hard way by trial and error. Things like how the thermals work and the importance of wind direction, hunting up high in the morning to finding fresh sign on the side of the road which I have been driving past all my life when camping in the bush. This was then enforced in greater detail over the ADA forest edge weekend. I bought a deercalibre rifle after seeing what everyone was using and general advice and also a few bits and prices to add to my hunting kit to equip me for deer hunts.
“Before I knew it there were two big velvet antlers rocking around in front of me” I was ready, I had all the tools and knowledge to go out and drop a deer. I was lucky enough to have been invited on a hunt from one of the experienced members of the Central Vic Branch to join their group on a social weekend hunt. Walked in, I started hunting the gullies and heard honking where one of our group members were. I have heard of people passing up hinds in pursuit of stags, so thought if they don’t want her I’m going in for the kill and I’ll drop her. Before I knew it I heard gun shots and it came over the radio that we had on one the ground. I then got the privilege of being the young fella to gut the animal and carry out the back legs as the others followed me out with my pack. The next week I organised a hunt with a few friends, we got up to the bush late Friday night after work to hunt the next day out of Howqua. I got up early Saturday morning to hike up into position. I had learnt from everyone to hunt the gully heads, and I thought from the maps that I had studied that the saddle up high looked like a ripper of a spot. The other two boys that I was with were going to hit the first peak of this saddle and then drop west into that gully and hunt. It was a hike and a half getting up there (it always looks some much closer
10 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
and easier on the map until you get up there and amongst it all). The first bloke said ‘no more’ half-way up the ridge, I convinced the other that we should stick to our original plan to hit the saddle up high so he started heading further up with me. The sun was starting to rise already when we dropped the other bloke off. We made it about three-quarters of the way up and he said ‘no more’ and pulled the pin. He held his spot as the first light was appearing over the horizon. I soldiered on to get to the top as the sun was breaking the horizon. I went into hunt mode as soon as I had light because I knew I was just about at the top from my GPS. I started working my way around and found a bed which was cool (I’ve seen them before so wasn’t too excited and this one didn’t look like it had been used a lot so wasn’t super spectacular) kept hunting around and found some really fresh sign, the jelly beans I was finding were slimy and almost warm. I was busy looking around at all the fresh tracks and sign that I had just found thinking, “there had to be something near if I follow the tracks heading up”. Then I heard a twig SNAP, which made me pause and wait… A short period of time passed and I didn’t hear anything more. I put it down to a bird messing around in the trees, which have fooled me multiple times, getting me all excited thinking that there is a deer out there. So kept looking at all the fresh sign I had found. Then all of the sudden I heard something come crashing up through the trees, I was standing in among all the waist-high ferns (no cover at all) and had a big 1-meter-diameter log sitting in front of me up off the ground. So I just sat down where I was among the ferns as the crashing quickly got closer and closer. Before I knew it there were two big velvet antlers rocking around in front of me behind this log (only 10-15m away from me) and I could see the top of his shoulder. I thought, “right I have this bloke” (heart pumping like crazy and about to p&%s my pants in excitement). I had it all planned out: he was going to walk up along the log, pop out the end and I would whack him in the shoulder first chance I had. I was ready, one in the chamber, safety off, and could see him
moving up by his antlers sticking up over the log and all the noise he was making. About 1m from the end of the log, its like someone jumped up from in front of them and started yelling, “there is a hunter there! Run!”, the deer all of a sudden spooked and took off (I hadn’t moved a muscle). I stood up and saw a hind that went running down the ridge and the ginger backside of the stag which went running back down the gully. They defiantly scented me and that upset them, there is no question about that. But I had a prefect breeze in my face and also the thermals were lifting so either: a) I walked past that spot (I can’t remember and they found my scent on the ground); or b) the wind come up and hit the tree line behind me and swirled around and they got my scent that way. It would have been a 20-incher (my guess by comparing it to a cast antler which I had found a week earlier in a different location). So big for a beginner but not massive (in my books it was HUGE never seen anything like it) it looked like he couldn’t even hold his head straight up they were
The top photo shows the log where Richard missed the stag. He was on the left when the deer came and started walking along it up the hill. The other is a wallow near the log. so heavy he bobbled around with their weight. I tried again the next morning and got up there a couple of hours earlier and sat in the hole created by the roots of the fallen tree where I had a good view. But I saw nothing. I waited until 9:30 and gave up.
Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
He is still out there and I will be back and ready to hunt him, perhaps now mabe in hard antler, and the next story will end with a deer on the ground! Send your hunting/fishing/ outdoors/wildlife photos and stories to: sambarsroarcv@gmail.com
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 11
Remember the rules! Taken from the Firearm Safety Code. Download at www.police.vic.gov.au/ SECTION ONE:
5XOH 7UHDW HYHU\ ÀUHDUP DV ORDGHG
What you must know about ďŹ rearms 1a) The ten basic rules
‡ .HHS \RXU ÀQJHU RII WKH WULJJHU DOZD\V SRLQW WKH PX]]OH LQ D VDIH GLUHFWLRQ RSHQ WKH DFWLRQ DQG LQVSHFW WKH FKDPEHU DQG PDJD]LQH
7UHDW HYHU\ ÀUHDUP DV ORDGHG $OZD\V SRLQW ÀUHDUPV LQ D VDIH GLUHFWLRQ /RDG D ÀUHDUP RQO\ ZKHQ UHDG\ WR ÀUH ,GHQWLI\ \RXU WDUJHW EH\RQG DOO GRXEW &KHFN \RXU ÀULQJ ]RQH
‡ 'R QRW WDNH DQ\RQH¡V ZRUG WKDW D ÀUHDUP LV XQORDGHG &KHFN HYHU\ ÀUHDUP \RXUVHOI 2QO\ SDVV RU DFFHSW D ÀUHDUP WKDW KDV WKH PX]]OH SRLQWHG LQ D VDIH GLUHFWLRQ WKH DFWLRQ RSHQ DQG LV QRW ORDGHG ‡ ,I \RX GR QRW NQRZ KRZ WR RSHQ D ÀUHDUP OHDYH LW DORQH .HHS FOHDU RI WKH PX]]OH ‡ ,I LW LV VRPHRQH HOVH¡V DVN WKHP WR VKRZ \RX WKDW LW LV HPSW\
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The ten basic rules explained $V ORQJ DV D ÀUHDUP LV LQ JRRG FRQGLWLRQ DQG KDQGOHG DQG VWRUHG SURSHUO\ LW FDQQRW KXUW DQ\RQH You DUH UHVSRQVLEOH IRU PDNLQJ VXUH \RXU ÀUHDUP LV LQ JRRG FRQGLWLRQ DQG KDQGOHG VDIHO\
Figure 1: A ďŹ rearm must be open and empty before you pass it to or accept it from anyone.
HUNTER’S PLEDGE The Hunter should conserve wildlife resources and not exploit them and the hunter’s behaviour should be guided by respect: For the Deer and all wildlife, For the Land, Forest and Crops, For the Landowner and his Property, For Everyone who enjoys the Bush. This cave art deer hunting scene is found in ÇatalhÜyßk, Turkey, an early Neolithic settlement with between 5000-10,000 inhabitants which existed from about 7500 BC to 5700 BC.
12 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 13
Hound Test Expressions of interest are called for from those interested in sitting the Game Management Authority Hount Test to be conducted at a Branch meeting by GMA staff. Those interested should email Rod Reddish centralvic.treas@austdeer.asn.au
Keep our Branch strong You can help! • Attend bi-monthly meetings • Participate in club functions • Introduce a friend • Submit articles for the Roar
You won’t be disappointed!
A guide to the use of hounds for hunting Samb ar Deer in Victo ria
Member Code Of Conduct Personal disputes between members, bullying and cyber bullying will not be tolerated. Those members engaged in this type of behavior will be dealt with by the ADA disputes committee.
Branch Library The ADA Central Vic Branch library has a selection of DVDs, Books and other resources for loan to members. HUNTING, FISHING & EDUCATIONAL! We have a great range, Australian, New Zealand and American. Grab a few at the next meeting. Loan period is from one meeting to the next. See Harold Hall or Lex Silva after the meeting for hire.
Using ADA as a Genuine Reason. If you use your ADA membership as a Genuine Reason for having a Firearms License, please remember that you are required to attend a minimum of two (2) branch activities. Whether they are shoots, meetings or club hunts, it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the requirements. We are required to submit attendance records to State on a regular basis, who in turn collate attendances for the Firearms Registry. 14 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
‘A new park for everyone’ – Except us! hese flyers are being placed in letterboxes in marginal electorates around Melbourne. Deer hunters are the major users of the forest for eight months of the year, we are real eco-tourists and contribute $millions to local economies. Now it appears that they’re
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trying to airbrush us out of the picture. They are trying to exclude us from the task-force that will determine the future of this important parcel of public land. If you get one of these flyers in the mail, use it as a reminder to contact your local MP and let them know that hunters are important
Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
users of public land and we have a right to a seat at the table when decisions are being made about our future. The following threepage ‘resource kit’ has been developed by the ADA to help deer hunters and public land users ensure their voices are heard.
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 15
Resource Kit for Hunters and Public Land Users
A resource kit of hunters and public land users
Deer hunters deserve at seat at the table on the “Great Forest National Park” taskforce
16 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
Resource kit forand hunters Resource Kit for Hunters Public Land Users
The issue Hunters would be aware of the push by a pressure group to create a large new National Park in Victoria’s Central Highlands. The establishment of new National Parks is problematic for game hunters as it inevitably leads to restrictions on access and hunting opportunity. The proposed National Park in the Central Highlands (dubbed the ‘Great Forest National Park’ by its proponents) would impact significantly on the amenity and hunting opportunities of Victoria’s 3,800 licensed hound hunters and a similar amount of hunters with gundogs who would be excluded from large swathes of their traditional hunting country. The almost certain result of such disruption would be a further increase in wild deer numbers and a subsequent intensification of negative environmental impacts. Labor went to the 2014 election with a policy stating that:
“Labor strongly supports a consensus approach in the establishment of any new national parks. We will facilitate and support the establishment of an Industry Taskforce to provide leadership to reach common ground on the future issues facing the industry, job protection, economic activity, protection of our unique native flora and fauna and threatened species, such as the Leadbeater’s possum. The taskforce will have members from the forestry and forest products industry, unions, environmental groups and scientists, threatened species experts, land owners, timber communities and other relevant stakeholders. A Labor Government will consider any reasonable recommendations and proposals reached by consensus of the major stakeholders through the Industry Task Force, but will not impose solutions.” Deer hunters contribute more than forty million dollars a year to the municipalities which would be affected by the proposed park. In smaller towns like Jamieson, Woods Point and Kevington hunting is a significant and indispensable economic driver. When the Leadbeater’s possum action plan identified that wild deer were hindering critical reforestation efforts in the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve hunters took productive and practical steps to address the concerns. Over the past twelve months our volunteers have put over one thousand hours into a program which has removed more than one hundred deer from the reserve. Given the importance of hunting on public land, hunting groups more than qualify as a “relevant stakeholder” for the purposes of this policy. Indications are that hunters and other recreational users are likely to be excluded from this process and, instead, will be “consulted” with after a decision is made. This is not acceptable.
Compiled by the Australian Deer Association Inc. 2015 Newsletter of the Central Victorian Branch of the Australian Deer Association
Sambars Roar I August–September 2015 I 17
Resource kit forand hunters Resource Kit for Hunters Public Land Users What you can do Hunters need to remind politicians that we are important users of public land and that we need to be properly included in discussions about the future tenure of forests in Eastern Victoria. If you live in Victoria you should write to your local State member of Parliament and remind them, in your own words, that: -
Hunters contribute more than $430 million a year to the Victorian economy Hunters are the most significant users of much of the forest affected by this proposal Hunters and other recreational users deserve a seat at the table on the taskforce that will consider this proposal
Remember to be polite and respectful – we are asking our elected officials to help us and to make sure that hunting is treated fairly. To find the contact details for your local MP http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/electorates/ CLICK HERE Then click on Then click on
We know that lots of interstate visitors also enjoy the unique challenge that is sambar deer hunting in Victoria. If you live outside Victoria you should write to the Victorian Environment Minister, the Victorian Agriculture Minister and the Victorian Premier and remind them, in your own words, that: -
Interstate hunters are a significant group of tourists in Alpine towns and contribute to local economies Victoria has unique hunting opportunities which makes it a significant drawcard for interstate hunters Hunters and other recreational users deserve a seat at the table on the taskforce that will consider this proposal
The Victorian Environment Minister is: The Hon Lisa Neville Level 17, 8 Nicholson Street East Melbourne Vic 3002 lisa.neville@parliament.vic.gov.au
The Victorian Agriculture Minister is: The Hon Jaala Pulford Level 16, 8 Nicholson Street East Melbourne Vic 3002 jaala.pulford@parliament.vic.gov.au
The Victorian Premier is: The Hon Daniel Andrews Level 1, 1 Treasury Place East Melbourne Vic 3002 daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au Compiled by the Australian Deer Association Inc. 2015 18 I Sambars Roar I August–September 2015
Additional content including Branch Camp locations, Branch Minutes etc are only available to Branch members. To join the Central Vic Branch of the Australian Deer Association, please contact the ADA Membership Office 0499 892 320 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST Or visit austdeer.com.au/membership and fill out the online application.
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