Review of the management of feral animals and their impact on ...

Game hunting is a growing business, promoted by <strong>the</strong> RIDC, as noted in <strong>the</strong> previous
section. Various Australian enterprises advertise over <strong>the</strong> internet <strong>the</strong> hunting
opportunities <strong>the</strong>y provide, including blackbuck antelope, buffalo <strong>and</strong> various deer
species. A Google search on ‘blackbuck’ (or ‘black buck’) <strong>and</strong> ‘Australia’ produces
many hits. The clients who hunt are mainly American <strong>and</strong> European. Foreign hunters
are especially interested in species that are seldom available elsewhere including
buffalo, blackbuck <strong>and</strong> hog deer. Hog deer were until recently confined to one
population in Gippsl<strong>and</strong> but now <strong>the</strong>re are at least nine <strong>feral</strong> populations in three or
four states (though none as yet in <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s) (Moriarty 2004). Bioclimatic
modelling suggests that hog deer could occupy vast tracts <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong> in nor<strong>the</strong>rn <strong>and</strong>
eastern Australia (Moriarty 2004).
On Cape York Peninsula two hunting enterprises have freed livestock onto unfenced
l<strong>and</strong>. Blackbuck antelope, deer <strong>and</strong> Buffalo were released. The release <strong>of</strong> blackbuck
was illegal <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>animals</strong> died or were destroyed. Due to recent changes in
Queensl<strong>and</strong> law <strong>the</strong> releases <strong>of</strong> deer <strong>and</strong> buffalo did not contravene any law but <strong>the</strong>
Queensl<strong>and</strong> Government is now likely to change <strong>the</strong>ir regulations to prevent fur<strong>the</strong>r
releases.
There is also a report <strong>of</strong> a couple <strong>of</strong> hundred blackbuck seen on Cape York Peninsula
(P. Jesser pers. comm.).
Governments should be monitoring <strong>the</strong> sport <strong>and</strong> industry <strong>of</strong> hunting to prevent new
pest problems arising. The New South Wales Rangel<strong>and</strong>s may soon support <strong>feral</strong>
populations <strong>of</strong> Californian quail, pheasant, Chukhar partridge <strong>and</strong> turkeys. There
needs to be a better underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> motives <strong>and</strong> goals <strong>of</strong> hunters <strong>and</strong> hunting
lodges. Any subsequent changes to legislation <strong>and</strong> policy should take account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
fact that some hunters are mavericks who ignore laws.
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