No bow hunting Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Forests

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tricky
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:06 pm

No bow hunting Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Forests

#1 Post by tricky » Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:39 pm

Hi all, I'm new to the forum, just had a question for the Vic members. Was planning on heading up to Tallarook SF on the weekend for a bit of a wander and shoot and thought I'd check with DSE on any restrictions. I was politely informed bow hunting was not permitted in Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Forests, though firearms are ok. Apparently such decisions are at the ranger's discretion and due to the silent nature of the bow it is deemed dangerous to the public. Anyone come across this before or are aware of such bans?

cadet
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:14 am
Location: Western Vic and Macedon Ranges

Re: No bow hunting Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Fore

#2 Post by cadet » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:28 am

Sounds suspiciously like a low level bureaucrat arbitrarily making it up; if you have a game lic, and the place is legal for hunting game species, then the prescribed methods - whether bow and arrows of appropriate specs or firearms of appropriate specs as named in the Game Regs - are legal, I'd have thought... If pest species, I imagine there's even fewer restrictions, being that all that's required to hunt pests in SF is a firearms licence if using a firearm... I use firearms a bit, so I'm used to sometimes taking the capricious and arbitrary pronouncements of "authorities" with a grain of salt... 'course, I could be wrong on this...

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tricky
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Re: No bow hunting Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Fore

#3 Post by tricky » Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:22 pm

I think you're on the money there. I called up the Alexandra office and the game manager there said this was nonsense. If the DSE maps say it's ok to hunt there then it's ok. No such thing as rangers discretion.

Dennis La Varenne
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Location: Tocumwal, NSW. Australia

Re: No bow hunting Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Fore

#4 Post by Dennis La Varenne » Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:31 pm

Tricky,

Bowhunting in ALL Victorian State Forests for legal Game, such as Deer and any declared pest species is legal unless there is a sign prohibiting such.

Some areas of State Forest have been leased for agricultural purposes and rarely, some wildllife protection 'islands', and you may not enter such areas without the permission of the lessee of protection authority. Preservation areas such as Wildlife Sanctuaries are usually sign posted about hunting.

Check and download from the Department of Agriculture site their publication called 'Victorian Hunting Guide 2015" I think it is called. Here is the link http://www.gma.vic.gov.au/

The download is at the bottom right of the page.

There is no minimum equipment level required for pest animals, but you are obligated by the Code of Practice for the hunting of animals under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to destroy ANY animal, game or otherwise, in accordance with that Code of Practice.

No local ranger can over-ride the law. If you have the minimum level of equipment and Game licence required under the Game Regulations, you can hunt Deer. You can hunt declared pest animals without any written authority as has always been the case in Victoria. It is the only State in which this is a legal right.

But the DSE is controlled by the National Parks Association which is its main lobbying influence - almost its de facto public advocate and they have always been able to influence the DSE against hunting. Many local DSE people are against it as well and will try to steer enquirers away from it even in legal places with 'unofficial' opinions such as you received.
Dennis La Varénne

Have the courage to argue your beliefs with conviction, but the humility to accept that you may be wrong.

QVIS CVSTODIET IPSOS CVSTODES (Who polices the police?) - DECIMVS IVNIVS IVVENALIS (Juvenal) - Satire VI, lines 347–8

What is the difference between free enterprise capitalism and organised crime?

HOMO LVPVS HOMINIS - Man is his own predator.

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tricky
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Re: No bow hunting Tallarook or Mt Disappointment State Fore

#5 Post by tricky » Sat Aug 29, 2015 4:48 pm

Thanks Dennis - that's a good link.

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