Spotlighting Deer

[Hugh]

While I know a lot of people over the years have spotlighted deer,i havnt and was wondering what reaction you get when you put them in the light,do they freeze
as the saying goes or more likely to run.Im asking as I have an opptunity to get on to a farm local that has deer problems at night raiding crops.In my area they are mostly fallow,a few reds,odd hoggy and very odd sambar quite a few miles from cover but been known when harvest time to risk it.All the deer I have come across at night in front of car don't normally hang about.

[combo12]

In my experience fallow deer don’t freeze in the spotlight; they keep moving their heads around, probably trying to avoid the glare or to see what is happening. But that might depend on whether they associate a spotlight with being shot!

[bladeracer]

While I know a lot of people over the years have spotlighted deer,i havnt and was wondering what reaction you get when you put them in the light,do they freeze
as the saying goes or more likely to run.Im asking as I have an opptunity to get on to a farm local that has deer problems at night raiding crops.In my area they are mostly fallow,a few reds,odd hoggy and very odd sambar quite a few miles from cover but been known when harvest time to risk it.All the deer I have come across at night in front of car don't normally hang about.

They can't be taken during daylight?
Our problem is 'roos - maybe we could swap some of our 'roos for some of your deer

[hunting99]

If they have been shot at before that normally start heading off pretty fast.

[Hugh]

While I know a lot of people over the years have spotlighted deer,i havnt and was wondering what reaction you get when you put them in the light,do they freeze
as the saying goes or more likely to run.Im asking as I have an opptunity to get on to a farm local that has deer problems at night raiding crops.In my area they are mostly fallow,a few reds,odd hoggy and very odd sambar quite a few miles from cover but been known when harvest time to risk it.All the deer I have come across at night in front of car don't normally hang about.

They can't be taken during daylight?
Our problem is 'roos - maybe we could swap some of our 'roos for some of your deer

Not there in daylight.I know where they go and how they get there but on public and other peoples land.

[bladeracer]

Not there in daylight.I know where they go and how they get there but on public and other peoples land.

No fences? Might be worth talking to the other landowners, the deer might be causing them problems as well.

[bladeracer]

I have a problem with deer (mainly Sambar) that only come out after dark they learn t that was the the safe time after just one. The move pretty quickly even looking into the light. They will get there eyes out of it asap and bolt. I have nearly been run over in the commotion.

After a year with no rabbit population at all, we've finally got some coming back. But they seem to be entirely nocturnal as we very rarely see them out in daylight. They really haven't been hunted at all for at least a decade so it seems strange that these new ones are afraid of the sun.

[Member-Deleted]

They have probably come down from QLD mate '' lol'' we only shoot rabbits at night up here its rare to see a rabbit during the day unless
its been disturbed also rabbits up here are small compared to the ones I hear you blokes down there talk about

Cheers

[Member-Deleted]

New ones afraid of the sun could be or just go with the greens and call it ''Climate Change ''lol''

[Hugh]

Not there in daylight.I know where they go and how they get there but on public and other peoples land.

No fences? Might be worth talking to the other landowners, the deer might be causing them problems as well.

Plenty of fences we all know how good they are at keeping deer out,and yes they are causing problems but with so many D***heads around farmers are very wary of letting shooters on,if I get my foot in the door and have some luck it will be a lot easier to convince the neighbours.Lost a great property in Wanganella with long time shooters on property,so long that they kept their shooting rigs stored there,on a quiet weekend no pigs got pissed or stoned and thought shooting up some water tanks was a good idea,i had been going there 25y completely shut down for any shooting.Another in Merton when some young blokes shot farmers pet koala only to be caught by local coppers with it in boot.How can we expect farmers to let us on with ********** like that about.

[marksman]

there are definitely some farkwits out there, I know because they have started in my patch the local farmers have been chasing them around the back roads taking photo's of the rego plates and handing them in, I would if I could put them in so they could not ever have a gun licence again
they wonder why property's close down to hunters, pricks

anyway back to your question, I have done some deer culls using a spotlight and find using coloured lenses to work , I usually start with a green lens and once they are spooked by that will go to a red usually after a couple of nights out, the red takes a bit of getting used to but is effective, if I am just looking for them I use an amber lens
once they are to toey to get a shoot at them I will leave them go for a month and the farmer will not allow shooting in that time, while using a coloured lens you must look after your night vision as looking at a white light will stop you being able to see properly with the coloured lens

[bladeracer]

there are definitely some farkwits out there, I know because they have started in my patch the local farmers have been chasing them around the back roads taking photo's of the rego plates and handing them in, I would if I could put them in so they could not ever have a gun licence again they wonder why property's close down to hunters, prick

Sounds like it's time to set out some trail cameras.

[Oldbloke]

New ones afraid of the sun could be or just go with the greens and call it ''Climate Change ''lol''

Nah, you to leave them a few tubes of sun screen in the paddock.

[marksman]

there are definitely some farkwits out there, I know because they have started in my patch the local farmers have been chasing them around the back roads taking photo's of the rego plates and handing them in, I would if I could put them in so they could not ever have a gun licence again they wonder why property's close down to hunters, prick

Sounds like it's time to set out some trail cameras.

exactly, the farmers were going to put locks on there gates to try and stop the poachers driving onto there land, I told them if they did the locks or fences next to the gates would be cut so get some cameras, as it is I caught a pair of them on one of my cameras, the photos have been given to the police

[Hugh]

Thanks marksman will try that,i am going there next weekend to get the guided tour during the day to get the map of the place in my head,buildings ,property lines ect.The property is small[100 ac]so I'm thinking it may be a prop wait deal.

[tom604]

there are definitely some farkwits out there, I know because they have started in my patch the local farmers have been chasing them around the back roads taking photo's of the rego plates and handing them in, I would if I could put them in so they could not ever have a gun licence again
they wonder why property's close down to hunters, pricks

anyway back to your question, I have done some deer culls using a spotlight and find using coloured lenses to work , I usually start with a green lens and once they are spooked by that will go to a red usually after a couple of nights out, the red takes a bit of getting used to but is effective, if I am just looking for them I use an amber lens
once they are to toey to get a shoot at them I will leave them go for a month and the farmer will not allow shooting in that time, while using a coloured lens you must look after your night vision as looking at a white light will stop you being able to see properly with the coloured lens

why the green first? you can see further with the green, i would start with the red, then as they start getting spooked go to the green, further away and your engine noise would be less as well. haven't been deer spotlighting (id have to be a poacher lol) just what i do on the bunny's, not sure if it's the light or the engine noise that they get jumpy about

[marksman]

Thanks marksman will try that,i am going there next weekend to get the guided tour during the day to get the map of the place in my head,buildings ,property lines ect.The property is small[100 ac]so I'm thinking it may be a prop wait deal.

the prop and wait is good as you can pick and choose which one you put down first, when culling I try and get the leader doe/hind first as the others will be looking at her to figure out where to go and if you can block there access they will usually give you time to get a few at a time

you are right about seeing further with the green light and I understand how it works for you doing the bunnies
I use the green first as I am usually propping and waiting and trying to get numbers with a bit better light before they hit the bush and wont come out for a few weeks, I also find spotlighting deer more successful around the new moon or on cloudy nights

[Die Judicii]

But they seem to be entirely nocturnal as we very rarely see them out in daylight. They really haven't been hunted at all for at least a decade so it seems strange that these new ones are afraid of the sun.

Watch out,,,,,,,,,, they might be Vampire bunnies.

[darwindingo]

But they seem to be entirely nocturnal as we very rarely see them out in daylight. They really haven't been hunted at all for at least a decade so it seems strange that these new ones are afraid of the sun.

Watch out,,,,,,,,,, they might be Vampire bunnies.

BUNNICULAR.JPG (20.94 KiB) Viewed 4840 times

[Stix]

I have a problem with deer (mainly Sambar) that only come out after dark they learn t that was the the safe time after just one. The move pretty quickly even looking into the light. They will get there eyes out of it asap and bolt. I have nearly been run over in the commotion.

After a year with no rabbit population at all, we've finally got some coming back. But they seem to be entirely nocturnal as we very rarely see them out in daylight. They really haven't been hunted at all for at least a decade so it seems strange that these new ones are afraid of the sun.

Give the bunnies some space & time to breed up...(i hate sound stupid in stating the obvious)...but...
Bunnies are pretty big on safety in numbers due to their natural instict to avoid predation, so if numbers are few, mature ones will come out for quick feed or to find a mate only when its completely safe-you have to be in the right place at the right time to get them...
The odd young one will pop out late afternoon, but mostly young ones are in numbers early when dark.

If they can have time to breed (my best educated guess) so the 3rd generation is sexually mature with minimal predation & shooting, & the virus keeps away for this to occur, is when you start to see them in daylight.

This has been my observation & appears consistant on several properties over many many years...

[RoginaJack]

Now that you mention it, grandadbushy I can't recall seeing a rabbit around these parts or a Hare for that matter. I always look forward to seeing them when I'm down is Tassie but...

[Member-Deleted]

I don't think we get hares up here the highest I've seen them is in Bundaberg there used to be heaps there in the 80's
When I was rigging on the new sugar shed we used to shoot and eat them not bad either cooked properly

[darwindingo]

So above Bunderburg, it appears they are all hairless there these days ? (perhaps I'm misunderstanding you) ......... Ive put my shot in a few up that way some had hairs and some was shaved ......

Most were good eating BTW, though .... LOL



Jeff

[Oldbloke]

So above Bunderburg, it appears they are all hairless there these days ? (perhaps I'm misunderstanding you) ......... Ive put my shot in a few up that way some had hairs and some was shaved ......

Most were good eating BTW, though .... LOL



Jeff

Gold

[Member-Deleted]

Half your luck Darwindingo when I was down there I was married and the wife used to sit beside me whilst shooting
so that restricted me to shooting grass eating hares not the tall hairs that don't eat grass