Wild dog/ dingo hunting tips please

[Blr243]

South east Qld Somerset cattle country no sheep hills open grass land land gullies thick scrub in the hilltops. Lantana. U know the deal. I was going to arrive 30 mins before dark this fri night down wind of a dam half way up a hill and thermal bino all night then thermal scope 243 if I see a dog. Then leave about an hour after sunrise and go home. I will set up a trail can somewhere for learning about future hunting there. I might set a trap or two fri arv. Then I heard that the dams are dry but the creeks are running. Dogs need to drink So my dam stake out plan is no longer valid. I only shot 3 dingoes with bow and roughly same with rifle. All in other country years ago. How would you hunt if this was you this Friday night ? Open to all suggestions and ideas. I do plan to check likely creek drinking spots for fresh prints but I won’t be lingering there for fear that my scent may make dogs wary and uncomfortable

[Blr243]

Due to the possibility of active baits I won’t be taking my dog but I will be taking some of his scatt and urine

[RoginaJack]

I'd keep an eye on the bush fires around that area too.
Didn't Tom Varney (now deceased) operate around there and No shortage of ferals there.
There's another post with heaps of info on; have a look at that, might get a few ideas...
safe hunting.
PS. If you're only going to be there that short time, Wouldn't worry about traps. Scent trail still there, locating suitable sites etc. too much mucking around.

[Die Judicii]

Go to Bunnings and get a bulk buy of PATIENCE.

[Oldbloke]

For Victorian Hunters Only.

It has been brought to my attention by a member that late last year pretty significant changes were made regarding dogs/dingos in Victoria.

This is my understanding??

The changes effectively protect dingoes/dogs from shooting/hunting except on private land and within 3km of a farm in Eastern Vic by land owners.

In ALL of Western Vic they are protected.

If you shoot a dog and get caught I reckon you would end up in the courts trying to prove its DNA was majority dog. An expensive exercise for sure.

Obviously the $120 scalp bounty is bo longer available.

NW dingo protection Mar 2024.pdf

(167.77 KiB) Downloaded 25 times

NE Dingo protection Oct-2024-1.pdf

(571.93 KiB) Downloaded 28 times

https://www.vic.gov.au/dingo-protection ... t-victoria

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestoc ... f-victoria

[Wapiti]

Fair reminder and comment, OB. But...

Yeah well, someone losing stock isn't going to abide by that rubbish.
These people suffering under that government's incompetence at all levels of life won't be out killing any dogs unless they need to, it's not a lovely weekend stroll in the bush for them.
People will quietly do what they need to do, regardless.
Law generated by some university-only educated room full of conservationists with no idea of life outside the cities.

Again:

[fussy]

Animals need food, water and shelter.
They travel between them. This is where you will find them, especially along chokepoints and along tracks (dogs, like people, are lazy enough to use tracks a lot of them time, not always). Scout the area: soft dirt, mud, look for tracks.
Pick a spot (downwind) with a good backstop for bullets.
Dogs, in my experience, will head towards food at night, then clock off and head towards scrub/shelter in the morning.
Be patient.

[Die Judicii]

[quote="Oldbloke"]For Victorian Hunters Only.

It has been brought to my attention by a member that late last year pretty significant changes were made regarding dogs/dingos in Victoria.

This is my understanding??

The changes effectively protect dingoes/dogs from shooting/hunting except on private land and within 3km of a farm in Eastern Vic by land owners.

In ALL of Western Vic they are protected.

If you shoot a dog and get caught I reckon you would end up in the courts trying to prove its DNA was majority dog. An expensive exercise for sure.

The answer is simple, if they are attacking livestock I believe the landowner has the right to destroy them.

Or,,,,,,,,,,, in other words,,,,,,, S, S, & S.

[Oldbloke]

I this explains it.

IMG_20250517_002900.jpg (89.72 KiB) Viewed 598 times

https://www.vic.gov.au/dingo-protection ... t-victoria

[Die Judicii]

I this explains it.

IMG_20250517_002900.jpg

https://www.vic.gov.au/dingo-protection ... t-victoria

Well bugger me,,,, Don't let it be said that the Govt cannot print something in an utterly confusing manner.

[Wapiti]

Hey, theirs a dog ripping our sheep! Oh no! But hang on, the government (who's just f**cked the whole state) says it's illegal to do anything about it!
Ok then. Don't look.

Edit:

[Oldbloke]

I this explains it.

The attachment IMG_20250517_002900.jpg is no longer available

https://www.vic.gov.au/dingo-protection ... t-victoria

Well bugger me,,,, Don't let it be said that the Govt cannot print something in an utterly confusing manner.

Well, I thought that's was pretty clear.
DINGOES.
In West of state dingoes fully protected.
In East of the state protected except on your property and a 3k circumstance of your property.

Dogs are NOT protected. But if it looks remotely like a dingo, you should consider it a dingo.

IMG_20250518_184739.jpg (147.87 KiB) Viewed 436 times

[Wapiti]

Dogs are NOT protected. But if it looks remotely like a dingo, you should consider it a dingo.

Seeing as there are no pure breed dingoes harassing farmers stock, causing terrible suffering to multiple animals in one attack, huge distress and MEGA cost to the farmer in loss of breeding stock it may have taken 20 years to develop his bloodlines, there are no issues to kill what are mistakenly called dingoes by the uninformed fake environmentalists.

Honestly mate, and respectfully, the way you keep pushing the point about all this really leads me to believe that you've lived all your life on a suburban block (nothing wrong with living in the suburbs of course, but...), and you are one of the ill-informed preachers trying to tell farmers how to protect their livelihoods.

If I see any canine ripping into my animals, I will check if it's a PURE PURE Dingo after it's hanging upside down on the fence.
Like anyone with any idea about what goes on, on farms at night when you're sleeping tucked up in bed.

[Oldbloke]

Dogs are NOT protected. But if it looks remotely like a dingo, you should consider it a dingo.

Seeing as there are no pure breed dingoes harassing farmers stock, causing terrible suffering to multiple animals in one attack, huge distress and MEGA cost to the farmer in loss of breeding stock it may have taken 20 years to develop his bloodlines, there are no issues to kill what are mistakenly called dingoes by the uninformed fake environmentalists.

Honestly mate, and respectfully, the way you keep pushing the point about all this really leads me to believe that you've lived all your life on a suburban block (nothing wrong with living in the suburbs of course, but...), and you are one of the ill-informed preachers trying to tell farmers how to protect their livelihoods.

If I see any canine ripping into my animals, I will check if it's a PURE PURE Dingo after it's hanging upside down on the fence.
Like anyone with any idea about what goes on, on farms at night when you're sleeping tucked up in bed.

FMD, I'm quoting and linked government regulation.

Read the information.

Who the F said it was my opinion?
Or that I even agree?

[Finniss]

Interesting, thanks OB. I'd missed this.

[Oldbloke]

Interesting, thanks OB. I'd missed this.

Well,,, at least I got one sensible reply.

[MG5150]

The government has reclassified all wild dogs as dingos as of Oct 2024 based on a (dodgy) new study.

Even though it's all based on sketchy evidence, if you're shooting them in public land anywhere in the state of Vic and you're not a licensed trapper/parks vic ranger then you will be fined/prosecuted. (the 3km buffer zone is only for authorised people).

If they are on your private property, you can shoot/destroy them... If they are on the other side of your fence in state forest and you are (caught) shooting them you will get into trouble.

I think the 'new evidence' is total BS and the fact government is basing policy that is going to have a very bad effect on farmers and native wildlife is beyond a joke, but do want to inform hunters so no-one is hit with a 5 figure fine out of ignorance.

[Oldbloke]

The government has reclassified all wild dogs as dingos as of Oct 2024 based on a (dodgy) new study.

Even though it's all based on sketchy evidence, if you're shooting them in public land anywhere in the state of Vic and you're not a licensed trapper/parks vic ranger then you will be fined/prosecuted. (the 3km buffer zone is only for authorised people).

If they are on your private property, you can shoot/destroy them... If they are on the other side of your fence in state forest and you are (caught) shooting them you will get into trouble.

I think the 'new evidence' is total BS and the fact government is basing policy that is going to have a very bad effect on farmers and native wildlife is beyond a joke, but do want to inform hunters so no-one is hit with a 5 figure fine out of ignorance.

OK, I've been corrected. On!y trappers etc can shoot them within the 3km zone.

But I don't think anyone is listening.

[Die Judicii]

Dogs are NOT protected. But if it looks remotely like a dingo, you should consider it a dingo.

Seeing as there are no pure breed dingoes harassing farmers stock, causing terrible suffering to multiple animals in one attack, huge distress and MEGA cost to the farmer in loss of breeding stock it may have taken 20 years to develop his bloodlines, there are no issues to kill what are mistakenly called dingoes by the uninformed fake environmentalists.

Honestly mate, and respectfully, the way you keep pushing the point about all this really leads me to believe that you've lived all your life on a suburban block (nothing wrong with living in the suburbs of course, but...), and you are one of the ill-informed preachers trying to tell farmers how to protect their livelihoods.

If I see any canine ripping into my animals, I will check if it's a PURE PURE Dingo after it's hanging upside down on the fence.
Like anyone with any idea about what goes on, on farms at night when you're sleeping tucked up in bed.

Old Bloke,Go back to my old Mate "Grand Dad Bushy" who shot and killed more Dingo Crossbreds in his lifetime alone, than you even know of.
He was actively working with the CSIRO and providing so many samples for DNA research that backed their own conclusions that the chances of getting genuine Dingo's on mainland Australia were a snow flakes chance in hell.

In reality, the number of landowners that have experienced stock losses to cross breds vastly outnumber your thoughts on the matter.
Regardless of whether your quoting govt regulation or your own beliefs or 1st hand experience.

Instead, you can thank the likes of people that dump their unwanted pets/dogs out in general farmland or Pig Dogs that got distracted and never returned to their owners for our current situation.

Look at this pic and tell me it wasn't capable of wreaking havoc on stock.

Looks like a German Shepherd/Afghan Hound cross bred.
This one had learned how to climb eight foot high exclusion fences,, and had killed over 60 livestock inside of one month.
In fact, when it was shot, it was half way up an exclusion fence.
Photo was taken by landowners trail camera only a short while beforehand.

And according to whats been posted in the last two days,,,, This is a Dingo and is now protected ???

Ridiculous Government Powers have been let loose here.

Mongrel.jpg (602.01 KiB) Viewed 324 times

[MG5150]

And according to whats been posted in the last two days,,,, This is a Dingo and is now protected ???

The attachment Mongrel.jpg is no longer available

yes... the dingo advocates are pushing a 'no such thing as a wild dog' narrative even though he study they herald as the 'evidence' of pure dingos itself proves the existence of crossbreed...

In this study, they only get close to 90% of dogs being pure in some states if they include back crosses of up to 4 generations...

so they've essentially changed the definition of 'pure dingos' to include 4 generations of hybrids .There is also a sample group of zoo/shelter animals that was only 50% pure so the control group also proves the existence of hybrids.

[Wapiti]

The government has reclassified all wild dogs as dingos as of Oct 2024 based on a (dodgy) new study.

Even though it's all based on sketchy evidence, if you're shooting them in public land anywhere in the state of Vic and you're not a licensed trapper/parks vic ranger then you will be fined/prosecuted. (the 3km buffer zone is only for authorised people).

If they are on your private property, you can shoot/destroy them... If they are on the other side of your fence in state forest and you are (caught) shooting them you will get into trouble.

I think the 'new evidence' is total BS and the fact government is basing policy that is going to have a very bad effect on farmers and native wildlife is beyond a joke, but do want to inform hunters so no-one is hit with a 5 figure fine out of ignorance.

OK, I've been corrected. On!y trappers etc can shoot them within the 3km zone.

But I don't think anyone is listening.

That's because you just don't get it. You keep pushing this government line over and over, like you're saving us from ourselves.
Farmers will not listen to this rubbish.

And apologies for the "thread creep"... but I didn't bring up this diversion to preach about a question from Qld.

I know you're just quoting laws passed by an ill-informed, ill-advised pot of fools, but give it a rest mate. People who live in the bush and suffer from fools aren't listening, nor are they going to boast on forums specific instances of what they are doing about it.

[Wapiti]

To answer the OP from my experience, I can offer some of what I've learned.

I don't have the time to sit and watch over suspected dog trails or areas of interest (wish I did sometimes, might be relaxing), but the first thing I always do when suspecting a dog entry point/hunting zone is to spend a bit of time walking the area during the day, looking for tracks, entry-points through fences or signs on game trails.
Very seldom do you find dog hairs, tracks etc. Dingoes around here are all hybrids that succeeded in their bloodlines by being incredibly intelligent, almost to a point they are like ghosts. Even to the point of walking around or to the side of game trails, avoiding holes in fences that other animals squeeze under, standing in the shadows watching open gates for hours before even considering all these possible opportunities.
Years ago when I used to buy the odd Sporting Shooter magazine and read the stories about the dog howlers and callers that wrote stories about how successful they were in the Brisbane Valley, I soon realised that these dogs were used to small farms, other yard dogs barking, people smells being normal, all that, which means that they were very much easier to catch than out here, Here, it's VERY difficult.

I learned all this by using quite a few game cameras. Scouting around and placing cameras around, even just "by feel" that a spot is likely to tell me something. I saw bitches teaching pups NOT to go through fence holes, game trails etc., and virtually just because they have a 6th sense of what I might be doing next.
The other big thing is NOT leaving scent in the beginning, even when you walk around, touch things, feel the urge to have a piss in a likely area etc.
They even react to your boot prints. Think I'm full of BS? Well you shouldn't discount that at all, I've taken trail-cam pics of dogs staring at boot prints, then bolting.
The smart dogs WILL detect this and will skirt around that area after that. They have long memories.

So initially, cameras and lingering scent and sign. Store, un-scent, handle and try and hide cameras skillfully.

[Oldbloke]

Unbelievable.

[Wapiti]

Unbelievable.

What, my tips no good?
Feel free to leave your own constructive tips like the OP asked.
From personal experience, not google?

[Finniss]

Doesn't appear OB is pushing any line. Just providing a handy tip....be aware of legislation and even clarification and a link.

[Oldbloke]

Doesn't appear OB is pushing any line. Just providing a handy tip....be aware of legislation and even clarification and a link.

Bingo!

[MG5150]

OK, I've been corrected. On!y trappers etc can shoot them within the 3km zone.

But I don't think anyone is listening.

I had to have this explained to me as on a surface level the news and websites are saying 3km buffer zone but if you look at the legislation it specifies for trappers only.

I don't think it's going to change too many farmers minds - if there are problem dogs they are going to get rid of them, and DEECA/Parks Vic don't have the resources to have people on the ground checking. Getting rid of the bounty might remove some of the incentive for recreational hunters.

I also incorrectly said it's okay to shoot them on private land but should specify in the East of the state only as you did.

[Oldbloke]

Well, Vic government have recently down sized the public service. My bet is this means fewer GMA, Agriculture, Parks and fisheries inspectors. But I'm just guessing. (Poaching will be totally out of control if I'm correct)

Would be a huge bill if your caught. And of course cops can track your movements by your mobile (unless it's turned off or flight mode) and all your internet use if they want.

Of course this is only about Victoria, nothing to do with any of the other states.

[Oldbloke]

OK, I've been corrected. On!y trappers etc can shoot them within the 3km zone.

But I don't think anyone is listening.

I had to have this explained to me as on a surface level the news and websites are saying 3km buffer zone but if you look at the legislation it specifies for trappers only.

I don't think it's going to change too many farmers minds - if there are problem dogs they are going to get rid of them, and DEECA/Parks Vic don't have the resources to have people on the ground checking. Getting rid of the bounty might remove some of the incentive for recreational hunters.

I also incorrectly said it's okay to shoot them on private land but should specify in the East of the state only as you did.

Well, thanks for your insight.

[MG5150]

Well, Vic government have recently down sized the public service. My bet is this means fewer GMA, Agriculture, Parks and fisheries inspectors. But I'm just guessing. (Poaching will be totally out of control if I'm correct)

Yes, the state is broke and they are cutting back a lot of field agents while adding more beaurocrats in the office jobs (part of the problem Wapiti was mentioning).

Fisheries have had ground teams cut back and stations closed, GMA

Part of the UN 30/30 agenda is giving land back to aboriginal groups for custodianship and caretaking. If the government gives the land back then it becomes the responsibility of the indigenous groups and they don't have to maintain it.

Thats why they are pushing Great Forest National Park, a similar project in Wombat SF and out near Lerderderg. Turn state forest into national parks, give back to indiginious groups and save on maintenance costs... while installing wind and solar farms so their green investment and super funds go up.'

Criminals