Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Varminting and vertebrate pest control. Small game, hunting feral goats, foxes, dogs, cats, rabbits etc.

Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 10 Dec 2019, 5:16 pm

Hey guys,

I hope youse are well

I've just gotta quick question I suppose

So, so far
I've been doing target shooting only
(Which is fine obviously, it's a lot of fun obviously which is great, I love it)

However I'm also interested in picking up hunting as well as a hobby
(Hunting is on my cat A&B license)

Now according to Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment:
- Rabbits
- Hares
- Foxes
- Feral dogs
- Feral goats
- Feral pigs
All those animal ^ are considered to be "pests"

And so I guess I'm interested in going "pest hunting"

If I get to hunt (which is fun) and plus on top of that, if I get to help out a little bit with the pest problems
I guess that's a good thing
I guess it's a service to the wildlife and to people
Which it's a Win-Win really I guess

So yeah
My question is;
What are the best places in Victoria to go to for pest hunting?
(I live in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne)

Do you guys have any recommendations?
:-)
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Wombat » 10 Dec 2019, 5:52 pm

Right next to my best fishing spot, just down from where I panned those gold nuggets on my first shovel.



Non smartarse answer Friends or Relos properties, state forest etc. Google feralscan to get an idea of where the ferals are.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by bladeracer » 10 Dec 2019, 6:02 pm

Rabbits are pretty random due to calici. In 2014 we had enough to get an occasional feed, then they disappeared overnight after a calici release. We have a few coming back just now, almost enough to start shooting them, but I'm sure another release will spoil it. Green voters prefer to use germ warfare on pest animals.

Mainly foxes where I am, never heard of any dogs, goats or pigs around here, lots of ducks, and some deer ten-minutes down the road apparently, but I've only seen one baby one. We've seen two cats I think in the past two years. Lots and lots of roos and wallabies around here.

The foxes have been quieter this season I think, but spotlighters hammered them hard last year. We're actually seeing more wombats, echidna, koalas and snakes than we are foxes, although there are less possums around just now. Haven't seen sugar gliders (aerial ewoks) for a couple years now, and the fruit bats didn't raid the loquat trees this year either.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 10 Dec 2019, 6:03 pm

Rofl.... my neighbor properties I see plenty of rabbits..... but nothing on mine. I have a black feral cat running around, and heaps of foxes here. Best of all we are rural

The only problem is properties are from 1 to 5 to 20 acres.... And nothing on my property
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Stix » 10 Dec 2019, 6:17 pm

Well if Vic is like SA...You could try the following...

Local office of "The Greens"...

Parliament house on a "sitting" day...

Any local government (council) office during bus hours...

And dont worry about bag limits... :thumbsup:

:lol:

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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 10 Dec 2019, 6:21 pm

Ah okay
Awesome
Thanks for the advices guys

I googled: "feralscan"
I guess that's a good way to know what's going on around the area with the ferals

Correct me if I'm wrong but
Hunting ferals sounds great to me
1) you can hunt them all year long
(So you don't have to worry about open seasons)
2) you're actually doing a service to the wildlife and to the community by getting rid of the ferals
3) theres no permit required to hunt ferals so its easier

Sounds so much like a Win-win to me

What do you guys reckon?
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Peter988 » 10 Dec 2019, 6:29 pm

This is what you said in a different Post -

Quote
I think I should be okay
My friend has a farm in the country
It's a pretty big piece of land
It's quite far away from all the other dwellings
It's quite far away from the public road
There's no public path or track or anything like that nearby
On his farm, he's gotta pretty big hill which I could easily use as the back stop
Unquote

I would suggest you begin by shooting the pests there.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 10 Dec 2019, 6:32 pm

There's no pests there Peter988

That's the problem

I thought maybe you guys knew of a state forest where ferals are common or something
:-)
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by bladeracer » 10 Dec 2019, 6:38 pm

TheFirearmEnthusiast wrote:Ah okay
Awesome
Thanks for the advices guys

I googled: "feralscan"
I guess that's a good way to know what's going on around the area with the ferals

Correct me if I'm wrong but
Hunting ferals sounds great to me
1) you can hunt them all year long
(So you don't have to worry about open seasons)
2) you're actually doing a service to the wildlife and to the community by getting rid of the ferals
3) theres no permit required to hunt ferals so its easier

Sounds so much like a Win-win to me

What do you guys reckon?


Yep, all of the above, plus you're spending time on your own out in the bush, hard to get better than that really :-)
If you're shooting on farmland, take the time to inspect things and note anything the farmer should be told about, trees dropped on fences, injured stock and native animals, damaged gates, cut fences, or other people or vehicles on the property. During summer be extremely fire vigilant, don't stop a hot vehicle in long grass, pick up any bottles you see as glass can start fires. These days in fact, if you see any people or vehicles around it's not a bad idea to note what you can see, they may be poachers or arsonists.

No season on deer except for hog deer which are somewhat uncommon, the other six deer can be taken all year long without limits. Duck have a season and bag limits, March/April I think, I don't do ducks.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by bladeracer » 10 Dec 2019, 6:42 pm

TheFirearmEnthusiast wrote:There's no pests there Peter988

That's the problem

I thought maybe you guys knew of a state forest where ferals are common or something
:-)


He's doing well if there are no pest animals around at all, it may be that it's overrun with predators so all the smaller stuff has left. Are there still plenty of birds around there? Does he have any stock or grass/crops?

You'll likely find most accessible state forest is too heavily patrolled to see much on a cursory walk, you might need to walk in deep and spend some time sitting and watching.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 10 Dec 2019, 7:02 pm

I don't think he's got birds around
He doesn't have crops at all
He does have some stock
Not that much though

You might be right BladeRacer
I may have to go in deep
Bit of a pain I guess
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Member-Deleted » 10 Dec 2019, 7:30 pm

TheFirearmEnthusiast is this why you want to buy the 6.5 caliber to shoot ferals ie pests mate have you actually got a licence and have you had any training on firearms at all you sound very naïve in your questioning of places to go and rifles not that that is a bad thing but to ask seasoned hunters to give out places to hunt could be like putting the cat amongst the pigeons a lot of shooters won't pass out info on shooting spots because it could back fire on them and the bloke could be a total nutter and ruin it for everyone best if you've got a mate that owns land -property as you say then get him to ask around with his neighbours they may let you on or know someone that can help you best of luck
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 10 Dec 2019, 7:34 pm

The 6.5 that I wanna buy is for target shooting

The .22LR that I bought will be for hunting small animals obviously
(Small pests)

I dno man
I find that there's nothing wrong with asking for genuine advice

How else do you learn if you don't ask questions?

It's nice to help people bro
I'd love to help people if people came to me for advice
It's the right thing to do
:-)
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 10 Dec 2019, 7:45 pm

I understand what you're saying about hunters not wanting to disclose their favorite hunting spots

Makes sense

I guess at the end of the day, you've just gotta go explore for yourself
:-)
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Member-Deleted » 10 Dec 2019, 7:52 pm

Yes that's right TheFirearmEnthusiast I didn't say you had done anything wrong just that you seemed to ask questions someone just starting out shooting would ask mate definitely nothing wrong asking questions in fact I encourage it or you will make mistakes ones that possibly could have been avoided if a question had been asked also as I pointed out a lot of hunters don't like letting out their info on shooting or hunting for the reasons I explained it is somewhat hard these days to gain access to properties where the owner doesn't know you the best way to gain access is to take the advice these forum blokes have given you or as I said ask your mate to ask around him being a property owner will set him in good steed with other land holders and possibly get you a start mate don't get me wrong I wasn't having a go at you i'm straight down the line person and just asking a question to see it clear for myself Cheers
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Stix » 10 Dec 2019, 8:32 pm

Hey TheFirearmEnthusiast...

I wonder if you've taken the time to get around the properties you have access to & see what is about...

I camt tell you how many farmers tell me there is nothing around, yet when i take a couple hours to drive around & get out to look at fence lines & scrubby patches i see bunny, fox n cat prints, & cant wait to get back there for a challenge just waiting for me...!!

Birds mate...one of the biggest indicators of predatory ferals in our territory (SA/VIC).
Sleep out in your swag near a scrub patch & take note of the birds...if there are NO small low lying birds about squabbling away in their social groups....--native finches n the like--...no willy's fluttering around at ground level around fences & shrubbery for an afternoon feed of insects...?...
Lots of hawks/Wedgies cruising the thermals or sitting in tree tops...or none...?
What about feral pigeons...galahs...?...
You see them out in a paddock adjacent scrub...?...if so & you can't get within cooee of them, there are predatory ferals in that scrub. .!!

Im a lazy hunter...i like getting around in a car...but at the end of the day, at some point you need to get out & find them...
I could take you to a paddock absolutely chock full of bunny's & i bet you wouldnt know they were there unless i forced you to drive through it & have your car find a resting place axle deep in sand for 2 days due to the rabbit warrens collapsing under it--its riddled with warrens & my ol'man who taught me wasnt even aware of them... :lol:

I dont know how hard you've looked around, but you could be overlooking some good hunting...

Alternatively...pack plenty of water & protein bars for the trek deep into the forrest for that elusive Jedi wabbit...
:drinks:
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Blr243 » 10 Dec 2019, 9:12 pm

Does IHP operate down your way. If you are keen to get going , pay for it Unpaid Access might take a long time to achieve. Whatever you do , don’t ask somebody if you can go hunting with them It’s rude. Wait until you are asked . I have no concerns or sympathy for somebody hinting to go hunting with me because they have no place to go. If it took me a while and it was a lot of effort then they can make a big effort too ..... if an experienced hunter takes a young fresh green bloke on a trip he has his hands full ......responsible conduct on private land needs more than just care. Experience and knowledge is crucial to staying onside with the owners of the land ......us hunters are tradesmen, salesmen, doctors , policemen, journalists etc.....we don’t know s**t about the land until we have spent many years hunting it.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by YoungBuck » 12 Dec 2019, 12:08 pm

Unless you have access to private property, your best bet is hunt land designated as 'State Forest'. Though in my experience I've only been able to shoot foxes and the very rare cat in SFs.

This will help identify land for you. https://www2.delwp.vic.gov.au/maps/maps ... ctive-maps
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Elmer » 12 Dec 2019, 9:40 pm

TheFirearmEnthusiast wrote:Hey guys,

I hope youse are well

I've just gotta quick question I suppose

So, so far
I've been doing target shooting only
(Which is fine obviously, it's a lot of fun obviously which is great, I love it)

However I'm also interested in picking up hunting as well as a hobby
(Hunting is on my cat A&B license)

Now according to Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment:
- Rabbits
- Hares
- Foxes
- Feral dogs
- Feral goats
- Feral pigs
All those animal ^ are considered to be "pests"

And so I guess I'm interested in going "pest hunting"

If I get to hunt (which is fun) and plus on top of that, if I get to help out a little bit with the pest problems
I guess that's a good thing
I guess it's a service to the wildlife and to people
Which it's a Win-Win really I guess

So yeah
My question is;
What are the best places in Victoria to go to for pest hunting?
(I live in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne)

Do you guys have any recommendations?
:-)

Melbourne University.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Oldbloke » 13 Dec 2019, 12:37 am

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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Peter988 » 13 Dec 2019, 8:24 am

It’s a tough one. I have shot on a lot of properties over the years. I gained access to most by knocking on the door and introducing myself to get permission. I have never asked other shooters to tell me a property or take me to their property. Best thing is that I know I am the only shooter on the place when I am there. This idea of wandering State Forests and not knowing whether other shooters are in the vicinity seems a recipe for disaster to me.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by TheFirearmEnthusiast » 13 Dec 2019, 11:04 am

Well Peter988

A lot of shooters go hunting in State Forests

So whenever you go hunting in State Forests
Chances are;
There will be other hunters in the area as well anyway

It's the same thing
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Oldbloke » 13 Dec 2019, 12:26 pm

Peter988 wrote:It’s a tough one. I have shot on a lot of properties over the years. I gained access to most by knocking on the door and introducing myself to get permission. I have never asked other shooters to tell me a property or take me to their property. Best thing is that I know I am the only shooter on the place when I am there. This idea of wandering State Forests and not knowing whether other shooters are in the vicinity seems a recipe for disaster to me.



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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Peter988 » 13 Dec 2019, 8:47 pm

Yep. High viz gear essential.
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Re: Best places for hunting pests in Victoria?

Post by Peter988 » 13 Dec 2019, 9:10 pm

TheFirearmEnthusiast wrote:Well Peter988

A lot of shooters go hunting in State Forests

So whenever you go hunting in State Forests
Chances are;
There will be other hunters in the area as well anyway

It's the same thing


Well TheFirearmEnthusiast.

You will do much better if you make the effort to find private properties to shoot on. Get a map. Work out where the properties start to get big enough for shooting. Places at least 1000 hectares or more. Find properties with hills and plenty of scrub. Get away from the main roads into more remote back roads. Then drive out there and knock on doors. You don’t need to wait till you get your rifles. Start to find contacts now. Introduce yourself, be respectful and tell them what it is you are looking for. You might be surprised how many land owners are very approachable. In the long run you will shoot a lot more than in State Forests.
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