NSW Labor govt backs a bounty on Pigs, goats n cats

[alexjones]

Well seeing as NZ allows suppressors for commoners their domestic market would be quite big. There must be hundreds of thousands of suppressors in NZ.

[bladeracer]

Well seeing as NZ allows suppressors for commoners their domestic market would be quite big. There must be hundreds of thousands of suppressors in NZ.

There are only about a quarter million firearm owners in NZ, with an average of five or six firearms each, so I think hundreds of thousands of suppressors might be a stretch, but not implausible. But if they already own several suppressors each the market probably isn't all that large, unless they need continuous replacement. I don't know how many new shooters they get each year but I would expect a percentage of those would be wanting suppressors. According to Google there might be around 20,000 new shooters getting licenced each year, if only half of those want suppressors I guess it's a decent market for a manufacturer. According to DPT's site they sell over 5000 suppressors each year, including exports out of NZ. https://www.deltamike.co.nz/brand/dpt/

[Wapiti]

Back to the OP, this is rather interesting.

https://www.netimes.com.au/2025/05/28/f ... -294505621

I thought a group called an "invasive Species Council" was interested in the minimisation of invasive species. Seems like the only invasive things they know about are when their pants are off.

Happy for the government to spend many millions of tax payers money to pay for shooters in helicopters because they are ideology opposed to private gun ownership.

Yes, but don't forget why the choppers are preferred so much - to ensure that firearms ownership recreationally ISN'T ever normalised or accepted going forward.
The screws are on now.
This is why I'm banging on so much about recreational shooters back the people who are going in to bat for them.

See what happens over this here and hope that a bounty is approved... because that will turn this around somewhat.
A loss is another few nails in the coffin.

[Wapiti]

Well seeing as NZ allows suppressors for commoners their domestic market would be quite big. There must be hundreds of thousands of suppressors in NZ.

I like your enthusiasm mate, you are rare nowadays.

[Bugman]

Suppressors rock...ok!

[womble]

Conservation Hunting Bill 2025 NSW
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jVFL-U94jpQ

[Wapiti]

Hopefully Borsak's bill is passed, but I'm not holding my breath.
The scope of the bill is very broad and includes a lot of things that need to be addressed and solved to move forward, and I don't know how much political support he will have.
There's the benefits to the economy of the state with small business and its employees, support for regional communities, personal health benefits of outdoors-people and of course, the environment and the effects of introduced species on the long-suffering native animals.
By putting more emphasis on recreational shooters in the control of ferals, he boosts the legitimacy of recreational firearms use, and I wish him good luck there.

One thing he didn't mention unless I missed it, was the enormous benefit in the change in culture in Australia we would get for society as a whole if more emphasis was put into resource hunting, in other words, food. Wild game meat, used by hunters for their families, and a society that mostly supported this great wholesome past-time. Like they do without stupid restrictions in the USA.
Forget the smokescreen of semi-autos, suppressors, pistols in pawn shops and all that media crap, I mean how whole towns support and welcome hunters and the economical and societal boosts they provide.

But NSW already has the R-license system, doesn't it? Where hunters can book into a forest and do that now? Can someone explain how this will expand this, because as far as hunting and doing the same on private lands goes, this is also happening.

[No1_49er]

Wild game meat, used by hunters for their families, and a society that mostly supported this great wholesome past-time. Like they do without stupid restrictions in the USA.

You might need to slow down a little on the "Like they do without stupid restrictions in the USA" claim.
Texas, for example, has VERY tightly controlled seasons, a "Hunter Education" requirement, minimum antler spread (in some cases), the possibility of having the carcass confiscated if those requirements are not met whereupon the meat is distributed to people in the community deemed to be needy, not tagging the animal immediately upon retrieval; all this policed by 'Texas Game Wardens', an arm of the State Police.
Oh, yes. They very much do have restrictions.
Other States have a requirement that EVERY part of the animal must be retrieved and removed. No such thing as being able to simply take the head, cape, and back-steaks. Doesn't matter how remote the area in which the animal was dispatched - everything has to be removed.
Stupid restrictions? Maybe not.

[womble]

I think he meant without the stupid restrictions they have in the US

[Wapiti]

Wild game meat, used by hunters for their families, and a society that mostly supported this great wholesome past-time. Like they do without stupid restrictions in the USA.

You might need to slow down a little on the "Like they do without stupid restrictions in the USA" claim.
Texas, for example, has VERY tightly controlled seasons, a "Hunter Education" requirement, minimum antler spread (in some cases), the possibility of having the carcass confiscated if those requirements are not met whereupon the meat is distributed to people in the community deemed to be needy, not tagging the animal immediately upon retrieval; all this policed by 'Texas Game Wardens', an arm of the State Police.
Oh, yes. They very much do have restrictions.
Other States have a requirement that EVERY part of the animal must be retrieved and removed. No such thing as being able to simply take the head, cape, and back-steaks. Doesn't matter how remote the area in which the animal was dispatched - everything has to be removed.
Stupid restrictions? Maybe not.

Don't jump to conclusions and twist it mate.

I mean as I said, but perhaps not clearly enough for you. Well regulated, organised hunting opportunities for people who value the opportunity, and the animal. Like you just described which backed my post previous. Did I say it was carte blanche?

Not like here as just shooting and extermination as so many Australian "shooters" call hunting.
Is that BS too?
I'm not talking about a bloke controlling feral animals running over his business and livelihood either here, that's a given for me and what I do mostly. I'm talking about opportunities to better ingrain hunting for recreation, utilising the animal and mainstreaming the activity better with the people of the suburbs.

[womble]

We have a bloody good model for hunting game in victoria. We don’t need more regulations. And we have dedicated clubs. And very vast areas of public land for hunting.
But most people who get firearms licenses are really just interested in shooting paper. Nothing wrong with that. It’s just the majority don’t get into it for hunting nowadays. People don’t have the patience for it nowadays.
But for those who are interested there are great networks in place to get involved.
And it’s great to have shooting ranges and clubs, but if you can’t go out bush on the weekends for a shot. That’s just unAustralian.

[womble]

Ballsack is a giant flog.

But you have to commend him for all the hard work he does. He really does work hard for us. He’s very tenacious.

I just hope he drives home the impact that suppressors could have on feral numbers if recreational volunteers could add them to their kit. These people are dedicated and invested. They spend a lot of money on their kit. They’re already taking twice the ferals the government agencies do. You add a suppressor to their thermal that’s going to triple the numbers.

And that’s massive. Despite all the animosity between the members in debate. That’s too massive to ignore. That’s saving the state billions of dollars.

This isn’t something we’ve had the technology to do in the past. This is something new and this is really huge. This could have a real measurable impact on people’s livelihoods on the land. And the government funding could be reallocated to health, education, infrastructure.

It’s not a perfect bill and from the antis perspective there will be concerns to nut out. But it’s doable with some fine tuning.
All who have a say in this bill are really at a crossroads. Because this is big money involved here. And ideologies aside with respect to them all. I hope they can make this work and reap the benefits.

[Beno]

Back to the OP, this is rather interesting.

https://www.netimes.com.au/2025/05/28/f ... -294505621

I thought a group called an "invasive Species Council" was interested in the minimisation of invasive species. Seems like the only invasive things they know about are when their pants are off.

Happy for the government to spend many millions of tax payers money to pay for shooters in helicopters because they are ideology opposed to private gun ownership.

100%. there needs to be an enquiry on aerial shooting and where n when it is performed. It’s a great tool but absolutely abused by a tiny group of “professionals”. Think big buckets of OT, go whereever they decide and don’t even follow the aerial shooting SOPs designed to guide the program. Some operations only shoot a handful of animals in a day, a day can be $25-30k without blinking an eye. oh yeah and their balls must be the size of watermelons by they way they swagger around, those wankers are worse than the heli pilots for swagger..

[animalpest]

I have heard there is to be a helicopter shoot in WA south of Perth. Not government run or using government shooters but organised by local Biosecurity Group. Targeting deer.
Not even too sure if the shooters are even qualified.

Landholders got a letter saying they can contact them if they want to opt out. Otherwise put your stock in defined paddocks.

Said in bush area they can identify stock versus deer with thermals in the bush and under trees from the helicopter so stock will be safe

[Beno]

I have heard there is to be a helicopter shoot in WA south of Perth. Not government run or using government shooters but organised by local Biosecurity Group. Targeting deer.
Not even too sure if the shooters are even qualified.

Landholders got a letter saying they can contact them if they want to opt out. Otherwise put your stock in defined paddocks.

Said in bush area they can identify stock versus deer with thermals in the bush and under trees from the helicopter so stock will be safe

Interesting. shouldn’t it be an opt in process? Otherwise they are discharging firearms on property they don’t have landholders permission??

I should have mentioned in my blurb above that i was referring to government aerial shooters. there are some bloody good contractors out there.

[Oldbloke]

I have heard there is to be a helicopter shoot in WA south of Perth. Not government run or using government shooters but organised by local Biosecurity Group. Targeting deer.
Not even too sure if the shooters are even qualified.

Landholders got a letter saying they can contact them if they want to opt out. Otherwise put your stock in defined paddocks.

Said in bush area they can identify stock versus deer with thermals in the bush and under trees from the helicopter so stock will be safe

Interesting. shouldn’t it be an opt in process? Otherwise they are discharging firearms on property they don’t have landholders permission??

I should have mentioned in my blurb above that i was referring to government aerial shooters. there are some bloody good contractors out there.

Agree. Sounds very dodgy.
What happens if land owner doesn't get the letter?

Could end up trespassing charges and shooting on property without permission.

[Wapiti]

It's an opt-in process.
No helo shooting is done without an opt-in request prior to the project being finalised.

Nobody can force you to participate either.
But in some jurisdictions where people are being smashed by ferals or there is a cull of a particular introduced animal going on, you may have to then show how you are participating otherwise to control the target animal/s. Or cop issues from your local government and/or council.

Don't jump to conclusions or listen to carpet beetles. It just winds people up unnecessarily.