Hunting situation in Oz now?

ozexpat · #1 07-27-2006, 07:01 AM

gday all
I havent lived at home for about 16 years now, due to work and I used to be a keen shooter , and was wondering what the situation was like now? After all the changes in gun laws etc etc , is it still possible for the average bloke to get out for a shot now and again? Used to be we would head off with a contact or two and end up with a good weekend shooting. Is hunting a thing that is shunned in Oz now or is this all media hype?
I live in NZ now and manage to get out quite often for a hunt. The gun control laws here are very practical, firearms licences are dealt with carefully and very professionally by the police, and the best thing is there is almost zero gun crime here.
The government actually encourages hunting in many places here and most ly on public land, and its not uncommon to share a hut with trampers (bushwalkers) who dont approve of hunting but dont get all silly about it either. They just accept it as a part of the way of life here.
Anyway all the best to the Aussie blokes on this forum and hope to hear from you guys.

Dave H · #2 07-27-2006, 11:21 PM

G'day Mate welcome to the site ! Seems to be a bit of a mixed bag these days inreguards to finding properties to shoot on these days! I hear & read of mixed reports Some blokes are despretly trying to find properties yet others have no problems ! Even us Pro shooters are in the same boat with it becoming harder for a Young Bloke to break into the industry! I gave up shooting full time for roughly 12mths & other shooters moved onto the propertires I used to shoot & several have been asked not to bother comming back & I've been asked to shoot them again! The new firearm laws admitadly were a pain to the sporting faternity but did'nt really affect us Pros or Property owners all that much !

Dave

Stoffa · #3 08-11-2006, 03:48 AM

Hi Guys,
Have been shooting for over 30years, Vic, NSW & SA, started as a kid and just kept up from there, now my three boys tag along. Ive never had any problems in finding new areas to hunt on for a simple reason, I drop a flyer letter in the mail boxes of land owners in a likely looking area with all my details on it, Name , address contact numbers, licence ( shooters & drivers) , vehicle details, references to other land owners etc and a short history of who I am, what i want and what i would like to do. Wait a few days/weeks and then go back, so far i have never been refused - EVER. As a number of the land owners have said " you have got to be genuine if you are willing to give me all that info" I abide by their rules, shoot only what they allow, use only the firearms that they permit, leave the land as i found it and spend the time to chat with and thank them. And Im ensuring that my boys follow the same rules and in doing so are ensuring that their kids can do the same. Access to over 60,000 acres and dozens of locations proves that it works - we just have to adapt to changing times and laws
It works for me, should work for you if you do the same.
If they trust you to let you on their land never give them a reason to even think that their sense of trust was a mistake, afterall it is their home AND livelihood.

Stoffa

M1894 · #4 08-11-2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoffa

Hi Guys,
Have been shooting for over 30years, Vic, NSW & SA, started as a kid and just kept up from there, now my three boys tag along. Ive never had any problems in finding new areas to hunt on for a simple reason, I drop a flyer letter in the mail boxes of land owners in a likely looking area with all my details on it, Name , address contact numbers, licence ( shooters & drivers) , vehicle details, references to other land owners etc and a short history of who I am, what i want and what i would like to do. Wait a few days/weeks and then go back, so far i have never been refused - EVER. As a number of the land owners have said " you have got to be genuine if you are willing to give me all that info" I abide by their rules, shoot only what they allow, use only the firearms that they permit, leave the land as i found it and spend the time to chat with and thank them. And Im ensuring that my boys follow the same rules and in doing so are ensuring that their kids can do the same. Access to over 60,000 acres and dozens of locations proves that it works - we just have to adapt to changing times and laws
It works for me, should work for you if you do the same.
If they trust you to let you on their land never give them a reason to even think that their sense of trust was a mistake, afterall it is their home AND livelihood.

Stoffa

Good attitude, I just wish that some on this side of the pond would adopt it.

kdub · #5 08-11-2006, 12:20 PM

Lee - You mean you don't?????

M1894 · #6 08-11-2006, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdub

Lee - You mean you don't?????

I've had that attitude all my life. It's a good thing too, as my Grandfather would have knocked some sense into my head if I hadn't. That was one thing he prided himself on, was a good relationship with the land owners. If we used someones land to hunt on, we picked up trash, even if it was someone elses. His rule, and mine too, is "LEAVE IT CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT!" Same holds true if fishing on some one elses property.

Cheezywan · #7 08-11-2006, 02:17 PM

Complete agreement with the Leave It Better Than You Found It part.
Does not mean you need heavy equiptment. Can stuff some rubbage in your pocket. Report a broken fence or fix something simple.
Cheezywan

Stoffa · #8 08-13-2006, 04:06 AM

It all just comes from basic respect AND the fact that I was born and raised on farms myself, Parents have sold theirs, so I substitute surrogate landowners now