Tasmanian Deer Advisory Committee Inc - TDAC

14/01/2024

SOUTH Australia
Hunting forum to discuss the deer management procedures in this state.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wild-deer-community-forum-tickets-781168244247?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

01/06/2023

30/05/2023

SFF MEDIA RELEASE:
Minister Jo Palmer Under Fire:
Ignoring Science and Sidestepping Hunting Groups' Concerns on Wild Tasmanian Deer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Title: "Minister Jo Palmer Under Fire:

Ignoring Science and Sidestepping Hunting Groups' Concerns on Wild Tasmanian Deer"
Subtitle: "Is Tasmania's Wildlife Minister Neglecting Science and Public Engagement?
In a perplexing turn of events, Minister Jo Palmer's decision to avoid direct engagement with hunting groups regarding their concerns on wild Tasmanian deer has raised eyebrows. Not only does this approach distance her from the Liberal party's commitment to a balanced view based on scientific evidence, but it also calls into question her willingness to engage with stakeholders directly. As criticisms mount, concerns are mounting about the Minister's stance, which seemingly ignores the science and disregards the vital voices of those directly affected by the issue.
Background: The issue of managing the wild Tasmanian deer population has been a contentious topic in Tasmania for quite some time. The debate has centered around striking a balance between conservation efforts and the necessity of managing the deer population to protect the local ecosystem. The Liberal party, during their election campaign, made specific commitments to consider scientific evidence and maintain a balanced view on the matter, this promise has been broken.
Minister Jo Palmer's Silence and Disengagement: Minister Jo Palmer has opted to distance herself from direct conversations with hunting groups. Instead, she relies solely on briefings from the National Resources and Environment (NRE) staff. This approach has left hunting groups feeling ignored, excluded, and frustrated, as their concerns and perspectives are not being given a fair hearing. By sidestepping direct engagement, the Minister appears to be bypassing an essential opportunity to foster open dialogue and inclusivity.
Neglecting Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging directly with hunting groups and other stakeholders is crucial in decision-making processes that impact their lives and the local environment. By dismissing the concerns, knowledge, and experiences of these groups, Minister Palmer creates an atmosphere of exclusion and undermines the principles of transparency and accountability. Effective governance demands engagement with stakeholders, as their perspectives can offer valuable insights and alternative solutions.
The Importance of a Balanced Approach: A balanced view based on scientific evidence and public engagement is essential for navigating complex issues like the wild Tasmanian deer population. By actively engaging with hunting groups, Minister Palmer can demonstrate her commitment to a comprehensive approach that respects both the science and the concerns of those directly impacted. Incorporating diverse perspectives fosters more informed decision-making and ensures that policies reflect the needs and realities of all stakeholders involved.

Regards

Adrian Pickin
SFF committee member END
Adrian Pickin
SFF wildlife spokesperson

30/05/2023

To Jason Jacobi

Hi Jason I was hoping you would be able to confirm, that no arial culling had taken place on the below listed reserves and conservation areas set aside some years back for recreational hunting ballot.

This is an extract from a minister’s letter to TDAC.

This year, the Government has made four additional areas of reserved land available for the 2020 recreational deer hunting season.

The new reserves are:

Tooms Lake Conservation Area
Buxton River Conservation Area
St Pauls Regional Reserve
Castle Carey Regional Reserve
There are now ten reserves available to recreational hunters as part of our commitment to provide appropriate recreational opportunities for hunters.

These additional areas were added after considerable community and stakeholder consultation and been rigorously assessed through the Reserve Activity Assessment process.

Recreational hunters play an important role in managing wild fallow deer populations and restricting the negative impact they have on both private and public land.

Similar to other reserves available for recreational hunting, access to the new reserves will be managed through a ballot system.

The ballot for all reserves available for hunting opened on Monday January 6 2020 and will close on Monday January 27 2020. The ballot will be drawn on January 28 and 29 with successful applicants being notified by email soon after the ballot.

Hunters need also be aware of restrictions and requirements in place as part of ensuring values of the reserves were protected, including a no hunting buffer zone of 500m around the new reserves to ensure public safety.

Additionally, some limitations on access have been placed on all four new reserves to minimise habit disturbance during breeding season for some species including wedge tailed eagles as well as providing for other recreational activities in the reserves.

The four new reserves join the six existing reserves: Top Marshes Conservation area, Great Western Tiers Conservation Area, Five Mile Pinnacle Conservation Area, Central Plateau Conservation area – Breton River & Mother Lord Plains, Great western Tiers conservation area – Parson and Clerk Mountain, Great Lake Conservation area – Tumbledown Creek and Gunns Marsh.



Regards Andrew

TDAC Chairman.

20/03/2023

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-hunters-campfire-australian-hunting/id1617339660?i=1000603700686

‎Show The Hunters Campfire - Australian Hunting, Ep HCP - EP51 - A Conversation with Daniel Kuhl - 11 Mar 2023

24/02/2023

Always nice to see the sunrise to opening day off the Tasmanian Fallow Deer Season

24/02/2023

Have your say! You’re invited to participate in a national survey on the social and economic value of recreational and sport shooting in Tasmania. Scan the QR code in the image, or visit this link to register your participation: https://actionsurveys.com.au/index.php/684960.

This survey is being conducted by the Tasmanian Government to better understand the experiences of recreational hunters and sport shooters in Tasmania and the economic contribution that hunting and sport shooting brings to the community.

23/02/2023

Hi all
Our lovely NRE department are considering permits that would allow the importation and use of illegal fi****ms, to be used in the planned aerial culling of Deer in the Walls of Jerusalem national park and surrounding areas.

What other areas do they intend these fi****ms to be used?
We have read the safe operating procedure for aerial culling in Tasmania/Australia which is readily available from many intranet sites which are available to the wider public to read, I cannot find a valid reason for requiring a semi-automatic (which has been banned since 1997).

The SWP states that once an animal is located one shot to the head or chest, then fly back over the animal and to ensure the animal is dispatched humanely and a second shot is to be dispatched to the head or chest.
This would be achievable with a legal bolt action rifle.

Why would our NRE staff need to use these illegal fi****ms, and where will they be stored when not being used.

Once the door is opened for these illegal fi****ms, who else will be applying for permits.

08/02/2023

Another location to buy our toys from

02/02/2023

Here is our take on the recently released National Feral Deer Action Plan. As hunters we have to be across these types of documents, and make sure our voices...

14/09/2022

Our TDAC chair on the fantastic Blood Origins Podcast

06/04/2022

Tas Gvt funding announced yesterday !!

$400,000 to cull deer in Tasmania.
Department of Primary Industries Parks Water and Environment This project will survey and eradicate deer within the Walls of Jerusalem National Park by aerial shooting with thermal assisted imagery. Fallow deer are increasing in number and distribution in Tasmania and are spreading into the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area where they impact natural and cultural values by browsing, grazing and trampling. Climate change is predicted to facilitate the further expansion of the deer population into the Tasmanian Wilderness. The project also aims to create a risk model of targeted areas to monitor for incursion into the future, beyond the funding. This is a joint project with the Department of Regional NSW. The project duration is 36 months

03/04/2022

"You cannot See Me" !!! said the deer

09/02/2022

Hi Everybody,
The TDAC would just like to congratulate everyone who either emailed or phoned the premier/minders in the last couple of days, due to the overwhelming response we have achieved a meeting with the premier & his minders early next week to discuss our wild fallow deer plan issues.

For now, could everyone please pause on contacting any of the government or their minders until after next weeks meeting.

We will release to everyone the outcome of this meeting on our 2 outlets (Facebook and the TDAC web page) next week.

Once again thank you all we really appreciate everyone working together to achieve our objective of:

• hunters and gathers enjoying our pastime in Tasmania great outdoors
• enjoying the company of others around the campfires

08/02/2022

Hi All
Have a say in your hunting future
All hunters please contact the premier by e mail today and tell the premier we do not support commercial harvest of our Deer.
Can you all put done after sending thanks

08/02/2022

From ADA Tasmania

MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
Deer Management Quality Experiences for all Tasmanian’s.
Discussions about evidence-based management of wild and farmed deer in Tasmania have, once again been derailed this week by a misleading media campaign driven by vested commercial interests.
In December last year, a heavily redacted version of “Feasibility Study into Wild Shot Venison for Commercial Consumption” was released publicly with no fanfare.
The study was conducted by Owen Tilbury from a Launceston Based consultancy (CLIP). From what we can see of the redacted study it is deeply flawed.
The Australian Deer Association has a clear apprehension of bias when it comes to this study. Subsequent to winning the tender to conduct the study, Mr Tilbury casually declared that he had previously taken a public position on the commercial consumption of wild deer in Tasmania, in support of one of the key protagonists, with whom Mr Tilbury has a social relationship.
The key findings from this study do not align with a more comprehensive “Situation Analysis of commercial wild deer harvesting in Australia, with reference to New Zealand” that was published in October 2020 and concluded that:
The market for wild shot venison in Australia is small and developing.
The experience of ‘boom-bust’ nature of the farmed venison industry and the wild harvesting in New Zealand suggest that expansion will be slow and that market saturation levels will be limited. Preferred local outlets for prime cuts in particular will be particularly constrained for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 related downturn. Commercial harvest has the potential to assist in overabundant wild deer population management, although the value and scale of that can be overstated.
Further research into potential market opportunities should precede any further government investment or regulatory change. Government should also consider the impacts on the farmed venison industry and recreational hunting of any proposed regulatory changes
Tasmania’s Quality Game Management (QGM) principles were established in the 1990’s to ensure that our wild fallow deer could be suitability managed for the benefit of all Tasmanians. In 2017 the Legislative Council conducted an independent inquiry on wild fallow deer in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Government is now invested in the process of implementing the recommendations from that inquiry.

“This is not a case that the (Legislative Council” inquiry failed or that the policies are wrong” Mr. Freeman said “more that individuals were opposed to the outcomes so they are now trying a different tack to get what they want. Their option would see a few dollars flow to a few people for a short time whilst dismantling evidenced based principals of the QGM system which serves Tasmania well and could see Tasmania setting world’s best practice in wild deer management, thus seeing the “resource’ enjoyed by any of us Tasmanian’s that choose to envelope themselves into our environment and all it has to offer us, instead of a few wealthy individuals to continue to line their pockets and see our main of our wild venison made into dog meat or fish food?”
We continue to question how a “High Quality” product can be delivered year round to supply a high end restaurant trade, giving the number of uncontrollable factors that come with “Wild Shot Game Animals” these include but not limited too –
timeframe from the animals death to when it is delivery to processing facilities, control and auditing of this process, control of withholding periods after application on pesticides or herbicides on grazing areas, quality of venison as it changes through-out the year with fallow deer biology. Giving the amount of wild shot deer currently illegally entering the commercial food chain within Tasmania partly due to lack of resources for policing, why would we expect Tasmanian tax payer to fund & resource a “limited trail of commercial use”?
ENDS

05/12/2021

Hi All
Here is the final draft of our
Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Draft Plan 2021

TDAC members have been actively consulting with both the hunting community and landowners and have attended all the Departments community consultation sessions.

We therefore wish to propose our alternatives and inclusions for your consideration:

Proposed Zone 1 & 2 renamed as the ‘Accepted Deer Range’

This area is formerly known as the ‘traditional deer range’ where deer are an accepted part of the landscape. TDAC aims to ensure that deer in the ‘Accepted Deer Range’ are continued to be managed as a valuable hunting resource whilst encouraging population control in line with Quality Deer Management principals such as focusing culling activities on female deer and control excess male deer under a property-based permit system. An increase in regulation and red tape is not required or encouraged.
GOALS
Male Deer Season - 5 week/6 weekend season. Dated from Feb/March to April. One tag per licence
Female Deer Season - 15th March until 15th November. No tags and no quota
Female Deer Crop Protection Permits - 15th March to 15th November. No tags and no quota

Male Deer Crop Protection Permits - Available throughout the year other than the rutting period and immediately prior to the declared buck season.

Special Purposes Permit - Versatile and adaptable deer control for property specific circumstances

ADVANTAGES
• Properties and hunting groups that have arrangements in place and have no desire or need to change can ensure the status quo remains
• 5 yearly crop protection permits are still available and managed as per current arrangements allowing harvest of antlerless deer 230 plus days per year
• Properties with current PBWMP can apply for a male deer crop protection permit and cull animals as required under current conditions. This allows a certain class of male deer to be harvested 365 days per year
• A change to current regulations or restrictions is not required
• SPP gives landowners the ability to protect high value crops at short notice to reduce the impact of travelling deer herds on cropping programs

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

Special Purposes Permit in ‘Accepted Deer Range’:
• SPP made available to quickly remove or reduce problem deer to an acceptable level
• SPP can be issued to both farming and forestry operations along with hunter groups that demonstrate a need to reduce deer numbers in a shorter time frame under a PBWMP
• SPP focus is purely on herd reduction and not trophy hunting
• SPP approvals granted over the phone by Game Services Tas. and a copy of the permit emailed to the landowner soon after
• SPP may include refined/relaxed conditions such as:
- Modified harvest season for female deer (approval required from external stakeholders)
- 10.5-month harvest season for adult male Deer (excluding rut period)
- 12-month harvest season for immature male deer.
- Expanded harvesting options (thermal locating devices, spotlight equipment etc.)
- No tagging requirement for antlerless deer
- Some commitment to collection of scientific data

• To ensure compliance and continuity between different permits:
- Game licence required to undertake SPP culling programs

• To ensure that trophy quality males are harvested only during the declared game season:
- Removal of antlers from the property where male deer are culled under SPP not allowed
- If antler removal is deemed to be required, an SPP tag must be affixed
- A copy of the SPP is the only requirement to transport male deer carcasses from the property for processing/consumption.

OUTCOMES

• Gives farmers and landholders greater flexibility to manage deer numbers in ‘real time’
• By not permitting the removal of antlers from properties, this resolves the hunter concerns relating to the killing of trophy bucks outside of the declared season with spotlights etc.
• An SPP will not interfere with other properties that do not want broadscale change
• Commitments already made around QDM will be maintained

Commercial Harvesting of Fallow Deer:
• The TDAC will not support the commercial harvesting of wild Fallow Deer
• A commercial harvest would damage Tasmania’s existing deer farming operations beyond repair
• Commercial harvesting would impact severely on the access opportunities recreational hunters that have worked so hard to secure, and may have a perverse outcome by impacting associated possum and wallaby control programs
• Tasmania is famous for its self-sustainable lifestyle. The opportunities for game licence holders to harvest wildlife under a PBWMP should be expanded and not reduced
• Tasmania’s Fallow Deer herd is valued as an important resource for the 6000 Tasmanian recreational hunters who utilise the protein to sustain their families

Rename proposed Zone 3 to the ‘Excluded Deer Range’

This area will encapsulate the various deer herds that are on the landscape because of translocations and deer farm escapees where eradication and/or extreme herd reduction is required.
GOALS
• Manage deer with the aim of total removal from the landscape
• Includes TWWHA and peri-urban areas
• Property-specific management and planning
• Harvest and culling restrictions reduced to aid in deer herd removal

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

Deer Range Project Officer:

The Government appoint a ‘Deer Range Project Officer’ to specifically focus on:

• Community engagement and public relations to enable access to outlying deer herds
• Develop, undertake, and manage property specific culling plans
• Collate data by assessing spotlight surveys, animal sightings and take returns
• Deliver bi-monthly reports to stakeholders on herd reduction progress
• Engage volunteers from reputable organization's to undertake removal programs
• The officer will have experience in rural settings and a sound knowledge of hunting practices and techniques

Hunting organization engagement:

Engage and interact with approved hunting organizations to assist the Department with:

• Training and accreditation for individuals or groups
• Manual labor for trapping and carcass removal
• Hunting tactics and strategic planning
• Ongoing management programs for the future
• A cost recovery system for individuals removing deer in this range would result in further utilisation of the resource, improved social licence and a reduction in overall costs

Special Purposes Permit in ‘Excluded Deer Range’:
• SPP made available to quickly remove or reduce problem deer to an acceptable level
• SPP can be issued to both farming and forestry operations along with hunter groups that demonstrate a need to reduce deer numbers in a shorter time frame under a PBWMP
• SPP focus is purely on herd reduction and not trophy hunting
• SPP approvals granted over the phone by Game Services Tas. and a copy of the permit emailed to the landowner soon after
• SPP may include refined/relaxed conditions such as:
- Modified harvest season for female deer (approval required from external stakeholders)
- 12-month harvest season for adult male Deer (no exclusion in rut period)
- 12-month harvest season for immature male deer.
- Expanded harvesting options (thermal locating devices, spotlight equipment etc.)
- No tagging requirement for antlerless deer
- Some commitment to collection of scientific data

• To ensure compliance and continuity between different permits:
- Game licence required to undertake SPP culling programs

• SPP issued in ‘Excluded Deer Range’ will also allow for:
- Harvesting of all age classes of male deer

• Tagging requirements still required for male deer to ensure continuity and compliance

Signed

Andrew Winwood - TDAC Chairman