Public Land Hunting Australia

Public land hunting IN Australia

Where can you hunt on public land in Australia?

In Australia, there are various options for hunting on public land. State and territory regulations play a significant role in determining where and how hunting can take place. Generally, you’ll find opportunities in designated state forests, national parks, and other public conservation areas. To help you out we’ve produced this guide which outlines the various public land hunting opportunities in each state and territory of Australia. Click on the map or links below to learn more about that specific state or territory.

Victoria Public Land Hunting

Of all the states in Australia Victoria offers the most huntable land with roughly 3.14 million hectares of state forest accessible to licensed hunters. Victoria offers hunting on public land through the Game Management Authority (GMA). Licensed hunters can access state game reserves, national and state parks, and other public lands during specific seasons. The GMA provides information about game species, hunting zones, and regulations.

VIC Public Land You Can Hunt:: Victoria offers access to various public lands for hunting, including state game reserves, state forests, and national and state parks. The exact amount of huntable land can vary, and specific areas are designated as State Game Reserves where hunting is allowed.

Licences: To hunt game animals (deer, duck & quail) on public land in Victoria, you’ll need a valid Game Licence issued by the Game Management Authority (GMA). You can purchase a game license here. These licences allow you to hunt game species during designated hunting seasons. The hunting seasons and available species can vary each year, so it’s important to stay updated with the GMA’s information. Pest animals like goats, rabbits, hares, foxes and pigs can be hunted in state forest without a game license.

Game Species: The GMA designates specific game species that can be hunted during the hunting seasons. These species may include deer, ducks, quail, and other game animals. The list of species can change based on conservation efforts and population management.

New South Wales Public Land Hunting

In NSW, hunting on public land is allowed in certain state forests and crown lands. The Game and Pest Management Unit of the NSW Department of Primary Industries oversees hunting regulations. They offer licensing and provide information on permitted game species, hunting seasons, and requirements.

NSW Public Land You Can Hunt: Second in size to Victoria, New South Wales offers has about 2-million hectares of state forest open for hunting to the public. In New South Wales, hunting on public land is allowed in certain state forests and crown lands. There are 5 different categories of state forest in NSW that hunters should be aware of.

  • Category 1 – forest is open to online bookings 7 days-per-week
  • Category 2 – forest is open to online bookings 7 days-per-week, with a possible peak hunting period where the public is excluded from the forest
  • Category 3 – forest is open to online bookings weekends only – if a public holiday falls immediately before or after a weekend, it is classified as a weekend day
  • Category 4 – forest is open to online bookings 7 days-per-week for bow hunting only
  • Category 5 – closed to general hunting

 

These areas are designated for hunting and managed by the Game and Pest Management Unit of the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Licences: To hunt on public land in New South Wales, you’ll need a valid Restricted Game Hunting Licence (RGHL) or a Full Game Hunting Licence (FGHL) issued by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. You will need to be a member of an Australian Hunting Organisation (AHO) in order to set the R-Licence test. One such AHO is the Australian Hunters Club. These licences allow you to hunt designated game species in specific regions during designated hunting seasons.

Booking state forests: Unlike Victoria, you can’t just walk into a state forest and hunt, you need to book the state forest before hand. All bookings are made via the DPI hunting portal.

Game Species: The Game and Pest Management Unit designates game species that can be hunted during specific hunting seasons. Common species include deer, goats rabbits, pigs, and foxes. The availability of species can vary based on conservation efforts and population management.

Tasmania Public Land Hunting

TAS Public Land You Can Hunt: In Tasmania, hunting on public land is permitted in specific areas, primarily state forests and reserves. The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) manages hunting regulations and permits in these areas. You can learn more about public land hunting in Tasmania here.

Licences: To hunt on public land in Tasmania, you’ll need a valid Game Licence issued by the Tasmanian PWS. The licence allows you to hunt designated game species in specified hunting seasons. The PWS provides information about the available licences and their requirements.

Game Species: Tasmania designates certain game species that can be hunted during specific hunting seasons. These may include species like deer, wallabies, rabbits, and ducks. The list of species and hunting opportunities can change based on conservation goals.