SSAA Victoria News
Science Shows the Hard Truth: Deer Eradication Is Exceptionally Difficult – Even on a Small Island
A newly published Australian scientific paper detailing the eradication of invasive rusa deer from Queensland’s Wild Duck Island provides an important reality check for the increasingly common political rhetoric around “eradicating” wild deer populations. The study, published in Biological...
READ MOREUK Moves to Deregulate Silencers as Debate Continues in Australia
The United Kingdom Government has formally moved to deregulate firearm sound moderators, tabling amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that would remove them from firearms licensing requirements in England and Wales. The move follows years of advocacy from shooting and rural organisations, with...
READ MORE$2.2 Million Secured to Keep Victoria’s Fox Bounty Working
Today’s Victorian State Budget has locked in $2.2 million to continue the Victorian Fox Bounty through to 30 June 2027, a clear vote of confidence in a program that delivers real, on-ground results. The Fox Bounty is a simple idea that works; it supports and incentivises recreational hunters to...
READ MOREVictorian Government Backs Hunters and Community with Landmark Venison Reform Funding
The Victorian Government’s State Budget has quietly included a measure that could prove to be one of the most significant steps forward for game management and community benefit in recent years: $300,000 over two years to undertake the policy work required to enable the processing of...
READ MOREAerial culling in North East Victoria – where it fits, and where it falls short
Parks Victoria has advised that aerial shooting programs targeting deer and other pest species (including feral pigs, goats and foxes) will be undertaken across parts of North East Victoria in late April and early May. Closures will apply to: Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park Mt Mittamatite...
READ MOREStock & Land misses the mark on deer…again
SSAA Victoria has criticised Stock & Land for running successive articles on deer that amount to little more than republished media releases from the Invasive Species Council, rather than balanced reporting. The latest piece, centred on an incident at Weerite, is a case in point. At the time of...
READ MOREVictorian Ministerial Reshuffle: Continuity, Confidence and Opportunity
Today's Victorian Ministerial reshuffle marks a significant transition across portfolios that are important to our members and the broader outdoor recreation community. At the centre of that change is the promotion of Steve Dimopoulos, who moves on from the Environment and Outdoor Recreation...
READ MORESSAA Victoria 2026 AGM Notice
2026 Annual General Meeting and postal ballot declaration The AGM will be held from 2pm to 4pm Sunday, September 27, 2026 at Hotel Bruce County, 445 Blackburn Road, Mt Waverley, Vic, 3149. Nominations to fill four Board vacancies will open May 11, 2026 and close June 12, 2026. Nominations to be...
READ MORENo, duck hunters aren’t locking anyone out of public wetlands
One of the more persistent myths circulating in the debate over Victoria's duck hunting season is that hunters effectively privatise public wetlands during the season, locking out birdwatchers, kayakers, and families who would otherwise be enjoying them. It's a compelling image. It's also wrong,...
READ MOREVictoria’s animal welfare overhaul is off the table – and that’s the right outcome
The Victorian Government has confirmed it will not bring the proposed Animal Care and Protection Bill to Parliament in 2026. Victoria's hunting community welcomes the decision - not because we oppose animal welfare, but because we always believed this legislation was built on the wrong foundations....
READ MOREHonouring a lifetime of service: Geoff Miller recognised at Cobaw Range
SSAA Victoria President Dave Schereck and CEO Jack Wegman attended a special gathering at the Cobaw Range over the weekend to recognise the outstanding contribution of long-time member Geoff Miller. In front of fellow members and supporters, Dave Schereck presented Geoff with a Member for Life Card...
READ MOREThat’s not how you spell “punt” – Animal rights activists breaking the law again
SSAA Victoria staff were on the ground supporting hunters at duck season opening yesterday and witnessed animal rights activists actively hindering and harassing lawful participants, while also behaving belligerently and uncooperatively with authorities. Our staff were present to engage with...
READ MOREFor ducks sake -Simon Toop from the GMA: SSAA Victoria Podcast Ep. 11
In Episode 11 of the SSAA Victoria Podcast, Barry Howlett is joined by co-hosts David Laird and Daryl Snowdon, along with special guest Simon Toop, Director of Strategy and Research at the Game Management Authority. Simon has spent years working at the intersection of wildlife science, hunting...
READ MORERegulator or activist? RSPCA’s duck hunting claims don’t stack up
Victoria’s animal welfare regulator should not be misrepresenting the work of the Game Management Authority. An article in the increasingly rabid anti-hunting birdcage liner, the Geelong Advertiser, penned by RSPCA Victoria CEO Dr Liz Walker, accuses Victoria’s duck hunting season of being...
READ MOREBad maths, bigger funding demands: The Invasive Species Council’s deer spin
In two separate social media posts this week, in two different states and both concerning wild fallow deer management, the shadowy Greens-aligned lobby group the Invasive Species Council (ISC) has once again demonstrated its preference for spin over substance and alarmism over sober management...
READ MORENew research shows why “all deer are bad” is lazy policy
Two recently published scientific studies into deer ecology in Australia are highlighting something that experienced hunters have known for years: Deer are not all the same. And their impacts are not the same everywhere. The research, led by scientists from the University of Sydney, provides some...
READ MOREBaiting program raises serious concerns for Hound Hunters and gundog users
Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has announced a large-scale 1080 ground baiting program targeting dingoes and wild dogs across eastern Victoria, running from 1 March to 1 July 2026. While SSAA Victoria recognises that predator control plays an important role...
READ MOREMisreading the science: Hybridisation, conservation value, and the case for nuance in Victorian Hog Deer management
A 2019 paper by Erin Hill and colleagues published in Ecology and Evolution has become something of a touchstone in discussions about the conservation status of Victoria's wild hog deer (Axis Porcinus) population. The paper's finding that Victorian hog deer show evidence of historical hybridisation...
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