Feral hunting go-ahead Sharpshooters take aim in state forests
Sun Herald, Page: 5. Sunday, 27 January, 2008
A war on the plague of feral animals infesting the Hunter’s state forests is set for a final skirmish.
Sharpshooters will be allowed to wipe out the last pockets of resistance after the gazettal of the final areas of state forest for conservation hunting.
Over the past two years, most state forest has been approved for access by specially licensed hunters, and recommendations for the 12 remaining sections in the Hunter will go to the NSW Government in a fortnight.
Game Council NSW chairman Robert Borsak said 40 large forests had been declared available in March 2006, and since then more than 10,000 feral animals had been killed, including 1500 wild pigs, 4000 rabbits and 450 deer.
Two other stages brought 180 state forests and two Crown land areas into control, and the fourth round would be the final stage of the process allowing hunting by holders of a restricted NSW game hunting licence, issued by the Game Council.
Mr Borsak said the 12 Hunter forest areas could not be named because there could be ministerial objection to the inclusion of some.
The licence assessor for the Newcastle branch of the Sporting Shooters Association, Dave Burns, said the community was benefiting because feral animals were being culled at no charge to taxpayers.
“In some of the state forests, small adjoining areas have become havens for feral animals and it is exceedingly difficult to destroy them,” he said.
“We will now be able to go into these areas to hunt, which is the most environmentally friendly way to kill them.
“They build up an immunity to poison, which causes a cruel death anyway and eagles or other carrion feeders which feast on the poisoned animals can pass the toxic chemicals to the chicks, which then die as well.”
Although the Newcastle association has 3000 members, only a small number has achieved the special restricted licence to be able to hunt feral animals in state forests.
Mr Borsak said there would be a renewed push to sign up further members of shooting clubs.
“There is great potential and really no other way to do it because of the inefficiency of poisons,” he said.
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