Position of The Australian Deer Association on Game Licencing
Game licencing is the preferred mechanism for managing the hunting of wild deer on public land in Australia.
Licencing enables the orderly administration of hunting, the collection of data and revenue and clear communication between regulators and hunters.
Licences should be issued subject to the applicant successfully demonstrating the required understanding of legal requirements, animal welfare considerations and basic bush craft and survival or completing an approved training course.
Licence accreditation should, wherever possible, not act as an unreasonable or onerous ‘barrier to entry’ for licensed hunters. Ideally it will be available online. Where that is not feasible it should be available to be delivered by accredited testers from recreational organisations as per the New South Wales R Licence.
Licence tests should seek to re-inforce or add value to the knowledge base and not simply be a bureaucratic exercise.
A reasonable period should be allowed for existing licence holders to conform to any new accreditation requirements.
Delivery should be accessible to prospective licence holders across the community.