26 November 2020

Victoria’s 45,000 licenced deer hunters contribute $201 million to the state economy, support 1,761 jobs and experience higher levels of physical health and wellbeing than the community average. The deer hunting expenditure accounts for 56% of the economic contribution by hunters to the State economy and has increased by 26% since 2013. 

A report released today by Victoria’s Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions has highlighted the important and growing contribution that recreational deer hunting makes to regional Victoria.

“We’re camo clad eco tourists” Australian Deer Association Executive Officer Barry Howlett said “most of the deer hunters live and work in the metropolitan area then head out to the regions for recreation.”

Mr. Howlett said that hunters tend to go out more regularly than a lot of other bush users. “We are the largest below snowline user group of the Alpine National Park for around nine months of the year” Mr. Howlett said “this report shows that the average hunter makes six trips a year”.

The benefits of deer hunting go far beyond the financial with the report also showing that The overall health and wellbeing of hunters was examined using three measures: personal wellbeing, social capital and general health. The analysis shows that game licence holders report higher scores in these measures than the general population, as measured by the Regional Wellbeing Survey. “Governments like to talk about triple-bottom-line benefits” Mr. Howlett said “deer hunting provides that in spades, we are an important economic driver, our activities provide clear ecological benefits and the importance of the social aspects both of time in nature and sharing wild food with our friends and neighbours cannot be overstated”.

Along with growing numbers, access for deer hunters has also been increasing. In recent years the Victorian Government has worked with the Australia Deer Association to unlock 30,000ha of access in the Alpine National Park and 300,000ha in State Forest.

“It’s important that the Victorian Government continues its excellent record of increasing access for deer hunters” Mr. Howlett said “with the exponential growth in deer hunting it is important that we have to opportunity both to access more country, but also to contribute to the sustainability of more regional communities”.

The report, Economic contribution of recreational hunting in Victoria, is available here.