NEWS
Close to 50 eager hunters made their way to CYC Forest Edge in Neerim East from May 2 to 4 for the 2025 Victorian Hunter Education Course — an immersive weekend of practical learning, inspiring stories, and a shared passion for deer hunting.
Participants were greeted on Friday night with a barbeque cooked by Scott and Kurt from the Game Management Authority (GMA), setting the tone for a weekend built on knowledge sharing and community. After a welcome and induction, Steve Garlick kicked things off with an ‘Introduction to Deer’ session. Emma Sears followed with her ever-popular talk on backpack hunting, complete with the now-famous tale of spending a night under a bear cape, stranded away from camp. The evening was capped off by a detailed sambar stalking presentation from Beyond the Divide’s Rob Fickling, a long-time ADA member and highly respected member in the deer hunting community.
Saturday morning saw an early start with Paul Boag of Paul Boag’s Outdoors, who shared his expertise on reading deer sign, tracks and locating animals in the bush. Attendees were then split into two groups: one headed out for the field trip while the other stayed at the camp for hands-on demonstrations, after which the groups swapped.
The field trip featured a packed schedule of expert-led topics including:
Back at camp, the other group learned practical skills with Paul Boag’s deer breakdown demo and a presentation on face caping and trophy preparation from Gavin Counsell.
After dinner, Tim Koschade delivered an important session on animal welfare, followed by the GMA’s presentation on their role in enforcement and education. Rob Herbert presented on deer hunting safety before handing the floor over to the ever-popular Peter Burke, who delivered another masterclass on sambar deer. To round out the night, an R&N Blades knife — kindly donated by Rob Herbert — was raffled off to a lucky winner.
Sunday morning kicked off with a navigation session from David Sumbler, who brought a unique perspective as both a seasoned deer hunter and experienced scout leader. Don Rhodes delivered the hound hunting presentation, Barry Howlett then presented on deer management, and Sean Kilkenny closed out the weekend with a forward-looking talk on the future of hunting.
A huge thank you to the volunteers, presenters, and participants who made the 2025 Victorian Hunter Education Course such a success. From long-time mentors to first-time attendees, the weekend showcased the best of our hunting community: a willingness to learn, share and support one another in the pursuit of responsible, safe and sustainable deer hunting.
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