A Hobart magistrate has slammed an illegal deer hunter who shot fallow stags (bucks) out of season and from the roadside.
Ross Kingsley Barr, 50, was fined $5000 and given a two-month suspended jail term after pleading guilty to five counts of taking partly-protected wildlife without a license or permit and seven counts of possessing wildlife contrary to regulations during 2018 and 2019 at Nugent, Dodges Ferry, Wattle Hill and Ouse.
Magistrate Chris Webster described the case as “one of the worst cases I’ve heard under the wildlife regulations”.
Barr also pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded 6.8mm calibre rifle and firing it from a public place on a roadside at Ranelagh during April last year.
The Hobart Magistrates Court heard that Barr got out of his vehicle and fired two shots from a high-powered rifle at a stag in a paddock, in proximity to houses and other road users.
The stag appeared to escape without injury.
Prosecutor Gerard Kirkham said police recovered a range of images from Barr’s mobile phone depicting deer taken outside of season – some with the hunter posing with the animals and one showing a deer head that had been taken illegally and mounted by a taxidermist.
Barr attempted to justify his behaviour in court.
“These deer were taken were on a property I was allowed to hunt on. Yes they were out of season but the deer were pests and they wanted them shot,” he said.
“I realise I’ve done the wrong thing. I’ve hunted my whole life, I’ve provided. Yes I’ve hunted but not one scrap of them that was wasted.”
Do you want to get the last Australian Deer news, events, updates & competitions directly to your inbox?
Enter your name & email below and we'll make sure you're the first to know!
