The 2021 Victorian Hog Deer Hunters Weekend was advertised as a weekend that would increase participants' knowledge of biology, hunting skills and landscape logistics to ensure an enjoyable experience hunting hog deer on Snake Island, and the advertising didn't lie.
Sponsored by the Australian Deer Association (ADA), the Blond Bay Hog Deer Advisory Group (BBHDAG), the Game Management Authority (GMA) and the Para Park Cooperative Game Reserve Limited (Para Park), the weekend was held on Sunday Island and was open to everyone drawn in the Victorian Hog Deer Ballot.
Sunday Island, the home of Para Park — the premier organisation in the world for the preservation of hog deer — was established in 1965 and is privately owned.
Keen to increase family involvement this year and educating tomorrow’s hunters, anyone under the age of 18 could register and participate for free.
Friends of ballot winners were also encouraged to participate, at a cost of $180 per person.
Planned and catered for by the ADA Melbourne branch committee to ensure a COVID-safe weekend, the program featured presentations from the GMA, the Snake Island Cattlemen's Association, experienced hog deer hunters, taxidermists, conservationists, and survival and safety experts.
Taxidermists Cam Johnson and Gavin Counsel — regular contributors to the weekend — returned to demonstrate caping a hoggie for both a full mount and a shoulder mount.
Throughout the weekend, hunters had the opportunity to share their understanding and concerns about hunting hog deer with more experienced hunters from Para Park, BBHDAG, ADA and each other.
Ron Mayze, certified hog deer management legend after his more than half a century of studying them, said he'd never seen a hog deer season as "good as this for antler growth".
The sad side of this was the rise in reports of people poaching hog deer, he said.
Poaching is a concern to all deer hunters. Para Park members put in enormous amounts of effort to ensure the safety and conservation of the island and its hog deer population with the numerous trail cameras set up and the poacher patrols they run; and they take it very seriously.
Conversations over the weekend ranged from the pros and cons of hunting to what to carry in for the hunt to who to call to assist in breaking down and storing the hog deer.
Doc and Walter, two ballot winners, were standout characters over the weekend, both for different reasons.
At 80 years old, Doc was successful in the ballot, and his excitement at the opportunity to hunt the hoggies was infectious.
If I am half as fit as Doc is and have even a fraction of the excitement he has for hunting when I'm 80, I’ll be pleased.
Walter, on the other hand, is what you’d call unlucky in love. He has been drawn in the ballot four times, and not once put down a hoggy; he represents what the ballot truly means — an opportunity, not a guarantee.
Good luck to all on their hunts.
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