Joining the Cardinia Deer Management Coalition (CDMC) as a controller.
The CDMC has a pre-eminent goal, that being the safe and humane reduction in deer numbers in the Cardinia Creek catchment area. While the focus of our group is the controlling of deer, not hunting, we recognise that shooting deer is recognised as currently the only ethical method of controlling deer in the broader landscape when done humanely. To reflect this emphasis, we use the term controller, rather than hunter, for those who are on our preferred controller list.
When culling, our priority is to take out females preferentially. However, for humane reasons it is important that no fawn be orphaned and left to starve. Controllers must ensure this does not happen. Controllers must also ensure any deer not killed by the first shot must be located and dispatched immediately.
We are keen to enlist the help of private hunters in trying to achieve our goal. We are particularly interested in hunters who live in or near our catchment, or who have some involvement in our local community.
Our goal is to help match up controllers with landowners in a way that will maximize the benefits to both and the efficient reduction in deer numbers. We understand that hunters want a reasonable chance of a successful hunt. We also understand that not all land parcels are suitable or likely to be successful for hunting even if there are numerous deer there. This will all be part of an extended and ongoing dialogue between landowners, hunters and us.
To facilitate this we are establishing a list of preferred controllers. The attributes we are looking for in hunters include the following:
Appropriate current firearms licence
Appropriate equipment
Demonstrated accuracy with the rifle and scope you will be using on site
Evidence of previous hunting experience
References with landholders you have previously worked with
Excellent interpersonal skills
Adherence to our group’s minimum standard guidelines
Public liability insurance
All hunters wishing to be put on our list will be personally assessed by a CDMC member and will be asked to conduct a shooting accuracy test.
Hunters who do not succeed initially will be encouraged and supported in improving their equipment and/or technique and encouraged to try again. There may also be opportunities to be mentored by more experienced hunters in the field to improve both hunting and shooting skills. We reserve the right to remove any hunter from our list without reason.
The CDMC do not encourage nor support:
the use of archery on humane ethical grounds
the use of hounds, particularly in the peri-urban area
long-range shooting, due to the inherent cruelty from the inherent reduction in accuracy