Simon has spent years working at the intersection of wildlife science, hunting policy and game management, and in this episode, we take a deep dive into the science behind Victoria’s duck season.

Before that, the team runs through what’s happening around the traps, including the Ken Lay Rapid Review of Victoria’s firearm laws, issues with Wild Dog baiting, our ongoing case for a proper deer management strategy for Victoria, the need for a Hunters for the Hungry program for Victoria, and update on the Game Changing huts trial and a report on the awesome Mansfield Hunting & Fishing Expo. 

The main discussion focuses on how duck season is actually set in Victoria, including the adaptive harvest management (AHM) system used to determine season length and bag limits based on environmental conditions and waterfowl populations. READ MORE ABOUT AHM

Simon also explains the work of the Waterfowl Wounding Reduction Action Plan (WWRAP) and the collaboration between hunters, scientists and government to reduce wounding rates through improved hunting practices. READ THE WATERFOWL WOUNDING REDUCTION ACTION PLAN

The episode finishes with a look at current and future game research projects in Victoria, including deer movement studies, hog deer genetics and the growing need for robust, evidence-based wildlife management. CHECK OUT SOME COOL DUCK RESEARCH

It’s a wide-ranging conversation that explores how science, hunting and policy come together in Victoria’s game management system.

We discuss the rushed NSW legislative changes, the federal government's responses, and why Victoria's methodical approach under Ken Lay may offer a better path to public safety outcomes that respect both community concerns and evidence-based policy.

Explainer of the National changes with SSAA National CEO Tom Kenyon https://youtu.be/2ymIe8eVyFg?si=EbYQGUE5Vfutv2my

Details of the National Firearms Register https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/national-firearms-register 

In just a few short years, Hunters4Hope, based in regional New Zealand, has grown into a powerhouse of grassroots impact, set to donate over 12,500 kg of wild-shot venison this year alone. That’s more than 100,000 meals going to food charities and families in need.

Driven entirely by volunteers, Hunters4Hope relies on public donations to keep doing its essential work. If you'd like to support the cause, visit: www.hunters4hope.com/donate

More episode details and links on the SSAA Victoria website.

Neal has hands-on experience in hunter-centred wildlife research and worked for the Queensland Government for many years on its commercial kangaroo management program. He is currently the Executive Officer of the Australian Wild Game Industry Council.

In 2024, Neal travelled to Europe on a Churchill Fellowship to explore the wild game harvesting industry in Europe, specifically how it is regulated and the relationship between animal welfare organisations and the wild game industry. For more information on the Churchill Fellowship, go to https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/neal-finch-qld-2024/

More information on the "More to Explore" mapping application at: https://www.exploreoutdoors.vic.gov.au/where-to-start/more-to-explore  

More information on hunting on public land at:

https://www.gma.vic.gov.au/hunting/deer/where-to-hunt

More information on the Great Outdoors Taskforce at:

https://www.deeca.vic.gov.au/futureforests/future-forests/great-outdoors-taskforce

Proposals put forward for consideration by the government include transitions away from lead-based ammunition for all game hunting, allowing handheld thermal devices for deer hunting, locking in Wednesday openings and 8 am starts for the first week of duck season and some left-field ideas, including blaze orange deer decoys. 

In this episode SSAA Victoria's Barry Howlett, David Laird and Daryl Snowdon go through the comprehensive submission the Association made to the review and explain where we landed on the big issues, and why. 

This will be the first major shooting expo in Australia in five years and the largest expo of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Melbourne Showgrounds 19-20 October 2024.

This episode looks at:

• Duck opening
• SSAA Victoria’s Submission
• The public hearings so far

Episode features SSAA Victoria Hunting Development Manager David Laird, CPM & Training Development Co-Ordinator Daryl Snowdon, RTO Manager Fady Khalife and Communications Manager Barry Howlett. 

• The Select Committee Inquiry into native bird hunting
• Wounding as an issue
• The duck season decision
• Duck season 2023
• The quail season decision
• Other challenges on the horizon

Episode features SSAA Victoria Hunting Development Manager David Laird, CPM & Training Development Co-Ordinator Daryl Snowdon and Communications Manager Barry Howlett.