How are deer hunted?
Deer are hunted using a variety of methods but two are particularly popular. The first is known as stalking and involves the hunter seeking out a deer and looking for “sign” (eg. faeces, hoof imprints, tree rubs) that may indicate the presence of an animal. Stalking is generally done alone, however, some hunters use gun dogs to locate and flush Sambar Deer and to locate and retrieve downed animals. The second form of deer hunting is known as hound hunting and involves a team of hunters who are positioned strategically around an area and scent-trailing hounds are used to trail and flush deer towards the hunters. The hounds are started on the fresh marks of a deer and hunters use the baying of the hounds to help them to locate the animal. The deer may “bail” (hold its ground) rather than flush. Dogs (gundogs and hounds) may only be used to hunt Sambar Deer in Victoria.
