Is hunting an effective method of feral animal control?
Feral animals have a cost impact of $720m a year on the environment and industry. Foxes alone consume 190 million native birds. Hunters can help reduce the impacts of feral animals on our environment. For example, in South Australia, hunters have culled more than 25,000 feral goats on a public land area as part of a conservation program called “Operation Bounceback. In NSW, licensed hunters have already removed more than 31,000 feral animals from public land since conservation hunting commenced. This is in addition to feral animal culls as part of numerous community-based programs. By harnessing the efforts of licensed, accredited hunters in a more organised and regulated manner, Game Council NSW will continue to help reduce the impacts of introduced pest and feral animals on our natural and agricultural environments.
