FEATURE Chris Burns
I find myself constantly asking what it is that lures us to explore the places that we do?
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Many call it adventure, but it goes much deeper than that. For myself and many hunters, it’s certainly not for comfort or ease, for beyond the rolling hills and walking trails lies rugged mountains and unforgiving terrain. Throw in some bad weather and you have yourself challenges that test our fortitude and willingness to go beyond our comfort zone.
But while the journey is fraught with obstacles, one cannot overlook the beauty and solace that the mountains provide. For they are the same mountains where friendships are born, where we feel fully alive and deeply connected with our heritage, our land and its animals. Mountains inhabited by elusive wild deer that are worthy of our desire. It is our great privilege to live in a country in which the most incredible opportunities exist to explore these vast wildernesses and to live from the bounty it provides. These are our public lands, here for everyone to cherish, inhabited by wild deer: a resource valuable beyond measure.
Like many other hunters, my lifestyle and my very being depends on these public lands. I couldn’t imagine a world where public land became inaccessible. Hunting deer in the wilds of our national parks could best be described as a religion to me.
Arguably, from a hunter’s perspective, hunting on public land is one of the finest ways to experience the Australian bush, getting all the health benefits of a fresh air hike but walking with a purpose. That purpose can mean different things to different people. For me though, it is testing my skills and knowledge against a wild animal whose senses are much more refined than mine. If I am better than the deer on a particular day, the reward is some of the best protein we can fuel our body with.
On my latest High Country hunt, myself and two other hunters decided to explore some new ground. The lead-up was daunting because we knew what to expect from our normal spot, but the unknown is what entices us. In Victoria we are extremely lucky to be able to pick a spot on the map, check if it’s open to hunting and with the correct licences, head out there to hunt for wild deer. There aren’t many states that have this level of public land access or countries in the world that legislate this model of conservation.
Our group was rewarded for the gamble with multiple deer seen, an up-close encounter with wild brumbies, perfect weather and a heavy sambar stag taken. It was a five-day pack hunt that was full of hard, heavy trekking but we found joy in hardship and gratitude for the opportunity to experience a week like this in the Victorian bush. These days, the more time I spend hunting on public land, the clearer our role as hunters becomes. We are helping maintain the balance of the ecosystem.
It was hard not to be reminded of the importance of organisations like the Australian Deer Association that exist to help us protect the long-term health and vitality of our hunting and recreation infrastructure. They have fought hard and continue to fight to have recreational hunters identified as part of the management plan in Australia, particularly in the Alpine National Park where we were hunting.
This trip wasn’t about the size of the antlers, although it was nice to get the jump on an older-age class of animal, it’s the truly free range, organic, wild protein that we could take off the mountain and provide to our families. That, and knowing where our meat has come from, places extreme value on our wild deer population.
There was a moment in time, not that long ago, where the supermarket shelves were bare of fresh meat products. You could understand how that situation may overwhelm a person but someone who has the knowledge and skill to get their own meat needn’t worry. From each of the harvested animals, I attempt to take as much protein as humanly possible. My hunting mates and I share the load during the carry-out and often the bounty upon returning to civilisation. It’s a great part of the journey and the most important to me.
Ultimately, in our pursuit, we are an integral piece of the puzzle when it comes to deer management. We are helping control the wild deer populations while enjoying the fresh mountain air that provides a disconnect from the hustle of modern life, we share a campfire which provides a grounding to the earth we call home, the pursuit of these wild cervids provides our souls a restart that helps us get through a hard week’s work.
Exploring the land entrusted to us by generations before, we endeavour to leave only footprints and take only what we need. It is with reverence we go to places seldom visited by anyone other than hunters.
We are off the beaten track, trying our hardest to outwit an animal that is much fitter, stronger and tuned in to their environment than us modern humans are. Then, after considerable effort, we get the privilege of cooking a meal, rich in lean protein and serving it to our family and friends that would otherwise not be able to enjoy that divine experience for themselves. The elusiveness of wild deer is one of the attributes that draws most to the mountain but the reward for effort when successful is what keeps us coming back.
In the past couple of years there has been an assault on our wild deer populations and hunting in general that doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon, which causes individuals to think about what they can do to help the fight for public land access and keeping the recreation we love alive.
It is rather overwhelming to ponder what can just one person do? Supporting the ADA is obviously the best way to ensure our voice is heard as a collective. The association is pushing the stone in ways an individual couldn’t possibly fathom. Informing your mates of the benefits associated with becoming a member and letting them know where they can sign up is another great way to get the message out there.
However, there are some small responsibilities we can take on as an individual. It’s important, in this day and age, to be mindful that there are people out there that may not understand what we do and why we do it. After all, we head out with the goal of taking the life of a wild animal. It’s not the only reason we go but it’s a big part of it.
I attempt to show a level of respect when discussing the topic with others. Hunters get it, they will always understand, but filling in the gaps when interacting with the general public is a positive step. Some people may not even know there are wild deer in Australia and they definitely won’t know how tasty they are.
One of my favourite ways to bridge the gap is to prepare my favourite dish made from venison and share it with people that don’t hunt. Food is a fantastic way of breaking the ice on the topic. I offer any offcuts and bones for people’s pets. These touch points help spread the message that hunting benefits the greater community, not only the individual.
It is hard to fathom that not so long ago the deer numbers were much lower than they are currently. If you speak to hunters that chased sambar in the hills even 20 years ago, they will tell you deer sightings were few and far between. Nowadays it’s a different story. The sky really is the limit at the moment for deer hunting, particularly in Victoria. One thing for sure is that you never know what the future holds and there has never been a better time than now.
Yes, there has been a campaign to eradicate deer in areas but for the most part, if you’re keen and have the gear and knowledge, you can get out there and experience our public lands like no other group of recreational users can. If you are lacking in an area of knowledge or skill, reach out to someone who is doing the things you’d like to do. I’m sure they will be happy to throw a few pointers your way. Just don’t ask where they hunt.
Our wild deer population is a resource that is hard to put a tangible value on, they provide so much more than kilograms of meat. Hunting them truly does take you to amazing places. Get out there today and experience the amazing things our public lands have to offer. Uncharted adventure is out there, waiting for us, calling our names. There are mountains begging to be climbed and endless opportunities ready for you to test your spirit and cleanse your soul.
Informing your mates of the benefits associated with becoming an ADA member and letting them know where they can sign up is another great way to get the message out there.
Australia Deer magazine Editor