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Cold-hearted deer hunter a 'criminal'

11 Jun, 2010 04:00 PM
Cold-hearted hunters who beheaded a deer and dumped its carcass in suburban Figtree have been branded "criminals" and "trespassers" by the shooting fraternity's peak body.

Govett Cres residents were sickened this week after finding a decapitated stag in a shallow creek just metres from their homes.

Shooting experts believe it was killed by illegal trophy hunters seeking its prized antlers.

  • Shocked Figtree residents find headless deer

    The NSW Game Council has seized on the incident as proof its bid to manage deer culling across the Illawarra should be fast-tracked.

    Chief executive Brian Boyle said greater Game Council involvement would "see an end to these undesirable incidents".

    "The fact is that this deer that was virtually left on a resident's doorstep was not taken by a hunter - it was taken by a criminal, a trespasser, who deserves to be investigated by police and brought to account," he said.

    "A Game Council hunter would have certainly done things differently."

    Its hunters were required to seek permission from landowners before hunting and were trained to properly dispose of remains, he said.

    Their shooters were also encouraged to use all meat from their quarry, rather than just taking the antlers.

    The Game Council has long been lobbying Wollongong City Council for permission to shoot deer - the city's No 1 pest - on council land.

    But the group has encountered strong criticism from the Greens and animal welfare groups, who insist professional hunters should be used to carry out the killing.

    Greens MP Lee Rhiannon scoffed at suggestions the Game Council should be handed responsibility for deer culling in the Illawarra, describing its programs as "scientifically unsound and environmentally damaging".

    "The job of managing the Illawarra's feral deer problem should lie with government experts skilled in evidence-based, safe andeffective invasive species management," Ms Rhiannon said.

    A council spokeswoman said it would begin an "expression of interest" process in coming weeks to engage licensed shooters to cull deer on council land.

    The process would consider safety, cost, animal welfare and risk management, she said.

    The decapitated deer was removed by the landowner yesterday morning.

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    comments


    Date: Newest first | Oldest first
    How coincidental for Game Council to say this. Its not one of their hunters etc etc.... What a load of rubbish. This person was a hunter and was obviously skilled in the removal of the animals head. Game Councils suggestion that further involvement of their volunteers in the Illawarra would see an end to these undesirable incidents is laughable, rediculous and quite simply pathetic. As an illawarra resident i have seen recreational hunters for years now actively shoot deer in the region, i have seen and heard of many horror stories thanks to their actions. The time has come for this problem to be adressed by the professionals. One interesting point i note is that the NSW Game Council (a Gov body) staff is made up of recreational hunters themselves. All the way from their CEO to their Volunteers Game Managers in this local area. A boys club looking out for the interest of their fellow hunters?? Definately i think! Good on Lee Rhiannon for putting forward a Bill to disbanding them and giving the tax payer money to more worthy pest management organisations.
    Posted by james, 11/06/2010 7:44:27 AM, on Illawarra Mercury
    Of course it wouldnt be a Game Council Hunter, it never will be!! Thats if you are stupid enough to believe what Game Council themselves will always tell you. Thats the problem with the Game Council template they can and always will simpy pass any incident back to the individual hunter instead of themselves. I am an avid hunter in the Illawarra but i absolutely hate the Game Council. They make me pay them for a license to hunt deer on private property, restrict me from shooting them of a night when i can get the most numbers and what people need to realise is that this license is applied to a non native species to hunt deer on private property. How dare they! Furthermore the truth behind all their programs relating to deer is to maintain a healthy deer herd for their crony's to enjoy. I went to the SSAA shot show in Homebush Last weekend and my wife was one of the 203 people who obtained a restricted license from them. She holds no firearms license, never hunted before, never shot a gun, couldnt identify a deer if it were tied up infront of her but thanks to the vested interest, open book test and desire for my money game council gave her a RESTRICTED LICENSE. is this credible?????
    Posted by Johnboy, 11/06/2010 7:54:27 AM, on Illawarra Mercury
    What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty. Those who think they know everything upset those of us who do ! anon.
    Posted by what the?!, 11/06/2010 10:20:57 AM, on Illawarra Mercury
    i certainly hope that the people condemning the actions of killing animals are vegetarian, otherwise i'd say that's nothing but hypocracy. and before people slam the removal of the animal's head, the animal would have been already dead, why not take the trophy.
    Posted by martin, 11/06/2010 6:54:18 PM, on Illawarra Mercury
    Martin, clearly misses the point. The animal was not eaten. It was killed as a "prize" I somehow doubt that these hunters find it necessary to plant cotton and make a mill for their clothes or make a foundry for their steel or a factory for their cars, power stations for their fuel needs; so dont try and pretend these are a bunch of glorious self sufficient individuals. They are simply a bunch of pre-copernican individuals who dont give a tinkers cuss about anything or anyone. Watch how quick these killers will ring an ambulance if one of them gets accidently shot.....then they will decide that life is too wonderful to waste. NOW thats Hypocrisy ..... PS hypocracy is a totally different word with a totally different meaning..i expected nothing less coming from someone who would post such an irrelevant and moronic comment. Of course the animal was dead before the head was removed. These guys may get hurt going near a live animal and thats not in their script.
    Posted by quinaldo, 12/06/2010 9:19:13 PM, on Illawarra Mercury
    Quinaldo, what's wrong with taking a deer for a prize. What's wrong with a headless deer? The fact the head was taken is irrelevant. Sure, it might be wasteful to leave the meat behind but some people don't like game meat. Leaving it near the houses was a silly thing to do though. And I still can't understand Lee Rhiannon and her crackpot ideas! Out. Out! Get her out!
    Posted by Ms Lee Freek, 16/06/2010 10:41:32 PM, on Illawarra Mercury
    Talk about close-minded and out of date thinking. If the above comments against hunters were directed at any other minority group with the same vigour their author's would be shamed with any number of 'ists (racists, sexists) or 'ics (homophobics). The fact a deer carcass was left in such an obvious place is distasteful, that is certainly true and it is more than likely the act was carried out by someong acting illegally. But to blame the Game Council for the individual's actions would be akin to holding the RTA responsible for every unlicensed, un-registered and illegally acting driver! Get a grip on reality! Lee Rhiannon, in her original comments in the article published in the paper, show's her true self when she targets men (sexist are we Lee?) and laces her baseless comments with the typical Green rhetoric and hyperbole and as usual providing nothing of substance in return. At least we attempt to clear out ferals from public lands; what have you done Lee???
    Posted by WillB, 17/06/2010 1:34:17 PM, on Illawarra Mercury

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