Tasmania's Hodgman Government has today announced the details for the 2020 deer season.

This year, the Government has made four additional areas of reserved land available for deer hunting.

The new reserves are:

·         Tooms Lake Conservation Area

·         Buxton River Conservation Area

·         St Pauls Regional Reserve

·         Castle Carey Regional Reserve

ADA Tasmanian President Scott Freeman welcomed the changes. "Hunters have an increasing role to play on public land in Tasmania" Mr Freeman said "along with the ecological benefits, there are significant social and economic benefits to expanding hunting". 

There are now ten reserves available to recreational hunters as part of Government initiatives to provide appropriate recreational opportunities for hunters.

These additional areas have undergone considerable community and stakeholder consultation and been rigorously assessed through the Reserve Activity Assessment process.

Recreational hunters play an important role in managing wild fallow deer populations and restricting the negative impact they have on both private and public land.

Similar to other reserves available for recreational hunting, access for hunters to the new reserves will be managed through a ballot system.

The ballot for all reserves available for hunting opened on Monday January 6 2020 and will close on Monday January 27 2020. The ballot will be drawn on January 28 and 29 with successful applicants being notified by email soon after the ballot.

It was also important for hunters to be aware of restrictions and requirements in place as part of ensuring values of the reserves were protected, including a no hunting buffer zone of 500m around the new reserves to ensure public safety.

Additionally, some limitations on access have been placed on all four new reserves to minimise habit disturbance during breeding season for some species including wedge tailed eagles as well as providing for other recreational activities in the reserves.

The four new reserves join the six existing reserves: Top Marshes Conservation area, Great Western Tiers Conservation Area, Five Mile Pinnacle Conservation Area, Central Plateau Conservation area – Breton River & Mother Lord Plains, Great western Tiers conservation area – Parson and Clerk Mountain, Great Lake Conservation area – Tumbledown Creek and Gunns Marsh.

For full details and ballot applications, visit the government website