Victoria’s recreational deer hunting impact

Recreational deer hunting in Victoria offers important ecological, social and economic benefits. These benefits have been underpinned by the most recent harvest data reported by the Game Management Authority. According to the report titled Estimates of the 2024 deer harvest in Victoria: Results from surveys of Victorian Game Licence holders in 2024, licensed recreational hunters in Victoria harvested an estimated 167,600 animals.

From a purely harvesting perspective, this represents a 22 per cent increase compared to the 2023 estimate (137,100), and an 83 per cent rise on the long-term average since 2009 (91,100). The report notes that while the proportion of licence holders who hunted was roughly the same as the long-term average, the increase in total harvest was driven by more hunting days per active hunter (up 29 per cent) and higher hunter efficiency (up 15 per cent).

A breakdown by species shows most of the harvest was sambar (128,000 or 76 per cent) and fallow (35,400 or 21 per cent), while the average active deer hunter harvested 6.4 animals over an average of 13.5 hunting days in 2024. Again, more female sambar and fallow were harvested than males in 2024, the opposite of anti-hunting organisation rhetoric that only trophy animals are taken.

Research commissioned by the Victorian Government has shown recreational hunting, of which deer harvesting is a major component, makes a substantial contribution to the state’s economy. Reports found recreational hunting generated a gross economic contribution of roughly $356 million in Victoria. Of that total, recreational deer hunting is responsible for around $201 million and supported more than 3300 jobs, mostly in regional areas.

These figures highlight several benefits. Firstly, recreational deer hunting drives expenditure on licences, equipment, travel, accommodation and other related goods and services, particularly in regional and rural communities. This injects money into local economies, supporting jobs and businesses beyond the immediate hunting activity. Secondly, many hunters travel to remote or less populated regions to access hunting areas, spreading economic benefits across a broad geographic area rather than concentrating only in metropolitan zones. Thirdly, the industry and associated tourism benefits can act as a stabilising factor for rural economies.

From an ecological or land-management perspective, recreational deer hunting plays a role in managing deer populations, particularly where sambar and fallow are in high abundance. Harvest data offers an indicator of removal of individuals which might otherwise continue to breed up. Higher harvest numbers in 2024 suggest the activity is providing a meaningful level of population control.

Beyond economics and ecology, recreational hunting offers social and wellbeing advantages. The same study mentioned above, found hunters report higher scores for connection with nature and general health than the overall population. The act of hunting involves outdoor physical activity, socialisation, skill development and engagement with land and nature. These aspects contribute to quality of life, especially in regional settings where outdoor recreation can enhance community cohesion.

The 2024 harvest estimate itself is valuable. By having a reliable, regular survey of licence holders, wildlife managers can gauge hunting effort, harvest rates, species composition, land tenure of hunts and regional distribution. For example, the report shows more deer hunting occurred exclusively on public land (50 per cent) compared with exclusively on private land (37 per cent), suggesting hunting is an important management tool on public land. Knowing that 354,500 hunter days occurred in 2024 gives management agencies data to assess the interplay of hunting, deer population dynamics and land use.

When integrated, the high harvest numbers in 2024 combined with previous economic modelling indicate deer hunting is a valuable recreational, economic and management tool in Victoria. It contributes not only to individual hunter satisfaction, but also regional livelihoods, ecological health and data collection. So for policymakers and land managers, supporting regulated recreational deer hunting is a win-win in balancing recreation, economic value and wildlife management.