Australia has a population of about 26 million of which there are 640,000 recreational hunters. There are around 6 million legally owned guns in Australia, ranging from airguns to single-shot, bolt-action, pump-action, bows, lever-action or semi-automatic firearms.
Game mammals
Many species of mammalian game animals in Australia have been introduced by European settlers since the 18th century. Among these are traditional game species such as deer and red foxes, as well as other feral/invasive species including rabbits/hares, feral cats, feral dogs, feral goats, feral pigs, feral donkeys, feral horses, feral cattle (including banteng), water buffaloes and camels. Some native species such as kangaroos and dingoes are also targeted as part of culling, and the commercial harvest of kangaroos by professional hunters was recorded as 1.6 million in 2012. The most commonly hunted animals by recreational hunters are rabbits, foxes, ducks, feral pigs, feral cats and feral goats. Hunting of rabbits, in particular, is encouraged across all of Australia, as they are considered a highly invasive pest, and the most common form of hunting is ground shooting. The recreational hunting of foxes is also commonly done by shooting. However, this usually requires other techniques to lure the animal (e.g. using a fox whistle, which makes a sound mimicking a distressed prey) and then spotlighting the eyeshine to locate and shoot the animal. Six introduced species of deer can be found in Australia.
The chital deer (Axis axis) is also known as the Indian spotted deer; they are light to dark brown with permanent white spots which appear as broken lines running along the body. They typically have three tined antlers. The hog deer (Axis porcinus) is a close relative of the chital; they range from a uniform dark brown during winter to a rich reddish-brown in summer, at which time light-coloured spots along the sides and on either side of the dark dorsal stripe are visible in individuals. Typically, they have three tined antlers, but extra points are not unheard of. The sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) is the largest deer species to be found in Australia. They are normally brown, but individuals of grey to almost black are seen. Typically, they have three tined antlers, but they often sported with a wide variety of styles. The rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) is a close relative of the sambar but smaller in size; they are a uniform grey-brown, variable between individuals and season. It typically has three tined antlers. The red deer (Cervus elaphus) ranges from a dull brown in winter coat to a rich reddish brown in summer; a permanent straw-coloured rump or caudal patch is retained throughout the year The fallow deer (Dama dama) is the most common species of deer in the world. In the summer, they are light to reddish brown with white spots. In the winter, this changes to a greyish brown.
Game birds Fowling in Australia is only allowed using shotguns with caliber no higher than 12-gauge. Lead shots are considered toxic pollutants and have been prohibited in all states and territories since 2024. Hunting blinds and decoys are allowed, though with usage restrictions, but electronic bird callers and live baits are prohibited. As part of hunting ethics, the hunter must ensure fair chase and need to retrieve and dispatch any downed bird as quickly as possible, either with a follow-up low-power birdshot (known as a "swatter load") or by performing a cervical dislocation.
Waterfowl
Only three states (South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria) and one territory (the Northern Territory) permit waterfowl hunting using firearms on public lands, and a hunting permit is typically needed. In addition to the native species, the mallard is a feral introduced species in mainland Australia and is permitted to be hunted. Penalties apply for hunters who kill or injure non-listed species. Waterfowl that are fully protected in all states and territories and therefore must not be shot include: the Cape Barren goose, black swan, freckled duck, blue-billed duck and Burdekin duck. When hunting with shotguns, there is a risk of injuring instead of instantly killing ducks. As ducks often fly in flocks, there is a potential for multiple ducks to be hit when hunters shoot into the flock to target an individual. The duck struck by the central cluster of the shot typically dies and falls to the ground. However, ducks on the periphery of the shot may still be hit by some pellets, which they survive but result in lifelong suffering. As a rule, hunters are not allowed to shoot into a flock. A survey conducted in Victoria on hunting four species of native ducks revealed a significant number of injured birds. Some of these birds survive, while others suffer before eventually dying. Approximately 26% of the shot ducks are either wounded or mutilated. Of these, 12% will be wounded and survive, whereas between 14% and 33% will be mutilated. The likely outcome for mutilated birds is a slow, painful death. An X-ray study of ducks caught using nets in Victoria found that between 6% and 19% of the ducks live with embedded shot pellets in their bodies. This animal cruelty has been mostly neglected by government officials.
Upland birds Upland hunting of introduced upland game birds are allowed in all states and territories, although limited to game farms and private lands in some places. Common introduced upland birds include California quail, European quail, bobwhite quail, grey partridge, chukar partridge, ring-necked pheasant, Guinea fowl and, in the case of New South Wales, also spotted dove, peafowl and turkey. Out of the native upland bird species, only the stubble quail (in Victoria and South Australia) and brown quail (in Tasmania) are allowed during open seasons, with a bag limit of 20 kills.
Legislation Laws related to hunting vary between each state or territory. Except where otherwise stated, most states and territories allow the hunting of pest species – feral dogs, feral goats, feral pigs, foxes, hares, and rabbits – at any time of year with the landowner's permission. Every state and territory requires those carrying firearms to be licensed to do so. A survey of recreational hunters identified the following usage rates of particular hunting methods: 92% rifles, 16% bow and arrows, 3% black powder muzzleloaders, 56% shotguns, 9% dogs only and 3% others.
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