To all you SE Australian Sambar hunters out there........

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE QUOTED SCIENTIFIC STUDIES BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE BUSH???

I believe that most of the information quoted is based on information fed to the DSE from ultra greens, or based on enclosure studies. I would love to see the list of plant species that the Sambar is threatening. Compare the browsing of the Sambar to the areas of clear felling of timber for wood pulp, the effects on bio-diversity by aerial re-seeding replacing multiple species with predominantly
a singular species. How about some balance, one of the favorite foods of the Sambar are the leaves of the blackberry, a noxious weed here. The Sambar will eat the leaves until the plant can no longer survive, but does not eat the berries, thereby not spreading the seeds. We recently had bush fires in this area that burned I think 600,000 hectares of forest, but we will be told by these same people that this is a natural and periodical occurrence, so that is acceptable.

In the time I have spent in the bush both the foothills near my home and the high country, I have now and then bumped into another hunter, off-road bike rider or 4 x 4 driver, but the only scientific study I have seen being done was on the side of the major highway in our area that was being up-graded, to ensure there was no damage to potential traditional aboriginal sites or scar trees.

All Victorian hunters need to voice their concerns with their local member both as an individual and through any organization they are involved with. Otherwise the next step will be to declare the Sambar a feral, followed by an eradication plan.

SAND UP TO THE TREE HUGGERS AND SAVE THE SAMBAR AND OUR SPORT.

All the best and good shooting, Ian.