By Callum Ludwig
The Game Management Authority (GMA) is warning illegal hunters and poachers that new tech can help them detect and prosecute historic offences using DNA.
An Upper Yarra man pleaded guilty in the Ringwood Magistrates Court in December 2023 to the illegal possession of Hog Deer after DAN profiling technology was utilised on six taxidermied Hog Deer heads and two capped skulls seized from a property near Launching Place.
The man had been suspected to be in illegal possession of them and they were obtained after a search warrant was issued.
After pleading guilty, the man was put on a good behaviour bond and the items were forfeited as the defendant couldn’t prove he had legally obtained them.
Compliance and Intelligence Director at the GMA Zac Powell said the man did not have a valid Game Licence endorsed to hunt deer, had not received Hog Deer tags and had not been authorised to participate in Victoria’s balloted Hog Deer season.
“Even though some of the seized heads were 15 years old, DNA samples were analysed, and the results showed some of the Hog Deer had been illegally taken from Snake Island in Gippsland, which can only be hunted during the annual ballot period using assigned tags,” he said.
“People hunting Hog Deer during the season or ballot period must have a valid Victorian Game Licence for deer and obtain Hog Deer tags to affix to each deer harvested.”
“Those who break the law face significant fines and penalties, including prosecution, and having equipment confiscated. In some cases, offenders may face jail terms.”
The GMA’s new technology can analyse the hair and tissue of Hog Deer and determine which discrete population in the state the deer came from, providing evidence as to where they may have been taken from.
The DNA profiling system, co-funded by the GMA, was developed by Dr Erin Hill while a PhD candidate at La Trobe University and was purpose-designed for wildlife forensic science and population research.
The Australian Deer Association’s head of Advocacy, Sean Kilkenny said with ongoing advancements in technology, those who chose to do the wrong thing have nowhere to hide.
“It’s pleasing to see the Game Management Authority prosecute those who break the law, even for cases dating back 15 years,” he said.
“As hunters we always strive to do the right thing, if you see people breaking the law, report them to the Game Management Authority,”
“When hunting, you must be aware of your responsibilities, if in doubt, check before doing so.”
Wild populations of Hog Deer can be hunted on public land in Victoria, with licensed hunters allowed to harvest one stag and one hind during an annual hunting season.
The annual hunting season each year begins 30 minutes before sunrise on April 1 and ends 30 minutes after sunset on April 30 each year
Hunters and the community are urged to report illegal hunting to the GMA through its website at gma.vic.gov.au or by calling 136 186. If an urgent response is required, call 000.
