Yarra Valley deer hunting: Yarra Glen, Dixons Creek, Steels Creek illegal shooters

Fears innocent people could be shot are rising as illegal deer hunters invade private rural properties. It’s prompted landowners to act.

Yarra Glen police are investigating several recent complaints of shooters discharging firearms on private properties. File photo: Zoe Phillips

Illegal hunters are prowling the Yarra Valley trespassing on private property and putting lives at risk trying to bag deer and kangaroos.

Yarra Glen police are investigating several complaints of shooters discharging firearms on private properties in Yarra Glen, Steels Creek and Dixons Creek without the consent of the property owners.

Hoddles Creek Estate owner Franco D’Anna said illegal deer hunting was a massive problem in the area.

“We’ve had deer shot in our front paddock and the head taken off and the carcass left there,” he said.

“One of our neighbours up the road has horses and she has a sign saying ‘Horses don’t shoot’ because people have been shooting in their property.

“The trouble is people don’t know where the houses are and they are using high-powered rifles.

“It’s next level now because obviously the deer population has gone crazy, there are plenty more around, and people want to shoot deer, but it’s not being done in a safe way.”

Mr D’Anna said 99 per cent of the illegal shooting was conducted at night, with shooters using a spotlight to shine onto properties.

“They don’t know where the houses are and these bullets go miles and miles and they don’t know where they are going to end up.”

Mr D’Anna said he had installed cameras around his estate and reported any suspicious behaviour to police.

He said he was not looking to engage any private shooters on his property at the moment.

Hoddles Creek Estate owner Franco D'Anna says illegal deer hunting is a massive problem in the area.

Yarra Glen Sergeant Richard Coulson said the illegal practice was highly dangerous, particularly when it happened at night.

A property owner recently reported hearing a loud bang at 2.45am.

“It mainly relates to (people shooting) deer and there have also been a couple of kangaroos taken,” Sgt Coulson said.

Sgt Coulson said people picking grapes in the Yarra Valley often worked overnight, placing them at risk from rogue shooters.

“(Shooters) need to have written consent (from property owners to shoot) and have that in their possession if they get checked,” he said.

“If they’re shooting on somebody’s private property, (the owners) need to have knowledge of it so they can ensure the safety of any other persons at the address.”

Sgt Coulson said a number of the property owners affected had installed hidden cameras to help in identifying the shooters.

He said that shooters who entered private properties without permission could expect to have their firearms confiscated, their shooters licences suspended and would face firearms related charges.

Fallow deer run through a private property in Silvan.

Yarra Ranges Cr Jim Child previously told Leader deer were a “horrific” issue in the area, especially the Upper Yarra region.

The council is calling on the State Government to declare them a pest.

Leader has also previously reported on deer hunters opening fire across private land in Glenburn and Kinglake.

Three “very loud bangs” woke Glenburn farmer Oswald Gonzalez, who later discovered the carcass of a decapitated deer rotting on his farm and realised hunters had not just fired onto his property without his permission, but had trespassed in order to snatch the animal’s head.

“The scariest part is the shooters did not even think of our safety,” he said.

Meanwhile tributes are flowing for a Yarragon man who was fatally shot during a hunting trip in Alpine National Park last Saturday.

Brent Trickey was hunting at McCready Track in Rose River with a group of people, when he was fatally wounded at around 9.30am.