Victorian Shooters, Fishers and Farmers: Calls for culled deer, kangaroo and goat to be on the menu

With a range of Victorian Government-run culls ongoing, one party wants to see some hunted animals supplied to food charities. See the details.

Victorian Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman will put a motion to Parliament’s Upper House on Wednesday calling on the Allan Government to support diverting culled deer, roos and goats to food charities, to be called ‘Hunters for the Hungry’.

Parks Victoria is currently engaged in aerial culls of deer in the Indi, Cobberas and Buchan headwaters wilderness areas.

But as with other culls the carcasses are left to rot.

Mr Bourman said even volunteers undertaking ground shooting for Parks Victoria are only allowed to harvest the meat for personal use.

He said programs already existed in the US and New Zealand, whereby hunters supplied venison to meat processors to supply food charities.

NZ’s Sika Foundation supplies free-range venison mince to families in Turangi and Taupo, who are struggling to make ends meet, with the ultimate aim of delivering 100kg of meat per week to the local food bank’ and halve its costs.

Victorian Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman. Picture: NCA NewsWire (Ian Currie)

“At the moment I’m proposing we do run a pilot with Victorian Government-run culls,” Mr Bourman said.

The proposal has the backing of the Australian Deer Association and Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, which is running a barbecue on the roof of the annex building at parliament this Thursday for politicians, featuring venison, kangaroo, and goat.

SSAA Victoria spokesman Barry Howlett said the hunting community fully supported Mr Bourman’s initiative.

“Recreational hunters take great pride in processing and sharing the spoils of the hunt”, Mr Howlett said.

“It sits uneasily, not just with hunters, but with many in the community, that the wild game resource killed in government control programs is, all too often, shot to waste.

“It’s about better using a world-class, nutritious game resource that is valued for fine dining, but that all too often in this state, is the subject of wanton waste.”