The reintroduction of a wild dog bounty in Victoria and a robust debate on whether the seven-shot Adler shotgun is needed for pest control – are we looking for a quick fix?
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President of the Mid North Coast United Wild Dog Alliance, Helen Tyrrell, says yes – specifically, that it is unlikely either scenario would cause any significant drop in wild dog numbers.
Ms Tyrell said trapping, baiting, shooting and monitoring practices are the most effective way of managing feral animals.
“Overall we don’t tend to engage with that sort of debate,” Ms Tyrrell said of the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun, which brought gun control back to the national agenda following claims the government was willing to compromise an ongoing ban on that specific firearm.
She said she doubted that the banned shotgun would make shooting the animals any easier.
“One of the key things with wild dog shooting is that it’s opportunistic at best,” she said.
The shotgun debate came as the Victorian State Government reinstated bounties on wild dogs, with $120 to be offered for each dog killed.
Ms Tyrrell doubted that the bounty program would be successful if replicated in NSW.
“We’ve actually spoken to the national wild dog co-ordinator on the matter of bounties,” she said.
“Our biggest concern is that it could become an industry, and when it becomes an enterprise for people, it’s unlikely they’ll want to totally wipe wild dogs out.”
Ms Tyrrell said that it was more important that landholders talk to local services and report dog sightings, particularly the formation of large packs coming into the summer months.
“Guns and bounties are neither here nor there. It’s a combination approach that’s needed.”