Hunting in New South Wales
Feral deer, rangeland goats and pig country from the Alps to the outback
New South Wales offers the most varied private land hunting in Australia. Sambar work the alpine gullies of the Snowy Mountains, fallow and red deer thicken across the New England Tablelands, rusa hold the South Coast, and the western rangelands carry goats and pigs in numbers that keep freezers and cull tallies full.
The rules became dramatically simpler in 2019, when NSW reclassified deer from game animals to feral animals. On private land there is now no hunting licence requirement for deer, pigs, goats, foxes or rabbits: you need a current firearms licence and the landholder's permission, and your booking provides that permission in writing.
The practical challenge in NSW has never been the rules; it has been access. The best hunting sits behind locked gates on family farms and stations, and that is exactly the problem this marketplace solves. Book a property, receive written permission for your dates, and hunt country that sees one group at a time.
NSW hunting rules at a glance
- A current NSW firearms licence is required to use a firearm.
- Deer were reclassified as feral animals in 2019: no game hunting licence applies on private land.
- Feral pigs, goats, foxes, rabbits, hares and wild dogs may be hunted on private land with landholder permission and no additional licence.
- The Restricted Game Hunting Licence (R-Licence) applies only to declared public hunting land, not to private property bookings.
- Waterfowl may only be taken under the NSW Native Game Bird Management Program on approved properties; there is no general duck season.
Rules change: always confirm current requirements with the state regulator before your trip. Your booking provides written landholder permission for your dates.
Best hunting regions in NSW
Hunting in New South Wales: common questions
Do I need a hunting licence in NSW?
Not on private land. Since 2019, deer and all other feral animals may be hunted on private property with just landholder permission and a current firearms licence. The R-Licence system applies only to declared public hunting land.
What can I hunt in NSW?
Six deer species led by sambar, fallow, red and rusa, plus feral pigs, goats, foxes, rabbits, hares and wild dogs. The state spans alpine sambar country, tableland fallow and red herds, and western rangelands full of goats and pigs.
Where are the best hunting regions in NSW?
The Snowy Mountains for sambar, the New England Tablelands for the autumn fallow croak and red roar, the Western Plains around Cobar and Bourke for goats and pigs, and the Riverina river country for pigs, foxes and rabbits.
Can I hunt ducks in NSW?
Only under the Native Game Bird Management Program, which licenses landholders to manage game birds causing crop damage, mainly in the rice districts. There is no general recreational duck season in NSW.
Hunting properties in New South Wales
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