Important changes to the 2021 Tasmania deer hunting season

The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) have announced some important changes for the 2021 Tasmanian Deer Hunting Season.

2021 Male Deer Ballot

In 2021, the ballot will only cover the stag season, which commences on Saturday 27 February 2021 and runs through until Sunday 4 April 2021. 

Applications for the ballot are now open and will close on Friday 15 January 2021 at COB. 

The ballot will then be randomly drawn between Monday 25 January and Friday 29 January 2021. 

DPIPWE have also announced a slight change to how the ballot is operated. Last year, every member of the group had to complete the online application form. This year, only the nominated hunting party leader needs to complete the online application form, and will do so on behalf of the other group members. Groups can consist of a maximum of four (4) hunters. 

The hunting party leader will be able to nominate up to five (5) preferred hunting blocks from the list below, and up to six (6) hunting dates. However, please note that there will not be any option to swap your allocations once they have been drawn.  

The hunting party leader will also need to ensure that all hunters in the group wear some form of high-vis or blaze orange clothing for safety purposes and that all hunters adhere to permit terms and conditions. 

Ballot periods will run from Wednesday through to the following Tuesday with exception of the first and last weeks (check DPIPWEs website for details on these periods). 

2021 Antlerless deer (doe) season 

The 2021 Antlerless deer (doe) season will run commence on Monday 15 March 2021 and run through until Monday 15 November 2021. 

Bookings for the antlerless (doe) season on public land will no longer be allocated through the ballot but managed through a new online booking system run through Eventbrite. 

Hunters will be able to book these spots from February 2021 with spots available from April through until November 2021. 

More information about this new booking system will be available on the DPIPWE website from early 2021. 

2021 Reserve Information 

There are again 10 reserves that will be available for hunting during the 2021 deer hunting season including: 

• • Great Western Tiers Conservation Area
  • Top Marshes Conservation Area
  • Five Mile Pinnacles Conservation Area
  • Central Plateau Conservation Area: Brenton Rivulet block (PWS) and Mother Lord Plains block (HT)
  • Great Western Tiers Conservation Area: Parson & Clerk Mountain Block (PWS)
  • Great Lake Conservation Area: Tumbledown Creek block (PWS) and land known as Gunns Marsh surrounding Gunns Lake and Little Lake (HT)
  • Tooms Lake Conservation Area
  • Buxton River Conservation Area 
  • St Pauls Regional Reserve 
  • Castle Cary Regional Reserve 

Hunters should note that the four east coast Reserves (Castle Cary, St. Pauls, Buxton River, Tooms Lake) will be closed to all hunting from 1 July 2021 – 29 February 2022 due to wedge tailed eagle and falcon breeding seasons.

Castle Cary will also be closed to hunting to allow for other visitor activities from Wednesday 5 May until Tuesday 18 May 2021 (inclusive). 

Please note that the East Coast reserves also have a 500m ‘no hunting’ buffer zone, which can be viewed on the maps. 

DISCLAIMER: This information is provided by I Am Hunter as a third-party. All information was correct at the date of publication. However, please note, details can change (as we saw in the 2020 season) and should always be confirmed with the relevant authorities first.