Game Hunting Regulations

Supporting safe, sustainable and responsible recreational hunting in Victoria.

New game hunting regulations come into effect on 7 September 2024. The Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 replace the Wildlife (Game) Interim Regulations 2023.

The new regulations make important changes to:

• improve safety and responsibility
• support sustainable game populations, and
• improve environment and wildlife protections.

Victorians, peak hunting groups, animal welfare and advocacy groups and traditional owners informed the development of the new regulations.

These regulations are made under the are made under the Wildlife Act 1975.

A Notice of Decision and Statement of Reasons outlining the changes in the new regulations is available via the Engage Victoria website.

Summary of changes

• Reducing environmental impacts by completing the phase out of toxic lead ammunition for all game bird hunting.
• Improving safety by opening the duck season on the third Wednesday of March each year instead of the third Saturday of March each year.
• Commencing the hunting start time at 8am for the first five days of the duck season.
• Updating the hours that non-authorised people are prevented from entering specified hunting areas to 11am for the first five days of the duck season.
• Updating licensing fees as part of a pricing review.
• Removing the requirement to sign a licence and removing the requirement to return a cancelled licence upon change of address.
• Improving safety by increasing the number of recognised deer habitats to better address illegal spotlighting in those areas.
• Enabling the Game Management Authority (GMA) to require a hound to be presented for inspection.
• Improving animal welfare by permitting deer hunters to use hand-held thermal imaging devices during the daytime and permitting the use of deer decoys for hunting deer.
• Banning the use of electronic callers for quail and non-indigenous gamebirds while allowing for their continued use when hunting ducks.
• Maintaining the Blue-Winged Shoveler on the list of game species but with an all-year-round closed season while they remain a threatened species.
• Updating the list of approved dog breeds used in hunting activities.
• Strengthening the regulatory framework for hunting by making administrative improvements and making technical changes to the existing regulations.