Game and pests
If you are a hunter or are interested in hunting in NSW, you must comply with the rules set out in the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002 (the Act).
This legislation outlines the restrictions on the legal hunting of game animals on private land and game and pest animals on public land in NSW.
There are very clear and specific regulations relating to each animal, as well as the land on which you hunt. Please read our Rules and Regulations page carefully to understand these restrictions.
It is imperative that you understand which animals you can legally hunt and under what circumstance, as outlined in Schedule 3 of the Act.
The type of licence you need to hunt these animals depends on how they are classified under the Act.
What can I hunt?
The Act provides two main categories of animals that can be legally hunted in NSW - Part 1 (and 1A), and Part 2. The main difference between the two categories is that one group is identified simply as game and the other are more commonly referred to as feral or pest animals.
Game animals
Game animals, as per Parts 1 and 1A of Schedule 3 to the Act, is split into non-indigenous game animals and native game birds.
Non-indigenous game animals (Part 1)
See Hunting Licences to determine what kind of licence is required when hunting in NSW.
Deer
- Fallow (Dama dama)
- Red deer (Cervus elaphus)
- Rusa (Cervus timorensis)
- Sambar (Cervus unicolor)
- Chital (Axis axis)
- Hog deer (Axis porcinus)
- Wapiti (Cervus elaphus canadensis)
Normally, special rules apply to hunting wild deer in NSW, such as some deer may only be hunted at certain times of the year. However, in 2018, some of the special rules were suspended to allow landholders more options in managing abundant herds. Read more on the Managing wild deer page.
Birds
- Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus)
- California Quail (Lophortyx callipepla californicus)
- Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris)
- Partridge (Alectors alectoris chukar)
- Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
- Pheasant (Phasiniacus phasianus colchicus)
- Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
- Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Native game birds (Part 1A)
You may only hunt native game animals if you comply with the Native Game Bird Management Program.
Ducks
- Australian Shelduck or Mountain Duck (Tadorna tadornoides)
- Australian Wood Duck or Maned Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
- Black Duck or Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)
- Blue-winged Shoveler or Australasian Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis)
- Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)
- Grass Whistling Duck or Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)
- Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
- Hardhead Duck or White-eyed Duck (Aythya australis)
- Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)
- Water Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck or Whistling or Wandering Tree Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)
Quail
- Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora)
- Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis)
Pigeons
- Common Bronzewing Pigeon (Phaps chalcoptera)
- Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)
Feral or pest animals (Part 2)
Part 2 of Schedule 3 to the Act is often identified as feral or pest animals. See Hunting Licences to determine what kind of licence is required when hunting in NSW.
Non-indigenous animals
- Cat (Felis catus)
- Dog, other than dingo (Canis familiaris)
- Goat (Capra hircus)
- Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
- Hare (Lepus capensis)
- Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
- Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- Common or Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
- Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
- Pig (Sus scrofa)
