Dogs in national parks

[POD]

Took some friends out for their first-ever taste of 4wdriving yesterday. We stopped for lunch at the Aberfeldy Bridge (a popular picnic / camping area in the Baw Baw NP that is accessible by 2wd), there was a group camped there- looked like a couple of families- with their boxer cross wandering around. A few minutes after we arrived, a group of about 15 4wds, looked like a club outing, turned up, parked us in whilst they had their lunch. At least 2 or 3 of this mob also had dogs with them which wandered around the camping area while they ate. When they left, they headed deeper into the park, last seen crossing the river at Fultons, where we caught up with them before turning around rather than get stuck behind them. What the heck is with these idiots?

[edddo]

Just that attitude of general disrespect for regulations and other people....the I can do what ever I want and **** anyone who thinks differently brigade.
The fines for dogs in NPS are hefty, be nice to be able to notify the ranger.

[trout1105]

As long as the dogs are well behaved I cant see a problem with them being in a national park myself.
Revheads in their souped up 4WD's and the other irresponsible park visitors do far more environmental damage in the parks than someone's pet will do

[Eevo]

depends on the state.
some states allow dogs in NP's

[weeds]

depends on the state.
some states allow dogs in NP's

Which states/park??

I’ve seen state forests and state reserves allow dogs but I’m yet to come across a National Park that allows dogs.

[PhilipA]

It's like dogs on beaches. At Avoca despite many signs people have dogs in the swimming area ,even though there is about a 1Km long dog beach 500m away. The councils cannot be stuffed to pay for enough rangers so the chances of getting caught are slim. Recently the rangers came. They booked everyone quite safely parked on a grass verge on the road outside. Uproar!
Same with National Parks. They will not pay rangers particularly on weekends so people will do what they can get away with, although they get outraged if they are caught.
Regards Philip A

[Vern]

depends on the state.
some states allow dogs in NP'sIt should read some parks allow dogs (On a leash)
Which might be classed as reserves

[B.S.F.]

Always the same exuses. But - -
it's a small dog, it won't do any harm
it's a well behaved dog
it's a quiet generator
I won't be using the chain saw for long ......
.W.

[Grumbles]

The reason for the ban on domestic dogs in NPs is well touted by Park management. It is that the scent left behind by your household pet may inhibit non canine native fauna from freely moving about.

Of course this presupposes that the native fauna has learnt to distinguish between a domestic pet dogs scent from the scent of the thousands of wild feral dogs which live and roam uninhibitedly in those same NPs. That a wild dogs scent will supposedly be ignored by all fauna but not your pet dogs scent.

[Eevo]

Which states/park??

I’ve seen state forests and state reserves allow dogs but I’m yet to come across a National Park that allows dogs.


in SA and i think NSW & WA.

[rick130]

in SA and i think NSW & WA.Definitely no dogs allowed in NSW NP's.

[Eevo]

Definitely no dogs allowed in NSW NP's.


maybe its just SA then.

[pop058]

As long as the dogs are well behaved I cant see a problem with them being in a national park myself.
Revheads in their souped up 4WD's and the other irresponsible park visitors do far more environmental damage in the parks than someone's pet will do

Can't quite understand the logic in that one. Just because something else unrelated is a (bigger) problem does not justify taking prohibited animals into NPs. On top of that, what are the chances of the dog being "well behaved" if the the owner does not give a crap about the fact that it (the dog) shouldn't be there in the first place.

[Eevo]

On top of that, what are the chances of the dog being "well behaved" if the the owner does not give a crap about the fact that it (the dog) shouldn't be there in the first place.

my old housemate was one. the dog was well behaved. she took the dog through many NP's with no issues. she just likes walking with the dog.

[pop058]

my old housemate was one. the dog was well behaved. she took the dog through many NP's with no issues. she just likes walking with the dog.

I presume you are talking about SA where I believe (as you mentioned) dogs are allowed in certain areas (walking trails etc.) of NPs.

[trout1105]

Can't quite understand the logic in that one. Just because something else unrelated is a (bigger) problem does not justify taking prohibited animals into NPs. On top of that, what are the chances of the dog being "well behaved" if the the owner does not give a crap about the fact that it (the dog) shouldn't be there in the first place.

What problems can a dog that is well behaved or on a leash cause in a national park or anywhere else for that matter?
All this "Fuss" over a couple of dogs in the park when in reality it is the human visitors that cause the majority of the damage including crapping indiscriminately everywhere and leaving dunny paper all over the show.
Banning dogs in the parks put many families and grey nomads at a disadvantage because they can't go there because of their pets who in reality are a part of the family , Stupid bloody rule I recon.

[Eevo]

I presume you are talking about SA where I believe (as you mentioned) dogs are allowed in certain areas (walking trails etc.) of NPs.

she took them into ones where dogs wernt allowed. interstate ones too (she previously lived in WA and QLD)

[B.S.F.]

Some people have to put up with neighbours dogs all year 'round. When they decide to visit a N.P. where no dogs are allowed, the last thing they want is having to put up with more dogs.
After a bad experience, I will never again stay in a 'pet friendly' caravan park and I will do everything possible to keep dogs out of NPs.
.W.

[Blknight.aus]

some national parks and some reserves have permissions for dogs on a leash. All national parks allow service dogs on all easy walking tracks.

All of the areas (that I know of and have seen) and walking tracks that all leashed dogs are permitted on are clearly signposted and marked on the maps.

My 2 hates on this topic?

Dog owners in the dog friendly areas that dont pick up after their mutts and

muppets who bring in cats...

[trout1105]

Some people have to put up with neighbours dogs all year 'round. When they decide to visit a N.P. where no dogs are allowed, the last thing they want is having to put up with more dogs.
After a bad experience, I will never again stay in a 'pet friendly' caravan park and I will do everything possible to keep dogs out of NPs.
.W.

Quite a few of the national parks have healthy populations of Dingo's, Good luck keeping those out of the park[bigwhistle]

[strangy]

There have been 3 posts here that give appropriate reasons for dogs and cats etc not being permitted in NPs and a disappointing number who can’t see an issue or believe there shouldn’t be/isn’t an issue.

Bloody minded arrogance is all it is.
Justification on why your/their belief is entitled to contravene the rules to protect a handful of places available to immerse oneself in as close as possible to the 21st century natural bushland.

Not like there are no parks reserves etc to take “Rover” for walk? Really?

These same folks bring there animals to cafes and when it does what they naturally do - take ****, a **** and then try and fight another and then shove their snout in someone’s food- but “oh dear what a sneaky boy” “ they don’t normally do that”
Same people drive through stop signs, park in disable parks, speed through school zones, throw their litter where they want, fish where they shouldn’t, swim in restricted catchments, because the sign doesn’t specifically have their name on it and someone to fine them can’t be seen.

Bugger me there is a handful of places; just a handful, of places where the household mutt isn’t welcome but some ****** just have to do it anyway because they are ****** and nothing more.

[pop058]

What problems can a dog that is well behaved or on a leash cause in a national park or anywhere else for that matter?
All this "Fuss" over a couple of dogs in the park when in reality it is the human visitors that cause the majority of the damage including crapping indiscriminately everywhere and leaving dunny paper all over the show.
Banning dogs in the parks put many families and grey nomads at a disadvantage because they can't go there because of their pets who in reality are a part of the family , Stupid bloody rule I recon.

Unfortunately history tells us that the well behaved/on a leash puppy is not in the majority (in this example). Yes everybody can say they have or know of a perfect example but in reality I don't believe this is the case. And, IMHO the grey nomads are probably not the best example of considerate dog owners.

[101RRS]

Quite a few of the national parks have healthy populations of Dingo's, Good luck keeping those out of the park[bigwhistle]

Why would you want to keep them out of National Parks? They may have been introduced thousands of years ago but have now been declared a native animal in pure bred form so they have every right to be in National Park if that encompasses their natural range.

[Chops]

I’m not sure 🤔 but I do believe one of the major factors in banning dogs in NP’s in the first place, was because owners would “lose” their dogs and then we had a “wild dog problem”.

Most of us dog owners don’t have issues with keeping them out of these areas,, as said already, those that think they have “the right to do what they want” will do just that. And then of course, more problems will ensue.

[Bigbjorn]

My Mrs. loathes dogs and if she had her way the animals would be banned from suburbs and towns as well as National Parks. "Dirty, smelly, noisy creatures" she says "that serve no useful purpose unless they are working dogs or service dogs".

I am not in total agreement with her views but around here there are legions of barky, yappy, animals whose owners don't have the ability or the will to control them. Council by-law 30.06 should be applied to many of them.

[Grumbles]

I’m not sure 🤔 but I do believe one of the major factors in banning dogs in NP’s in the first place, was because owners would “lose” their dogs and then we had a “wild dog problem”.



A popular belief but it has no place in reality. The wild dogs have been here and breeding in the wild since colonization of the country when the early settlers arrived with their dogs of which some escaped into the wilds to prosper and never to return to their owners.

In Victoria this is vastly different to todays reality if the family dog goes missing into the wild. The usual result is for it to be killed and eaten by the wild dog packs. They do not accept the newcomer at all.

As for dingoes in Vic. It is commonly accepted by the science boffins that every dingo in Victoria has wild dog genes in its makeup. Even those that visually look like a pure bred dingo have wild dog genes in their makeup. The notion of a pure bred dingo in Vic is no longer a reality.

[POD]

I read somewhere a while back that one of the main concerns with pet dogs in national parks is that their scent will make areas uninhabitable for some native animals. To say that it doesn't matter because there are already populations of feral dogs in some areas is a ridiculous argument.
I think the thing that annoys me most about this type of thing is the attitude that it demonstrates. We have a dog who is part of the family, a loved pet, but if an outing is going to take us to a national park, he stays home. Nothing difficult about it.
Slightly different to the idiots who leave their rubbish spread all over the place. A couple of spots that we have been visiting for nearly 35 years, used to be pristine, now covered in broken bottles, beer and bourbon cans, toilet paper, piles of cigarette butts where the car ashtray was emptied. I never used to understand this, but for the past 22 years I've been seeing the inside of other people's homes every day and I know now that the inside of their house looks just like the way they leave their campsites.

[laney]

It's a sense of entitlement I will take my dog wherever I want restaurant, Bunnings,doctors ,shopping centres they don't care just plain arrogances they think nothing should be out of bounds to there dam mutt my dog doesn't go camping with me it won't go shopping rather it's a dog. The attitude that my dog is well behaved is ridiculous take it out of it's normal area and they become inquisitives and on edge with there new environment and how many times have we seen a dog attack on tv and the owner saying he's never done that before he's normally a very gentle pet.

[trout1105]

We have an old (12 yrs) jack russel/bitza bitch that is simply too lazy to get into mischief and we take pretty much everywhere we go But we can only go to areas that we are allowed to take a dog, NP's and many other places are off limits.
We also live 30 k's out of town and our nearest neighbour is about 5k's away so its Not as if she is an annoyance to the neighbours.

With the increase in recreational 4WD's over the last couple of decades and the complete lack of respect for the environment many of these people have for our national parks which is evidenced by the damage, graffiti, and pollution they cause every year complaining about a few pooches in the park is But a storm in a teacup.
You only have to look at the "I got bogged at Inskip" type footage to see the extent of the stupidity and recklessness of some of our 4WDing community and pull into just about any roadside stop/truck bay to see all the garbage and excreta that motorists in general scatter around the country.
Dogs are "Saints" compared to the wave of Human garbage that visit our national parks every year.[bigwhistle]

[scarry]

I thought the main reason dogs are not allowed in NP's in Qld is because they chase and sometimes kill native wildlife.

Some NP's here also have signs that 1080 baits are being used.

[POD]

We have an old (12 yrs) jack russel/bitza bitch that is simply too lazy to get into mischief and we take pretty much everywhere we go But we can only go to areas that we are allowed to take a dog, NP's and many other places are off limits.
We also live 30 k's out of town and our nearest neighbour is about 5k's away so its Not as if she is an annoyance to the neighbours.

With the increase in recreational 4WD's over the last couple of decades and the complete lack of respect for the environment many of these people have for our national parks which is evidenced by the damage, graffiti, and pollution they cause every year complaining about a few pooches in the park is But a storm in a teacup.
You only have to look at the "I got bogged at Inskip" type footage to see the extent of the stupidity and recklessness of some of our 4WDing community and pull into just about any roadside stop/truck bay to see all the garbage and excreta that motorists in general scatter around the country.
Dogs are "Saints" compared to the wave of Human garbage that visit our national parks every year.[bigwhistle]

Yep have to admit the graffiti all over the Aberfeldy bridge made me shake my head more than the dogs.

[pop058]

We have an old (12 yrs) jack russel/bitza bitch that is simply too lazy to get into mischief and we take pretty much everywhere we go But we can only go to areas that we are allowed to take a dog, NP's and many other places are off limits.
We also live 30 k's out of town and our nearest neighbour is about 5k's away so its Not as if she is an annoyance to the neighbours.

With the increase in recreational 4WD's over the last couple of decades and the complete lack of respect for the environment many of these people have for our national parks which is evidenced by the damage, graffiti, and pollution they cause every year complaining about a few pooches in the park is But a storm in a teacup.
You only have to look at the "I got bogged at Inskip" type footage to see the extent of the stupidity and recklessness of some of our 4WDing community and pull into just about any roadside stop/truck bay to see all the garbage and excreta that motorists in general scatter around the country.
Dogs are "Saints" compared to the wave of Human garbage that visit our national parks every year.[bigwhistle]

Can you imagine the additional damage the "Human garbage" could inflict if they were allowed to take puppies into NPs.

[JoeFriend]

I thought the main reason dogs are not allowed in NP's in Qld is because they chase and sometimes kill native wildlife.

Some NP's here also have signs that 1080 baits are being used.Pretty much all parks that don't have a dingo population have 1080 baits everywhere to control fix and wild dog populations.

Whether they are currently baited or not is another question - but its also part of the reason not to take a dog into a national park.

I have a dog and I get a bit annoyed at times because if I want to go away with the doggo it needs to be a state forest with all the yobbos but I deal with it. Why? Because as someone who has spent a heap of time in national parks, I value the quietness offered by not having dirt bikes, dogs everywhere and the rest of it.

[4xsama]

Pretty much all parks that don't have a dingo population have 1080 baits everywhere to control fix and wild dog populations.

Whether they are currently baited or not is another question - but its also part of the reason not to take a dog into a national park.

I have a dog and I get a bit annoyed at times because if I want to go away with the doggo it needs to be a state forest with all the yobbos but I deal with it. Why? Because as someone who has spent a heap of time in national parks, I value the quietness offered by not having dirt bikes, dogs everywhere and the rest of it.

We have a couple of Labs we take away with us. Both are kept under control when out in public and I doubt either would be much threat to wildlife. We also clean up after them always. 1080 bait is a real concern for us too so we don't let them wander, even in State Forests. As much as I'd like to take them into a NP I agree with the ruling they (and cats) are not allowed. I also get the need for the rule. We have stayed in some beautiful places in the bush on Air B'n'B where we were advised dogs weren't allowed because someone had let their beloved pooch maul a wallaby. Unfortunately there are some owners who seem to wear their manhood on a leash or simply don't care.

Having some areas dog free isn't the end of the world and I think it is important to keep some areas as peaceful as possible.

I wasn't going to post in this thread when I first read it because I knew I'd end up getting on my soap box but I do feel strongly NP's should be kept to the native critters.

[barney]

The reason for the ban on domestic dogs in NPs is well touted by Park management. It is that the scent left behind by your household pet may inhibit non-canine native fauna from freely moving about.

Of course, this presupposes that the native fauna has learnt to distinguish between a domestic pet dogs scent from the scent of the thousands of wild feral dogs which live and roam uninhibitedly in those same NPs. That a wild dogs scent will supposedly be ignored by all fauna but not your pet dogs scent.

Of course, this is a claim by the learned folk at NPWS who don't know their arse from their elbow really. I live in an area that is within about a block of a bushy area. We frequently get rabbits, bandicoots, possums and all sorts of creatures in our backyard, where occasionally, they can meet their doom at the jaws of our dogs. Before our current tribe, we had cross Rottys, which did not have a prey drive, but given the opportunity for a bit of sport, would take on the native wildlife. I can remember about 3 red bellies, a couple of brushtail possums and maybe a Bluetongue or two that met their demise in our backyard. Our current tribe is 3 greyhounds and a miniature schnauzer, which unfortunately have a hunting instinct and have ripped apart quite a few bandicoots. Our yard is well fenced by 3 brick walls and the house and has strategically placed lumps of dog poop freshly laid daily, but this does not scare off the natives. So you can probably understand my scepticism at their claim about the scent.
We work with Sydney wildlife and rehabilitate ringtail possums and Macropods. When we let soft release the possums, we have to keep the dogs on leashes in the backyard at night when they go out to pee, we don't encourage this behaviour.
I would not let my dogs run loose in a national park, or anywhere for that matter, they are really not that aware of anything other than what they are focussed on. But if they were under control in a NP, I don't think there would be an issue with the wildlife. maybe the rules will one day be reconsidered.

[B.S.F.]

I'm getting a bit fed up with reading about 'responsible dog owners'. My observations have been that most dog owners only act responsibly when they think they're being watched.
.W.

[goingbush]

Dog or No Dog, I just don't go into National Parks.
Can't tolerate the people & the **** (literally) they leave behind.

But Dogs in the wild are obviously a problem. Seen this in our travels.



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/1191.jpg

[barney]

I'm getting a bit fed up with reading about 'responsible dog owners'. My observations have been that most dog owners only act responsibly when they think they're being watched.
.W.


You could say its the same with 4wders

[LRJim]

Dog or No Dog, I just don't go into National Parks.
Can't tolerate the people & the **** (literally) they leave behind.

But Dogs in the wild are obviously a problem. Seen this in our travels.



https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/1191.jpgYep massive problem seen that plenty of times foxes also, $120 a dog scalp thats how bad they are.
Foxes are only $10, i have about $250 sitting in my freezer in scalps[emoji16]
They need to put cats on the bounty now...

[goingbush]

Local bloke about 10mins from here has about 500m of foxes & a few dogs hanging from his fence.

[LRJim]

Local bloke about 10mins from here has about 500m of foxes & a few dogs hanging from his fence.Crazy isnt it!? Some hunts people get 100-200 foxes and wild dogs in a day, and not over a large area. It can be really overwhelming for some, but you really have to think about all the wildlife and livestock those foxes have taken.
Cheers Jim

[trout1105]

I shoot foxes sight here, I have even shot them from my back patio at times.
We don't get dingo's here But I have had to shoot a couple of stray dogs that though that mauling lambs was a good idea at the time.

[CraigE]

While illegal in most National Parks including WA, reserves, forrests etc have different rules.
Personally if the dog is behaved and when around other groups on a lead I cant see the problem.
However if it is not being looked after and its owners are irresponsible or the its all right mentality it can be a different issue.
I would love to be able to take our dog with us into parks.
I also do get there are some very sensitive areas where not appropriate.
Also get if the dog is allowed to chase wild animals.
The reality is most dogs and owners are ok and responsible, it is the few that cause the total bans.
We have issues with pig hunters around where I work and their dogs, which are also banned in water catchment areas, but these guys think it is their god given right to hunt in the catchment areas and also play chicken with haul trucks from time to time.

[CraigE]

My Mrs. loathes dogs and if she had her way the animals would be banned from suburbs and towns as well as National Parks. "Dirty, smelly, noisy creatures" she says "that serve no useful purpose unless they are working dogs or service dogs".

I am not in total agreement with her views but around here there are legions of barky, yappy, animals whose owners don't have the ability or the will to control them. Council by-law 30.06 should be applied to many of them.

Interesting, very arrogant attitude, but also entitled to her opinion.
I am assuming your wife has no pets at all?
I think the same about Cats and think all should be shot on site, but I dont infer that view on others.
We could say the same about any pet.
I find dogs more useful, with more integrity and intelligence than most humans to be honest.
Do humans serve any real purpose, in context we could ask the same question about us? We are the most destructive of all animals.

[LRJim]

I shoot foxes sight here, I have even shot them from my back patio at times.
We don't get dingo's here But I have had to shoot a couple of stray dogs that though that mauling lambs was a good idea at the time.Since having the suburbs built on my boundary weve been getting cats, had a few wild ones that I've picked off. The last one terrorised my birds while i was away and gave them a heart attack...got him 2nd night i was home. He was a young fetal but he was huge! Driving around last night I spotted 2 really young cats running around the old wheat field, both ran to the same house and both had collars on. People just dont get it, they live next to a farm and let their cats roam around or let them go stray. Same for people living near parks they continue to let their cats out. My wife has a cat who only comes out with her when she does the animals and he stays with her, all other times hes locked in the house.

Cheers Jim

[Chops]

Jim, don’t the local council up there have the 7 - 7 ruling in your area for cats 🐈?

[Grumbles]

Crazy isnt it!? Some hunts people get 100-200 foxes and wild dogs in a day, and not over a large area.
Cheers Jim

100 - 200 foxes and wild dogs in a day.....Really???

[LRJim]

100 - 200 foxes and wild dogs in a day.....Really???Uhhh yerp..what my wife shows me on facebook still blows me away.
This is in vic, it was over one weekend https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190108/2ece35c76339dddaa1045f6ca6450162.jpg

[LRJim]

Jim, don’t the local council up there have the 7 - 7 ruling in your area for cats [emoji250]?Do you think all these people give a ****? Im in hume and they are fairly stricked, but that dosnt stop people.

[POD]

Uhhh yerp..what my wife shows me on facebook still blows me away.
This is in vic, it was over one weekend https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190108/2ece35c76339dddaa1045f6ca6450162.jpg

The people who did that would be welcome to spend a weekend at my place.

[Grumbles]

Uhhh yerp..what my wife shows me on facebook still blows me away.
This is in vic, it was over one weekend https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190108/2ece35c76339dddaa1045f6ca6450162.jpg

Okay..thanks...now I understand. These sorts of kill numbers are only obtained when a team and/or teams of shooters operating under the various Controlled Pest Management Programs administered either by the Field and Game Association, Australian Deer Association or the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia - Victoria. No individual shooter could manage to take the large numbers you have depicted.

Operating as a lone hunter I can't recall how many foxes I have taken in a day but plenty. Wild dogs are very much a different - aka difficult - proposition to foxes and my best is three in an afternoon which is quite a respectable take.

[LRJim]

Okay..thanks...now I understand. These sorts of kill numbers are only obtained when a team and/or teams of shooters operating under the various Controlled Pest Management Programs administered either by the Field and Game Association, Australian Deer Association or the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia - Victoria. No individual shooter could manage to take the large numbers you have depicted.

Operating as a lone hunter I can't recall how many foxes I have taken in a day but plenty. Wild dogs are very much a different - aka difficult - proposition to foxes and my best is three in an afternoon which is quite a respectable take.Dont necessarily have to be organised by F&G, plenty of farmers and ranchers will organize it themselves we have a few regulars we get calls from. But I hear were you are coming from which was besides the point, it wasnt about how many 1 hunter can knock over in a day. It was about how many ferals are actually out there over a small area and a photo like that really shows how bad the problem is, and honestly thats still nothing compare to other parts of the country.
Do you go out with dogs or go out and whistle?

[Grumbles]

Of course......my apols.....I completely forgot about the locally organised informal type pest drives. For some perspective though what do you mean by a small area? Everyone has a different interpretation of what small means.

LRJim Q - Do you go out with dogs or go out and whistle? - UQ.


I am confining my response to wild dogs here because that is where my interest is focused.


I go out with one dog......a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. He tells me if the wild dogs have been around. Once that is established then I howl them in just by using my own vocal chords.


It can be very difficult to find a wild dog though. Their home range varies from 45 square km up to 125 square km. In one survey one tagged wild dog travelled 230km in 9 days before returning to its home range and another travelled 105km in 87 days.


Interesting isn't it........


Cheers.

[Arapiles]

A couple of thoughts ...

Right or wrong, where the law says no dogs it should be obeyed. If you think that a law (such as no dogs in NP) is restrictive or incorrect or misconceived then by all means seek its amendment, but in the interim obey it. Just obeying the laws you agree with or aren't inconvenienced by is wrong and a very slippery slope. Or, if you really, really object to a law then don't obey it but don't also whinge when you get booked - that's the price of your beliefs.

And if you do have a dog in an NP, control it - about 20 years ago I was coming off Mt Bogong. Some people had camped at Mountain Creek, pretty much across the track. As I walked through a blue heeler lunged at me - one of the campers grabbed it by the collar. So, I stopped and told them that if they were going to bring a dog into an NP they should at least ensure that it wasn't a risk to other people. And if it was so aggressive that it needed to be held by the collar when someone was legitimately using a walking track then it needed to be on a chain. I got death stares from all of them.

And, I must admit that I thought that all national parks were managed by the Commonwealth, but I've just discovered that's not the case.

[scarry]

100 - 200 foxes and wild dogs in a day.....Really???

Difficult to believe,definitely not in Qld,but i presume the pic is down south somewhere.

I have done a lot of shooting in many areas of Qld,and that many in a day is stretching the imagination.....

Pigs,yes,but not foxes.

I am with the others,cats are just as much a pest as foxes.

We find that regular baiting for dogs,reduces both cat and fox numbers as well.

[rangieman]

Uhhh yerp..what my wife shows me on facebook still blows me away.
This is in vic, it was over one weekend https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190108/2ece35c76339dddaa1045f6ca6450162.jpg
The stench of 200 dead fox`s would be horrendous in this heat :no2:.
Mind you that is now 200 we no longer have to worry about :rocket:

[LRJim]

The stench of 200 dead fox`s would be horrendous in this heat :no2:.
Mind you that is now 200 we no longer have to worry about :rocket:Ohh yeah would stank!
Near the block there was a fenceline where they hang em up, well over 60 foxes last time we stopped and counted. They kept adding a few every weekend, stank a bit but it wasnt 40° it was in winter.

Cheers Jim

[PhilipA]

Do humans serve any real purpose, in context we could ask the same question about us? We are the most destructive of all animals.
I recommend that the poster read Jordan Peterson's book "12 Rules for Life" as to the implications of having this attitude.
I realise that it is probably said in jest but if serious , it is concerning.

Regards Philip A

[Arapiles]

Got back from holidays last week and there was a new cat hanging around our street. It looked pretty thin, so we fed it. It then pretty much made itself at home on our back porch. Had a collar but no rego tag or phone number. We asked around and did a door knock and confirmed that it didn't belong to anyone in our street. Rang the local vet and arranged to take it in to have the microchip checked. Took it in and they looked surprised and said oh, this cat came in last week as a stray and the owner hadn't even noticed that he was gone. Checked the microchip and yeah, the same cat.

[Arapiles]

Since having the suburbs built on my boundary weve been getting cats, had a few wild ones that I've picked off. The last one terrorised my birds while i was away and gave them a heart attack...got him 2nd night i was home. He was a young fetal but he was huge! Driving around last night I spotted 2 really young cats running around the old wheat field, both ran to the same house and both had collars on. People just dont get it, they live next to a farm and let their cats roam around or let them go stray. Same for people living near parks they continue to let their cats out. My wife has a cat who only comes out with her when she does the animals and he stays with her, all other times hes locked in the house.
Cheers Jim

There are feral cats around that are a metre long from tip of nose to tip of tail. When I was a kid I was out shooting one evening and saw a neighbours cat sauntering across one of our paddocks having just crossed in from the neighbour's place. If it was clear that it was a feral I'd've just shot it, but I thought it probably belonged to the neighbours. So I put a .22 bullet about a foot in front of his nose. I doubt he came back.

And, in case you're wondering, there were no houses in the direction I was shooting for about 10ks and the next road was about 1400m away.

[JDNSW]

One of my former near neighbours (melanoma, about ten years ago) once told me that he shot one of these in his front paddock and put a picture of the kill in the window of his shop, with appropriate comment.

Turns out it was someone's cat - and he ended up having to shut up shop and move (small town).

[scarry]

Not so long ago we were out spotlighting,and i was looking at a rabbit through the scope on the .22,getting ready to have a shot.
It wasn't far away,i would guess around 20M.
Suddenly a wild cat appeared and grabbed the rabbit by the neck.

One shot and the bullet went through both the skulls.

This was on a large rural property western Qld,the cats are generally quite small,but will take a large rabbit anytime.

[Arapiles]

One of my former near neighbours (melanoma, about ten years ago) once told me that he shot one of these in his front paddock and put a picture of the kill in the window of his shop, with appropriate comment.

Turns out it was someone's cat - and he ended up having to shut up shop and move (small town).

Yes, relations with our neighbours were a little fraught, so me killing their cat would not have gone down well.

[101RRS]

My neighbour does not like cats and has a cat trap. When cats decide to poo poo in his garden he makes up flyer and letter box drops a note to all the neighbours basically saying your cat has been poo pooing in his garden and he will be setting the trap - any cats caught will be going to the pound - so if your cat goes missing that is where you can find it - pay the fee and get it back.

It works - all of a sudden there are no cats wandering the neighbourhood - and it is all legal as in suburbia you can trap cats on your own property as long as they are not harmed.

garry

[DiscoMick]

I once met a bloke who made hats out of wild cats he killed and sold them at markets, so the cat was the hat. He sold a lot of cat hats.

[rangieman]

- and it is all legal as in suburbia you can trap cats on your own property as long as they are not harmed.

garry
Take them out of town a shoot them in the cage job done :rocket:

[101RRS]

Yep and then you have the RSPCA after you - these are suburban pets not feral.

[ramblingboy42]

Prince Charles wore a fox hat to Alice Springs in hot weather on one his visits a few years ago.

[trout1105]

Yep and then you have the RSPCA after you - these are suburban pets not feral.

Cats do Not require a licence so if any one of them is being "Problematic" even in suburbia then they are fair game and as long as the trapping and disposal is done "Discreetly" who is to know?
I Love cats But out here if I see a feral cat on the property I will shoot it without any hesitation whatsoever because of the environmental damage they are capable of[thumbsupbig]

[manic]

I would have no problem with well controlled dogs out for walks in NP's.

Can we ban caravans from NPs instead?

In an attempt to find a quiet camp site in the high country I drove down a dead end, steep overgrown track, scratched the **** out of the rover, and what do I find at the end....... 5 stonking grey nomad caravans!!

They had intentionally blocked the track into the camping area with their tugs. So proud of their acheivement, they were settled in for two weeks!

Ban ban ban!

[numpty]

My neighbour does not like cats and has a cat trap. When cats decide to poo poo in his garden he makes up flyer and letter box drops a note to all the neighbours basically saying your cat has been poo pooing in his garden and he will be setting the trap - any cats caught will be going to the pound - so if your cat goes missing that is where you can find it - pay the fee and get it back.

It works - all of a sudden there are no cats wandering the neighbourhood - and it is all legal as in suburbia you can trap cats on your own property as long as they are not harmed.

garry

My partner has a lot of parrots in aviaries and we get cats visiting at night disturbing the birds. We put out a trap and if the little buggers are caught, they are shot in the trap, collars, bells and any form of identification are removed and the carcass is taken for a drive and dumped somewhere. Got rid of quite a number over the years.

Pets or ferals, they're all killers and I wont tolerate them period. We've watched one (pet) up the back paddock stalk a crested pigeon, kill it and leave it and continue stalking it's next victim. Dogs have to be registered, why not cats?

[Strangerover]

Take them out of town a shoot them in the cage job done :rocket:Isn't that bad for the cage?

[trout1105]

Isn't that bad for the cage?

Not at all, a well placed .22 in the cats scull won't exit the body and damage the mesh[thumbsupbig]

[austastar]

Prince Charles wore a fox hat to Alice Springs in hot weather on one his visits a few years ago.Hi,
You would think Mummy would have known where it was.
Cheers

[trout1105]

We have quite a large family of resident roo's that often graze on the only green grass in the area during summer that is our back lawn, We also have heaps of various birds that love the sprinklers and our old dog doesn't even bark at them let alone attack them.
Some dogs should Never be allowed to roam about anywhere let alone in a NP But dogs like our docile/lazy little spoilt brat pose No problem whatsoever.

[Mercguy]

NPWS perform annual 1080 baiting in the RNP and illawarra escarpment to reduce the number of ferals (not species-specific).

Also an annual deer cull - however it doesn't appear that either of these practices have any effect on feral populations or the deer.

We have an annual migrant buck, who literally lives across the road on the tiny thread of escarpment, from autumn to spring. He first arrived in 2011. He's now quite a sizeable chap and would make a nice prize.

We've notified NPWS, and they can't catch him, he's wayyy to smart. Good on him though.... he's a bit of a local icon, although on winter mornings when the fog's rolling in, he's a bit of a problem for the early risers... standing in the middle of the road, or keeping the locals lawns mowed...

I keep my dogs (registered) on leads, yet other locals seem to ignore this requirement. I tell them off. Don't care - if it's good enough for me to obey the law, so can you. Cats? well, if they end up in the 1080 baited zone, I'm all for it.

Insofar as keeping a dog out of a national park..... It's a blanket law which protects wildlife from domestic canine abuse. And while my two blind, insulin-dependent canines wouldn't harm any native wildlife, I understand why the law is in place and respect that. Does it cause issues for me? well - yes and no. I don't go to national parks with my dogs, nor do I stop in national park campsites. I go and stop in places where I can arrange for pet-friendly accommodation. My fur kids are indoor animals primarily, and are house trained. They're also old, blind, insulin dependent and would suffer from anxiety if placed in unfamiliar surroundings. Years ago when I could have taken them with me, I would have loved to. I think for certain species the law is completely inept, however, like everything in this Nanny state we live in, the law is placed to protect the majority of sensible owners from a minority of abusive ignorant owners.... the hunting dogs and the irresponsible owners.

We could take some time out to mention Fraser Island - the reputedly "most pure dingo" in 'STRAYA. I call bull**** on that. My ancestors ran the lighthouses on hook point, sandy cape and inskip pt, and back in the day the only food supply was a government ship every 3 months. Dingoes were shot, the local natives were kept away with saltpetre in a 12 gauge, and the loggers brought dogs with them, all of which puts paid to the purity claim of fraser island dingoes.

But the law's there to protect what is left of the population. I just find the claims to the alleged purity a heap of lies.
The attitude of QNPWS is to "return" the fauna populations. It will eventually lead to Dingo species overpopulation. There is no thought about preserving or restricting 4x4 use on the island - just like there were no restrictions on logging back in the day. Just like the whole areas been fished out in the last 30 years.

I'm not one to bitch and moan, but there are times when you have to look at the reasons as to why people are locked out of places. There are reasons (unfounded bull**** ones) and then there are legitimate reasons.

Neither of which have been well implemented in the past, and many will continue to be poorly implemented. Just like fire management of national parks, and green zones around large populations.

If people actually took notice of how our Aboriginal owners take care of the land, we'd all be better off. Dogs, cats, pigs, foxes, deer, cane toads, invasive plant species..... if we all were allowed to actually get in there and do our bit to remove the problem, without some beauracrat trying to make a big scene about it or some uniformed authoritarian yelling without logical reason, then we would be able to responsibly use these places without issues of access and canine companions.

Across the road from me, I have a problem with an invasive plant species - the land is owned by the crown and maintained by NSW NPWS. Neighbours of mine routinely go in to areas nearby and remove vegetation, I've left it alone for the entire period I have lived here. The difference is obvious.

However when it comes to asking NPWS to remove the invasive species - nope. Can I remove it for you?? not allowed. no I cannot. Literally cannot remove a known legislated invasive species from a national park controlled land.

Ask yourselves who the bigger dickhead idiots are.... NPWS or the government

What is required is a 44 gallon drum of glyphosate 360 and a tractor with a spray arm now, when 10 years ago it could have easily been controlled by one person.

Of course, I have to thank NSW Roads & Maritime Services for this - because they owned and controlled this parcel of land and it was a designated fire break - and maintained as such until 2008, when it was handed to NPWS who sat on their collective arse and done nothing. No fire break maintenance, no control of invasive species. No maintenance on the lookout, and no willingness to cooperate with local residents.

And yet we all wonder why people end up in heated dispute with civil servants in uniform..... I've seen it a number of times here.... and yet still nothing is done to maintain the firebreak or control the invasive species. Just the usual BS excuses.... budget doesn't allow, low-priority area etc, yet it's on one of the busiest nsw tourist routes in southern nsw - and we still have to deal with and cop the tourist rubbish, the beer swilling yokel parking up with the radio on full-bore and the dope smoking car full of teens...

Dogs are the least of the problems for national parks. Dickheads are the biggest problem.

[V8Ian]

Why aren't cane toads banned from NPs?

[laney]

I shoot on a property where the owner locks his dogs up at night he says if I see any dogs,cats or any other form of feral shoot it even if has a collar on as he is feed up with loosing stock.

[101RRS]

Cats do Not require a licence so if any one of them is being "Problematic" even in suburbia then they are fair game and as long as the trapping and disposal is done "Discreetly" who is to know?

Well right or wrong, and I dont disagree with your view, you will soon find yourself with a hefty fine or gaol doing it in the big smoke.

[LRJim]

You cant shoot them in the suburbs, but council offer traps for you to catch and take them into the pound.
Can sure as hell shoot them on a farm though [emoji106]
From domestic animals act vic
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190113/e3835d9f8b4ce9dfae070df1fd6428ea.jpg

[dero]

Re shooting cats in a cage .....use rat shot , does the job humanely & no damage to the cage .

[Arapiles]

I once met a bloke who made hats out of wild cats he killed and sold them at markets, so the cat was the hat. He sold a lot of cat hats.

There was a bloke called Adam O'Neill who gave Dr John Walmsley the cat hat he wore to the tourist awards. I was extremely sympathetic to their reserve which kept foxes and feral cats out.

[rangieman]

You cant shoot them in the suburbs, but council offer traps for you to catch and take them into the pound.
Can sure as hell shoot them on a farm though [emoji106]
From domestic animals act vic
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190113/e3835d9f8b4ce9dfae070df1fd6428ea.jpg
That law is a old long standing law [thumbsupbig]

Used this to my advantage years ago with the police present due to a neighbours 2 dogs mauling our sheep`s snout on a property i was on out west .
The neighbour was a weirdo so no lost sleep but the dogs were never a issue again:rocket:

[350RRC]

Otway national park, first time at Lake Elizabeth.

Big mofo dog staying in the RRC, in shade, going on the walk down to the lake to maybe see a platypus.

I catch and release them as part of work, but the girl I was with had never seen one in the pelt. You get the idea............................

200m ish from the carpark is a sign saying dogs on leash ok on the walk. Can't be stuffed going back to get Fido.

Check it it out on the net, still the go. I really don't know why. Maybe someone local with a bit of influence liked walking his pit bulls there or something.

DL

[wardy1]

maybe its just SA then.

NOPE,
The SA book on the states NP’s and Desert Parks are very clear...... NO DOGS

[Eevo]

Dogs in parks - National Parks South Australia (https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/know-before-you-go/dogs-in-parks)


Dogs are welcome in some of SA's national parks but not all.