Push to allow high-powered firearms to hunt deer in Victoria

A push to relax gun laws to allow semi-automatic weapons to be used for culling pests like deer has been rejected by the State Government.

But Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party member Jeff Bourman says the deer population is growing at such a rate in Gippsland that hunters should be allowed to use semi-automatic rifles.

He told Tony Jones the population has exploded across his electorate.

“You drive around and you have to make sure you don’t hit them in your car,” he said.

“It’s also becoming a problem for the government because they breed like flies in public land.

“The sort of rifle that would be suitable for deer hunting is not the assault rifle, they only have four or five shots.”

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Tony Jones said the opinion seemed to be at odds with the community’s thinking in terms of weaponry.

“The reality of it is, to get the numbers down you have to kill the animals,” Jeff said.

“Efficiency when you’re talking about population is what it’s about.”