WORKING TOGETHER FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT
Individual Responsibility
· It is important to design your event so that there is an emphasis on self-responsibility of individual participants.
· Safety is the participant's responsibility, however, focus on safe practices
– alcohol, shooting &driving don’t mix!
· The Sporting Shooter’s Association of Australia (WA) have insurance for their members. It can be a good idea to encourage your shooters to become SSAA WA members. Further information is on their website
www.ssaawa.org.au .
· Most other community shooting clubs also have insurance. Individuals would need to contact their particular association to determine their coverage.
· Most community shooting clubs have a code of ethics on responsible shooting behaviour.
· Who is going to organise it? Landcare? A local club? You may wish to call it a “fox tally”, as that is really what is being organised!
· Shooting takes place on private land, with the owner’s permission. The liability insurance of the individual property covers any incidents.
· RSPCA support the culling of declared feral species as long as it’s done in a humane way, with as little stress possible inflicted on the animal (shoot to kill from stationary position using a proper calibre rifle)
Organising the Event
· Fox Shoots are to take place between February—April. See
www.redcard.org.au for exact dates.
· Choose a date that suits your town – a Friday or Saturday night will probably be best. Less than half moon gives best shooting conditions
· Find a place for the Tally to be held. A shearing shed is an ideal place.
· Bodies must be disposed of after the event. Try and arrange with the host farmer to use his offal pit, or dig a hole for the foxes, and a way of transporting them there
.· Promote,promote, promote – encourage farmers to order their 1080 baits too!
Registering Teams
· Teams of however many fit safely on a ute –usually 4 people.
· Teams can be registered right up until the day.
· Remember to get shooting site addresses for accurate mapping of the events.
· Doesn’t matter if they are shooting outside the Shire boundary·
NO ENTRY FEE for teams
Getting Prizes
· This is your decision to be made locally
· Prizes of donations from local businesses work well eg vouchers for services, tools, dog biscuits, ammunition, etc
· The business supplying your local fox baits makes an ideal fox shoot sponsor – a win:win situation!
· Don’t make the prizes too impressive, this can encourage cheating
· Acknowledge any donations you receive
· Fun prizes as well as for the winning teams last place, tallest story of the night,“the one that got away” etc
The Actual Shoot
· Begins at sunset
· No need for all teams to meet together before the event
· Takes place on private land, with the owner’s permission (all responsibility lies with owner)
· The liability insurance of the individual property covers any incidents
· Safety is the participants responsibility, however, encourage safe practices –
alcohol, shooting &driving don’t mix!
Tallying results
· Midnight muster OR a 7am(ish) Tally Breakfast –choose what works well locally.
· All teams bring their haul in for counting
· Food can be provided, or on sale –your choice
· Guns MUST be unloaded and LOCKED inside the vehicles or better yet, leave at home!
· Announce final results and acknowledge sponsors
· Very social event
So, How Do You Win?
· Allocate points per feral animal – local decision on how to score.
o eg 10 points per cat (no collar)
o 10 points per fox
o 2 points per rabbit
o ?per goat, pig, camel….
· Deductions can be made for
o Any native animals shot (including roos)
o Other local rules as required
· After counting, bodies must be deposited ready for disposal ie. on the back of host farmers ute/front end loader bucket. Get the participants to deposit their haul themselves.
Staff Needs
· You’ll need many willing helpers for the breakfast or midnight muster – it can be a smelly job!
· Maybe engage a local service club eg: Rural Youth
· Jobs to be filled (some double-up possible):
· people counting and recording bodies
· People cooking breakfast/sausage sizzle
· 1 person adding up scores and determining winners
· 1 person with a camera taking lots of photos
· 1 person arranging prizes and banners for display
· An MC to run the awards presentation
Reporting Results
· Data on cull numbers to go to the Central Coordinator for the Red Card database (and sponsorship if applicable)—see webpage
www.redcard.org.au · Celebrate the success, both as a community event and for environmental reasons – media release to the local paper and other newsletters. Please choose photos tastefully. Please forward any media releases to the Central Coordinator for records.
· Put team results for display on your local noticeboard
· Write letters thanking any sponsors, and let them know what the final tally result was.
Any questions?
Feel free to contact me at any time during the lead up to your local shoot.
GOOD LUCK!
