Deer hunting - the passion and the politics with Peter Burke: SSAA Victoria Podcast Ep 12.

Episode 12 of the SSAA Victoria Podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with Peter Burke - one of the most experienced and respected voices in Australian deer hunting. We cover a packed agenda to start, including the opening of duck, quail, hog deer and hound seasons, the Victorian firearm law review, the Outdoor Recreation Victoria reforms, recent ministerial changes, Game Changing Huts, and the developing joint election platform. We also take a moment to acknowledge the passing of sambar legend Mike Harrison. From there, we dive deep with Peter. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience, Peter reflects on the evolution of deer hunting in Australia - from the early days through to today’s political and cultural landscape. We explore the Burke family’s role in hunting, the story behind the book "Quiet Footsteps", and how public land access and hunter advocacy have shifted over time. This is an honest discussion about deer themselves - how numbers have changed, what’s really happening in the bush, and the growing gap between evidence and activism. We tackle some of the more questionable claims about deer impacts head-on and unpack why nuance is so often missing from the public debate. And of course, we talk hunting - red, fallow, hog deer, and sambar both over hounds and on walking them up. We finish by looking forward: where is deer hunting in Victoria heading, and what needs to happen next? If you care about the future of hunting in Victoria, this is one to listen to. Check out Peter's YouTube instructional (and inspirational) videos at    / @sambarhuntersedge-lf2qq