Rusa deer on the NSW Central Coast and Hunter Valley are the most accessible introduced deer hunting in New South Wales. An account of a first-time rusa hunt.
Rusa Deer in NSW
Javan rusa deer were introduced to the Royal National Park south of Sydney in 1907. They have spread through coastal and hinterland NSW over the intervening century and now occupy significant habitat from the Illawarra north through the Hunter Valley and beyond. They are feral animals with no protected status — hunting is managed by NSW DPI licencing requirements.
Getting Access
State forest land in NSW is open to licensed deer hunters without a ballot or special permit. The forests of the Central Coast and Hunter — Ourimbah, Watagan, Olney, and surrounding blocks — hold good rusa populations and are accessible from Sydney and Newcastle for day or overnight trips.
The Hunt
My first rusa was taken on the second morning of a three-day trip to state forest near Cessnock. I had walked a fire trail for two kilometres before light and was set up on a cleared powerline easement — a common and productive tactic — when two does emerged at 6:15am. Ten minutes later a fork-antlered stag stepped out behind them and stopped broadside at 110 metres.
The shot was clean. The experience of processing a deer you have taken yourself, in the field, is not something I had expected to feel as strongly about as I did. It was meaningful in a way that took me by surprise.
What You Need
NSW deer hunting licence, appropriate centrefire rifle, and quiet clothing suitable for the coastal scrub rusa inhabit. Browse our hunting clothing range — softshell trousers and jackets in tones appropriate for coastal bush.
