Quick answer: In New South Wales you can hunt on public land only in State forests that are declared and opened for hunting, and only with a NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence (R-Licence) plus a written permission issued by DPIRD Hunting for that forest. You book the permission online or in the free Hunt NSW app. Each forest is open 7 days, weekends only or weekdays only. You may hunt only in the hunting area shown on your DPIRD map, never in exclusion zones, and you must carry a GPS-enabled device with the current hunting and exclusion maps. The Hunt NSW app meets that rule. Deer have no closed season in NSW.
NSW public land hunting is a booking system, not a map of open ground. That catches out hunters from Victoria or New Zealand, where you can often just turn up with your licence or permit. Here is how the system works, what the official maps are, and where a planning map like HuntScout fits.
What is an R-Licence?
The Restricted Game Hunting Licence, or R-Licence, is the NSW licence you need to hunt on declared public land (State forests). It's issued by DPIRD Hunting (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, formerly DPI).
To get one you must:
- Complete the R-Licence accreditation course. The online course is run through hunter-ed.com. DPIRD lists the online course fee as $50, and adding a category to an existing R-Licence costs $13 per category (DPIRD). Categories cover the methods you hunt with, such as firearms, bows and dogs.
- Join an Approved Hunting Organisation (a hunting club approved by DPIRD).
- Apply to DPIRD with your course result and proof of membership. The licence fee is separate from the course fee.
You also need a NSW firearms licence (or an equivalent) for any firearm you use. Minors can hunt on public land under supervision; under the written permission conditions they must be under the direct, one-on-one supervision of the accompanying R-Licence holder at all times.
Declared hunting forests
Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) manages the State forests. In January 2024 the NSW Government redeclared 351 State forests for hunting, effective from 1 February 2024 to 1 February 2034 (DPIRD). FCNSW has assessed each declared forest to decide whether R-Licence holders can hunt there.
Each declared forest has a category that sets when it's open:
| Category | Open for hunting |
|---|
| Open 7 days | Any day, subject to your permission |
| Weekends only | Weekends only |
| Weekdays only | Weekdays only |
A forest can still be closed for fire danger, harvesting, roadworks or other operations. Forestry Corporation is explicit that forest closures override all hunting permits: hunting isn't permitted in a closed forest even with a permission (FCNSW).
New South Wales State forests in HuntScout. Most declared hunting forests sit along the Great Dividing Range and the coast.
How booking works (written permission)
You book a written permission for a specific forest and dates:
- Log in to DPIRD's Online Licence Holder Services, or use the Hunt NSW app.
- Choose the forest and the days you want to hunt. Check its category and any closure first.
- For the first permission each day in a forest, one full day must pass between booking and the start of hunting. Plan ahead for weekend trips.
- The permission (and its maps) are stored in Hunt NSW. You can cancel up to the day before your hunt.
- After the hunt, submit your harvest return. Hunt NSW lets you record it in the field and submit when you're back in reception.
Balloted forests
Some forests are balloted at peak times. For 1 March to 3 May each year, Maragle South State Forest and Mannus State Forest (the Seymours section, plus a bows-only section) are allocated by ballot through Hunt NSW, and normal bookings aren't available for those forests in March and April. Some periods are reserved for youth hunts. See Balloted hunting in NSW.
The map rule: what you must carry
This is the part most people get wrong. Your written permission conditions require you to:
- carry a GPS-enabled device with the current hunting and exclusion zone maps for the area you're hunting, powered on and working the whole time
- hunt only on land identified as a hunting area on your DPIRD hunting map
- stay out of exclusion zones
The official maps are produced by Forestry Corporation from its work plans and are updated quarterly. They come as .kmz or .pdf files from the licence holder portal, or inside the Hunt NSW app, which DPIRD says meets the GPS map requirement on its own (GPS download guide).
HuntScout is not an approved DPIRD hunting map. Use it to research and shortlist forests, but carry the Hunt NSW app (or the official .kmz/.pdf on a GPS) on every hunt.
Exclusion zone types
From DPIRD's permission conditions:
- General exclusion zones. You can travel through with a written permission, but firearms must be unloaded and ammunition stored separately first.
- Total public exclusion zones. No entry at any time.
- Temporary exclusion zones. These may not be on your permission or map, so obey the signs on site.
Forestry Corporation also excludes all quarry and gravel pit sites in State forests from hunting, active or not (FCNSW), and hunting is not allowed near picnic and camping areas or active forestry operations.
Huntable species, seasons and restrictions
| Species | Season in NSW State forests | Notes |
|---|
| Deer | All year | DPIRD says no seasons apply to deer in NSW, on public or private land (DPIRD). You still need a permission for the forest. |
| Feral pigs | All year | Some forests allow night-time pig hunting with dogs, marked on DPIRD's public land hunting map (DPIRD). |
| Goats, foxes, hares, rabbits, feral cats, wild dogs (not dingoes) | All year | You may hunt only the animals named on your written permission (DPIRD). |
There are no bag limits on deer or pest animals, but methods and hours are set by your licence category and permission conditions. Read the conditions on every permission; breaching them is an offence with penalties.
This guide covers deer and pest animals. Duck and other game bird hunting in NSW runs under a separate system, so check DPIRD for the rules.
Using maps to stay inside boundaries
Forest boundaries in NSW are rarely fenced, and many State forests border private farmland and national parks, where hunting is not allowed. Exclusion zones change every quarter. Three habits keep you legal:
- Plan on a big screen first. Look at the whole forest: access roads, gates, creeks, and where it meets national park or private land.
- Load the official map for your permission period into Hunt NSW before you leave reception.
- Check your position often, especially near a boundary or an exclusion. Treat the official exclusion map as final.
Around Tumut and Batlow in HuntScout: State forests and Forestry Corporation's indicative permanent exclusions. Your DPIRD permission map is the legal reference.
What HuntScout adds for NSW
HuntScout draws Forestry Corporation's public data for the whole state on one map, which is useful when you're deciding which forest to book:
- every State forest, with its name and number on tap
- forests not opened for hunting
- Forestry Corporation's exclusion layers, with the period each applies to, and its indicative permanent exclusions
- Crown leases inside State forests (a lease is not hunting access)
- the same app and plan for Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand if you hunt there too, with offline download
The Pilliga State forests in HuntScout. Forest boundaries, national parks and conservation areas sit side by side here.
What it doesn't do: it doesn't book permissions, store your written permission or submit harvest returns. Hunt NSW does all three. It's not an approved map under your permission conditions, and it doesn't show private land owners in Australia.
A practical planning checklist
Get the planning map
Shortlist forests across NSW and see exclusions before you book, then hunt with your Hunt NSW permission.
Also see NSW hunting seasons, our Victoria hunting maps guide, where to hunt in Tasmania, the best hunting apps in Australia and NZ and HuntScout in Australia and New Zealand.
Last checked: 15 October 2026, against DPIRD's Where can I hunt?, permission conditions, GPS download guide, balloted hunting and feral deer pages, and Forestry Corporation's hunting pages. Licence fees, forest categories, closures and exclusions change, some of them quarterly. Always confirm with DPIRD Hunting and Forestry Corporation of NSW before you hunt.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I hunt in NSW without private land access?
In State forests declared and opened for hunting, with an R-Licence and a written permission for that forest from DPIRD Hunting. National parks are not open to recreational hunting. See DPIRD's Where can I hunt? page.
How do I get an R-Licence in NSW?
Complete the R-Licence accreditation course (online through hunter-ed.com, $50 according to DPIRD), join an Approved Hunting Organisation, then apply to DPIRD with your course result and membership. See DPIRD's accreditation page.
Is there an official NSW State forest hunting map?
Yes. Forestry Corporation produces hunting and exclusion maps for each declared forest, updated quarterly. You get them with your written permission as .kmz or .pdf files, or in the free Hunt NSW app, which meets the GPS map requirement.
Can I use a hunting app instead of the DPIRD map?
Not as your compliance map. Your permission conditions require the current DPIRD hunting and exclusion maps on a GPS-enabled device, and the Hunt NSW app meets that rule. Third-party apps like HuntScout are useful for planning, but carry the official map when you hunt.
Is there a deer season in NSW?
No. DPIRD says deer may be hunted all year in NSW and no seasons apply. On public land you still need an R-Licence and a written permission for the forest. See DPIRD's feral deer page.
How far ahead do I need to book a NSW State forest?
For the first permission each day in a forest, one full day must pass between booking and the start of hunting. Check the forest category too: some forests are open weekends only or weekdays only.
