Quick answer: Much of Tasmania's hunting is on private land with the landholder's permission. Public land options are limited and run through booking systems. For deer, there are 19 public land deer hunting areas on Parks and Wildlife reserved land and Hydro Tasmania land. The Zone 1 stag (adult male) season there is allocated by a ballot (applications December to January), and the antlerless season and all deer in Zones 2 and 3 are booked through NRE's online booking system. Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) has public hunting areas that need a Permission to Shoot, and Parks and Wildlife manages separate wallaby and duck areas. You need a Tasmanian hunting licence for the species.
Tasmania's wild deer are fallow deer, and the state runs one of Australia's more structured deer systems. From 2027 that system changes: NRE has proposed new deer rules that open Zones 2 and 3 all year. This guide covers where you can hunt now and what's coming.
Who manages hunting in Tasmania?
- NRE Tasmania (Department of Natural Resources and Environment), through Game Services Tasmania, issues hunting licences, sets seasons and runs the public land ballot and booking system.
- Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) manages reserved land, including game reserves and the PWS wallaby and duck areas.
- Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) manages permanent timber production land and issues Permissions to Shoot for its public hunting areas.
- Hydro Tasmania land includes some deer hunting areas and some duck areas.
Public land deer hunting areas
NRE lists 19 public land hunting areas for deer, including Tooms Lake, Buxton River, Castle Cary and the Central Plateau (NRE).
| What | How you get access | When |
|---|
| Zone 1 adult male (stag) season on the public land hunting areas | Ballot, through Game Services Tasmania | Applications open in December and close in January each year |
| Antlerless season (Zone 1) and all deer in Zones 2 and 3 on the same areas | Online booking at huntingbookings.nre.tas.gov.au | Bookings made online; NRE doesn't print booking windows |
Tasmania is divided into deer management zones. Zone 1 takes in the Midlands and Central Highlands, the heart of the fallow deer range. Zones 2 and 3 lie outside it, and under NRE's proposed 2027 rules they open to all deer classes all year.
Tasmania in HuntScout: public land deer hunting areas (purple), deer management zones (teal lines), STT public hunting areas, Parks and Wildlife wallaby and duck areas, game reserves and no-hunting areas.
Sustainable Timber Tasmania hunting areas
STT manages large areas of production forest and makes some of it available for recreational hunting as public hunting areas (27 areas in STT's access map data, checked 13 October 2026). To hunt there you need a Permission to Shoot from STT for that area, plus the right licence. A polygon on a map is not a Permission to Shoot. Check STT's website for how to apply and for operational closures.
Parks and Wildlife wallaby and duck areas
- Wallaby areas. PWS has zones open for wallaby only or for deer and wallaby, such as Wild Dog Plains, Parson and Clerk, Double Lagoon, Billop Creek, Half Moon Bay, Lake Mackenzie, Tods Corner, Waterhouse and Mt Cameron. A zone is not an Authority to hunt; check PWS for the authority you need.
- Duck areas. Public waters and reserves such as Moulting Lagoon, Lake Crescent, Lake Sorell, Lake Tiberius, Big Waterhouse and Brushy Lagoon are open only in an authorised duck season, and which reserves open is announced before each season. Some are Hydro Tasmania storages.
- No-hunting areas. Some reserves have exclusions and access-only zones, for example at Castle Cary and Tooms Lake.
Tasmania also has 25 game reserves (CAPAD 2024), where hunting is allowed for set species and seasons.
The Central Highlands and Midlands in HuntScout. The Zone 1 boundary runs through the middle; duck areas sit on the highland lakes.
Seasons: 2026 and proposed 2027
From NRE's hunting licence fees and dates page and the Game Tracks guide, checked 7 and 12 October 2026. 2027 dates are proposed. Check Game Tracks 2027 when it's published.
| Species | 2026 | 2027 (proposed) | Notes |
|---|
| Fallow deer, adult male | 28 Feb to 5 Apr | Zone 1: 27 Feb to 4 Apr | Immature males (unbranched antlers) may not be taken. Under the new rules a recreational licence comes with two stag tags. |
| Fallow deer, antlerless | 15 Mar to 15 Nov | Zone 1: 15 Mar to 15 Nov | No bag limit, no tag. Females may not be taken during the fawning period in Zone 1. |
| Fallow deer, Zones 2 and 3 | (as above) | 1 Feb 2027 to 31 Jan 2028 | All deer classes all year, no bag limit or tags, including females during fawning |
| Wallaby | 23 Feb 2026 to 31 Jan 2027 | 1 Feb 2027 to 31 Jan 2028 | Season now runs 1 Feb to 31 Jan, in line with deer |
| Wild duck | 7 Mar to 8 Jun, bag 10 | 6 Mar to 6 Jun | Black duck, grey teal, chestnut teal, mountain duck and wood duck. 12 gauge maximum. |
| Brown quail | 16 May to 28 Jun, bag 20 | 15 May to 27 Jun | Stubble and painted quail are protected |
| Pheasant (King Island only) | 6 to 7 Jun, 3 adult males | 12 to 13 Jun | |
| Muttonbird | 4 to 19 Apr, bag 25 | 3 to 18 Apr | Only listed colonies open |
Under a licence, night shooting, shooting from a vehicle and hunting deer with dogs are not allowed. Full season rows with sources are on Tasmania hunting seasons.
Using maps to plan a Tasmanian hunt
Most of the work in Tasmania is working out which system applies to the ground you're looking at. A deer hunting area booked through NRE, an STT area with a Permission to Shoot, a PWS wallaby zone and a game reserve can sit within a few kilometres of each other, each with its own permission.
HuntScout shows all of these on one map:
- the 19 deer hunting areas, with a link from each to the NRE booking page
- deer management zones and their boundaries
- STT public hunting areas, with a reminder that you need a Permission to Shoot
- PWS wallaby areas, duck areas and no-hunting areas
- game reserves
- season dates for every species, with sources, and offline download
North-east Tasmania in HuntScout, including the Waterhouse and Mt Cameron areas.
The deer zones are free to view without an account. The hunting area layers are part of Australia & NZ Pro. HuntScout doesn't show private land owners in Australia, so on private land you still need to know your landholder and their boundaries.
Before you go
- Hold a Tasmanian hunting licence for the species (and a firearms licence).
- For public land deer: enter the ballot (December to January) or make a booking.
- For STT land: get a Permission to Shoot. For PWS wallaby areas: the right authority.
- Download maps offline. Much of the Central Plateau has patchy coverage.
- Positively identify every animal. The Zone 1 stag rules about immature males are strict.
Get Tasmania's hunting areas on your phone
Read next: Victoria hunting maps · NSW State forest hunting map · Best hunting apps in Australia and NZ · HuntScout in Australia and New Zealand
Last checked: 15 October 2026, against NRE Tasmania's hunting licence fees and dates and public land hunting pages, the Game Tracks guide, and the LIST, PWS and STT map data. Proposed 2027 rules may change before they take effect. Always confirm with NRE Tasmania before you hunt.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I hunt deer on public land in Tasmania?
On the 19 public land deer hunting areas on Parks and Wildlife and Hydro Tasmania land. The Zone 1 stag season there is by ballot, and other deer hunting is by online booking through NRE's booking system. STT public hunting areas need a Permission to Shoot.
When is deer season in Tasmania?
In 2026 the adult male fallow deer season ran 28 February to 5 April and the antlerless season 15 March to 15 November. For 2027 NRE has proposed 27 February to 4 April for Zone 1 stags and all-year hunting in Zones 2 and 3. Check NRE's dates page.
Do I need a licence to hunt wallaby in Tasmania?
Yes. You need a Tasmanian wallaby hunting licence and the landholder's permission, or the right authority for a Parks and Wildlife wallaby area. The 2026–27 season runs 23 February 2026 to 31 January 2027.
Is there a hunting map for Tasmania?
The LIST (Land Tasmania) publishes the deer hunting areas and deer management zones, and Sustainable Timber Tasmania publishes its public hunting areas. HuntScout combines these with Parks and Wildlife wallaby, duck and no-hunting areas and game reserves on one offline map.
How do I apply for the Tasmanian public land deer ballot?
Applications for the Zone 1 adult male season ballot open in December and close in January each year, through Game Services Tasmania. See NRE's public land hunting page for the current round.
