Quick answer: In Victoria you can hunt on a large share of public land, mainly State forest, some parks and reserves, and unreserved Crown land, but what you can hunt changes from parcel to parcel. The official source is the hunting layer in the free More to Explore app and the MapShareVic web maps, built by DEECA and promoted by the Game Management Authority (GMA). Every parcel shows which species are allowed (sambar, hog deer, other deer, duck, quail, pest animals) and whether dogs are permitted. To hunt game you need a Victorian Game Licence endorsed for that game type; pest animals need no Game Licence, but you need a firearms licence to shoot them.
Victoria is the most mapped hunting state in Australia. Unlike NSW, there's no booking for most public land: if the parcel is open to the species and the season is open, you can go. That makes the map itself the most important tool you carry.
Where hunting is allowed in Victoria
GMA's fact sheet Where can I hunt in State forest? sets out the basics:
- State forest, forest parks and unreserved Crown land: game can be hunted during the open season. Some State forest is set aside and closed to all hunting, including the areas around Warburton, Halls Gap and the Rubicon Power Station.
- National and other parks: rules are set park by park. For example, in Errinundra National Park game deer can be hunted by stalking only, from 15 February to 15 December, with no dogs for deer and no pest or other species. Some coastal parks allow duck, stubble quail and hog deer in set sections.
- Pest animals: no Game Licence is needed, but you must hold a firearms licence to hunt them with a firearm, and each parcel limits which pest species you may take.
Private land always needs the landholder's permission.
The official GMA hunting maps
The government's maps are free and good. Credit where it's due:
- More to Explore (iOS and Android) is DEECA's app for State forests. Its hunting layers show all public land available for hunting, the species allowed in each area and where hunting dogs are allowed. You can save areas for offline use (the app allows up to 15,000 km² of offline maps).
- MapShareVic is the web version for desktop planning. GMA recommends it for those with a strong internet connection.
- GMA's hunting maps page explains how to set up both, including offline maps.
The data behind both is published as open data: the hunting area dataset for More to Explore (CC BY 4.0). It has about 15,900 public land parcels (DEECA data version 4 September 2026), each with a code for every species group, plus 5 permanently closed deer hunting areas (in place 2024 to 2034) and a separate layer of land where firearm use requires permission from the licence holder.
Victoria's public land hunting parcels in HuntScout, from the same DEECA dataset that powers More to Explore.
How to read a parcel
Each parcel answers three questions for each species group:
- Is it permitted? Some parcels allow only stalking; some allow gun dogs, deer dogs or hounds; some are hog deer by ballot only; some are "check with authorities".
- Within season only? Most game hunting is limited to the open season.
- Any special rule? For example foxes and rabbits only for pest animals, or an agricultural licence where permission is needed.
What HuntScout adds
If you only hunt Victoria, More to Explore is free and official, and you should have it. HuntScout loads the same DEECA parcels and adds a few things that matter to some hunters:
- Per-parcel species and dog rules in plain words. Tap a parcel to see what's allowed (for example "Deer, duck, pest"), the access rule for dogs, the land manager, the locality and the area in hectares, with the full rule per species on the seasons sheet.
- Firearm permission flag and the closed deer areas on the same map.
- Season dates beside the map. The DEECA layer says "within season" but has no dates; HuntScout shows GMA's dates for each species with a link to the GMA page.
- Several states and NZ in one app. If you also hunt NSW State forests, Tasmania or New Zealand, it's one plan and one map.
- Your own data. Waypoints, routes and areas in folders, shared with your hunting party, plus offline download.
The High Country between Mansfield and Jamieson in HuntScout. Red areas are closed to deer hunting.
Where HuntScout falls short: the hunting layers are part of the paid Australia & NZ plan, it doesn't show seasonal duck wetland closures (GMA announces those each season and they aren't in the DEECA layers), and it doesn't show private land owners in Australia. When the map and GMA disagree, GMA wins.
2026 deer, duck and quail seasons
All dates below are from GMA and were checked on 7 October 2026. Always re-check before you go, especially for duck, where arrangements are set each year.
Deer
| Deer | Season (2026) | Notes |
|---|
| Sambar, stalking | All year | (GMA) |
| Sambar, with hounds | 1 April to 30 November | Closed from the Friday before Easter to the Wednesday after when Easter falls in April. Only registered beagles, bloodhounds, harriers, black and tan coonhounds and bluetick coonhounds may be used. |
| Red, fallow, chital and rusa | All year | No bag limit |
| Hog deer | 1 to 30 April | Hog deer tag needed for each deer. Some public land is by ballot only (GMA). |
Hog deer ballots cover Blond Bay State Game Reserve, the Boole Poole Peninsula (Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park) and Snake Island, which are otherwise closed to hunting. Entries usually open between August and October with the draw in November; the 2026 ballot ran from 4 August to 31 October 2025.
Duck
| 2026 |
|---|
| Season | 18 March to 8 June 2026 |
| Daily bag | 9 |
| Species | Pacific black duck, grey teal, chestnut teal, wood duck, mountain duck, hardhead and pink-eared duck |
| Not huntable | Blue-winged shoveler (threatened; closed for 2026) |
| Shot | Lead shot is prohibited |
Some wetlands are closed separately. Check GMA's duck season arrangements before every trip.
The Gippsland Lakes in HuntScout. Duck and hog deer hunting areas here are set section by section.
Stubble quail and pest animals
- Stubble quail: first Saturday in April to 30 June (4 April to 30 June 2026), bag 20, shotgun no larger than 12 gauge, no lead shot (GMA).
- Pest animals (fox, hare, rabbit, goat, pig and wild dog): no season. DEECA's pest hunting areas cover these, but each parcel's code limits which species (GMA).
For every season row with its source, see Victoria hunting seasons.
Tips for hunting Victorian public land
- Download offline before you leave. Much of the High Country and East Gippsland has no coverage.
- Know the parcel edge. Public land often adjoins freehold. Your map position matters more than a fence.
- Check closures. Fire, harvesting, track closures and seasonal wetland closures change often.
- Wear blaze orange in busy deer country, and positively identify every target.
- Carry a PLB in remote country and leave your plans with someone.
Get Victoria's hunting parcels on your phone
Read next: NSW State forest hunting map · Where to hunt in Tasmania · Best hunting apps in Australia and NZ · HuntScout in Australia and New Zealand
Last checked: 15 October 2026, against GMA's deer, duck, quail, pest animal and hunting map pages, GMA fact sheet FS0002, and the DEECA hunting area dataset. Seasons, ballots and closures change. Always confirm current regulations with the Game Management Authority before you hunt.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I hunt on public land in Victoria?
Mainly State forest, forest parks and unreserved Crown land during the open season, plus some parks and reserves under park-specific rules. Some State forest is closed to all hunting. Check the parcel in More to Explore, MapShareVic or a map app that loads DEECA's hunting layer, and see GMA's where to hunt deer page.
What is the official hunting map for Victoria?
The hunting layers in DEECA's free More to Explore app, and the MapShareVic web maps. GMA explains both on its hunting maps page. The same data is published as open data, which apps like HuntScout use.
Do I need a licence to hunt in Victoria?
To hunt game (deer, duck, quail) you need a Victorian Game Licence endorsed for that game type, plus a firearms licence for firearms. Pest animals need no Game Licence, but you must hold a firearms licence to hunt them with a firearm.
When is deer season in Victoria?
Stalking sambar, red, fallow, chital and rusa deer is open all year. Hunting sambar with hounds runs 1 April to 30 November, with an Easter closure in some years, and hog deer season is 1 to 30 April. See GMA's when to hunt deer page.
Can I use the More to Explore app offline?
Yes. You can save areas for offline use before you leave reception. The app allows up to 15,000 km² of offline maps, and GMA explains the steps on its hunting maps page.
