Best Hunting Locations In South Australia
South Australia is a great place to hunt introduced and wild game in a variety of environments. There are many habitats that support rabbits, deer and ducks.
The hunt for sambar or foxes can be thrilling for both experienced and novice hunters.
Conservation hunting is a great way to control pests like cats and bunnies while also providing a fun activity. For this reason, several reserves and parks manage hunting access carefully.
Some locations allow for multi-day camping hunts in remote areas to immerse yourself fully in the bush. This list includes both quality hunting and beautiful scenery.
These sections will provide information on the top 10 places to hunt in South Australia. The sections cover the key species, the terrain, necessary permits, and tips for making the most of your hunting trip.
There are many options for hunters, from day-long hunts near Adelaide to long camps in the Outback.
Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula, located south of Adelaide, is one of the premier hunting destinations. The landscape is incredibly diverse. The peninsula is a mix of coastal cliffs, beaches, rolling farms, dense bushland, and forested ranges. The variety of habitats on the peninsula is home to rabbits and foxes as well as cats, deer, and a wide range of birdlife.
Deep Creek Conservation Park, in southern Fleurieu, is the top destination for deer hunters. The park covers 90,000 acres of rugged terrain with fallow and red deer populations.
Only from February through October is the hunting season. Hunting permits must be obtained. The park provides multi-day wilderness adventures with deer trails to follow in forests and open hillsides.
Lake Robe Game Reserve, a smaller park, is a great place to walk in and hunt pest species such as rabbits and foxes.
The scenery along the coast is stunning, with its sandy tracks and low heath. Duck hunting on the Fleurieu wetlands is popular during the open-season. The peninsula is a great habitat that’s easily accessible from Adelaide.
Mount Lofty Ranges
Mount Lofty Ranges, which stretch north of Adelaide and are less than an hours drive from the city, offer excellent hunting opportunities. Although the Mount Lofty Ranges are largely private farmland or national parks, some areas are open to hunters.
Mount Crawford Forest is the most notable feature in the northern ranges. Permits are required to hunt sambar in designated zones.
These steep ridges, gullies and slopes covered in stringybark forests offer a challenging stalking terrain. Sambars are in top physical condition here during autumn.
Cleland wildlife park offers conservation hunts for smaller game on some open days. Hunters are instructed to work in groups and control feral cats, foxes, and rabbits within the park. Forested hills offer a taste of bush-hunting close to urban areas.
Tolderol Game Reserve
Tolderol Game Reserve is located in the northeastern part of South Australia. It offers premier outback hunting. The 120,000-hectare Reserve is a mix of spinifex grasslands and rugged ridges, as well as stunted mulga shrubs between the Flinders ranges and Lake Frome. For accessing corrugated tracks leading to hunting areas, a high-clearance four wheel drive is required.
Tolderol has been managed exclusively for conservation hunting. The area allows for year-round hunting of goats as well as foxes. cats, rabbits and wild dog. This arid, challenging terrain offers stalking opportunities that require skill.
The reserve allows for multi-day hunting with the option of bush camping. Bring plenty of fuel and water when you venture into Tolderol’s far-flung regions.
Chowilla Game Reserve
Chowilla Game Reserve is a 25,000-hectare area of floodplain along the River Murray where it meets with the Darling River. It offers hunting, but only in certain areas. No vehicles are allowed to enter the site.
Foxes, rabbits, and hares are all prime targets. Foot stalking is possible in the grassy woodlands and wetlands. Duck hunting on designated ponds or creeks is permitted during the season. While hunting, high-visibility clothing must be worn.
Chowilla is a remote area, so self-sufficiency will be required. Camp supplies are essential for hunters.
It is possible to spend days in the wilderness, hunting game without ever meeting another person. Beware of snakes, and other nasty creatures that are drawn to waterways.
Moorook Reserve Game Reserve
Moorook Game Reserve is located between the Murray River, and Lake Alexandrina to the east of Adelaide. The reserve covers 20,000 acres of grassy woodlands and samphire plains. It is possible to walk in and hunt rabbits, cats, foxes.
When stalking, the open terrain offers better visibility and less cover than wooded terrain. In the reserve, hunting dogs can be very effective. The ability of the dogs to retrieve prey and flush it from grassy areas is an added bonus.
In designated areas of Moorook, 4WD camping can be done. It is a tranquil setting for hunting trips because of the scenic lakeside location.
The stunning sunsets over Lake Alexandrina are a highlight of every day spent in the field. Be prepared for seasonal crowds that will flock to the area.
Loch Luna Game Reserve
Loch Luna Game Reserve, near Robe, is an excellent option for hunters who love coastal environments. Its 2,200 hectares are located on Lake Robe, the Southern Ocean and include sand heaths and wetlands, as well as grassy banks. This habitat is home to a good number of rabbits, feral cats and foxes.
The reserve is only accessible by foot, so hunters must be self-sufficient. From elevated dunes and bank, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the ocean. The loose sand trails here require good fitness to cover.
Loch Luna is a great place to camp, which makes multi-day trips simple. Combining morning hunts on the heaths and afternoon fishing trips at Lake Robe or nearby beaches is a great idea. Remember to bring insect repellent in the summer months, when mosquitos are a nuisance.
Currency Creek Game Reserve
Currency Creek is another coastal reserve that’s worth a visit, located less than an hour from Adelaide. The reserve covers 7,700 hectares, spanning between the Finniss River & Lake Alexandrina. Pest species such as rabbits, cats, and foxes are protected by grassy woodlands.
Only scenic trails allow access to hunting areas. Open grassy areas and low coastal vegetation provide a better hunting experience than dense bushland. Currency Creek is easily accessible from Adelaide thanks to permits available at the counter.
Camping is allowed in some zones of the reserve. In the summer, the cool breezes from the sea are welcome. The sunrises and sunsets that are over the ocean make for stunning backdrops to hunting coastal heath. This is one of the most scenic areas in South Australia to hunt for game.
Lake Robe Game Reserve
Lake Robe Game Reserve, located just north of Robe Township, has similar sandy landscapes. The 630-hectare Reserve borders Lake Robe, the Southern Ocean and Robe township. The undulating dunes and grassy flats, as well as the low-growing trees that cover it, provide a perfect habitat for introduced species.
Common are rabbits, foxes, and feral cats. No vehicles are allowed on the property. There is always the sound of the sea, which adds to the tranquil atmosphere. It is important to be cautious around wet and lakeshore areas, where the sandy substratum can become mud.
Lake Robe Reserve offers basic camping, which is ideal for overnight hunting. Robe township is close by, so there are pubs and shops to help you unwind at the end of the day.
The reserve is a great place to spend a day exploring the sand dunes away from the crowds. After a successful hunt, the simple pleasure of a walk on the beach or scuba diving is unbeatable.
Deep Creek Conservation Park
Deep Creek Conservation Park, located in the Fleurieu Peninsula’s southern region, offers wilderness hunting. It covers over 90,000 acres and stretches from farmland to dense coastal bush studded by granite outcrops. Deep Creek is a great habitat for pests and introduced deer species.
Permits are required for hunting red and fallow deer in the park. Deer can be difficult to track and access due to the rugged terrain.
Bush camping is allowed in certain zones. Hunters must be self-sufficient when accessing the interior of the park on foot or in a 4WD.
Small game can be stalked by populations of foxes, rabbits and feral cat. The diverse landscapes require different hunting tactics for open hills, dense scrub, forests, and heathlands. Deep Creek is an absolute must for those who are able to travel deep into South Australia bushland.
Coorong National Park
The Coorong National Park, which stretches over 130 km along South Australia’s south coast offers premier hunting opportunities.
The landscape includes coastal dunes and scrubland, samphire plains, and brackish lagunas, all of which provide habitats for pest species. Foxes, feral cats and rabbits burrow in the dunes while low-lying coastal vegetation is a haven for pest species.
The park has a limited hunting access, but it is possible with the right permits. Priority will be given to conservation hunting for foxes and cats, as well as rabbits. To protect the unique ecosystem, their numbers must be reduced. In designated sanctuary zones, walking trails, campgrounds and other areas where hunting is prohibited.
Hunters face a challenging terrain. The sightlines can be affected by dunes that are over 30 metres high. While dense mallee thickets impede movement, samphire samphires hide holes and mud.
Hunting zones are best accessed by four-wheel-drive vehicles, although there are also areas that allow only walk-ins.
It is recommended that you stay overnight in the wilderness of the park while hunting. Hunting for several days allows you to cover more ground and avoid the few roads that traverse the vast terrain. Bush camping is a great way to immerse yourself in the Coorong’s remoteness.
Be sure to bring all the supplies you need, due to the isolation. It is worth the effort to stalk foxes in shifting sands, or wait for rabbits in blinds.
Yorke Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula, with its “boot-shaped” peninsula that juts into Spencer Gulf to the north of Adelaide, is a region rich in hunting opportunities.
There are many foxes and rabbits in the scrublands, farms and coastal areas of the peninsula. Warrenben Conservation Park and Southern Yorke Peninsula Farmlands are prime locations.
Warrenben Conservation Park is a great habitat for mallee, with sand tracks that wind through low vegetation. In the distance, foxes thrive and provide stalking opportunities.
Camping is available in the park for hunters who want to stay longer. High clearance 4WDs are able to traverse deep into mallee, away from main routes.
Private farmlands at the foot of the peninsula, further south, occasionally allow deer hunting permits. The undulating farmlands are interspersed by stands of forest. Red deer thrive on these undulating crops. Deer are extremely cautious and difficult to hunt due to their long-standing history. Local knowledge is extremely helpful for new hunters.
Port Victoria is located on the eastern side Yorke Peninsula. It provides duck hunting access. Ducks gather in the mudflats and reedbeds of the tidal Estuary. The hunting season is only for a few months and involves boating or wading along the shoreline to hidden blinds.
Gawler Ranges
The Gawler Ranges are a rugged area in the far north of South Australia that is ideal for bushland hunting. It has a large population of wild cats, dogs, rabbits and foxes. The ranges north of Port Augusta are covered with stony hillsides that are covered in Mulga shrub.
Paney Station Reserve, Pinkawillinie Conservation Park and Paney Station Reserve are the two main hunting areas. Permits are needed for pest species conservation hunting. The only vehicles that can handle the rough terrain and dirt tracks are 4WDs with high clearance. Hunters must be self-sufficient and carry enough water and supplies.
Remoteness allows for multi-day hunting in the vast terrain. Camping allows you to cover more ground while hunting, and adds to the wilderness experience. Rock outcrops offer vantage points for spotting game silhouetted in the dawn. Gawler ranges remains a challenging and wild paradise for experienced hunter seeking solitude.
Murray River
From Overland Corner up to Waikerie, the Murray River offers a variety of hunting opportunities under towering River Red Gums. The woodlands and limestone rocks along the shores of the Murray River are home to rabbits, foxes, and feral cat.
Hunting access includes walking into national parks such as Katarapko Creek, and boating in areas far from roads or trails.
Permits for public reserve hunting are available at the National Parks Office. Depending on the landowner, hunting is allowed along some private farmland. This allows for more flexibility, including access via vehicles.
The Murray is a great place for multi-day hunting. Camping is possible on boats as you slowly travel downriver and stalk species along the banks. Boat-handling is essential, as currents can be dangerous. Canoeing silently through the misty dawn, near limestone cliffs, offers great hunting opportunities.
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, offers excellent hunting opportunities. The rugged bushland, farmlands and wetlands of the island are home to a variety of game species. In the western zone, commercial deer hunting is allowed.
In certain areas, conservation efforts allow the hunting of rabbits, feral cat and possums as well as seals.
Flinders Chase national park, which is located on Kangaroo Island, contains vast areas of wilderness that are protected and prohibited from hunting. Some reserves and private land permit pest control hunting. Isolation of the island makes it a great place for multi-day hunting. Charters are available for hunters who do not have boats to get to the island.
The terrain is undulating and low vegetation can make it difficult to locate the game. Local knowledge and perseverance are key. Kangaroo Island makes up for its lack of wildlife with stunning coastal views. Bush camps are hard to beat between hunts.
The Conclusion:
South Australia offers a wide range of hunting opportunities, from the outback to the forest and coast. Each location offers a unique experience, from the species to the terrain and accessibility.
The state’s remote reserves allow for multi-day trips to the wilderness in distant corners. Some are quick escapes from Adelaide, while others offer opportunities to hunt in less-travelled areas.
This list of 10 top hunting destinations should have inspired you. It’s up to the individual hunter to learn about regulations, get permits, and plan future trips. South Australia is a land of abundant game.
These locations offer excellent opportunities for hunting, whether it is for pest control, conservation, or sport. With the proper permits, you can hunt a variety of species, from deer, ducks and rabbits to foxes, feral cats and foxes.
Hunters can enjoy a great day out in the field if they are prepared and patient. They can pursue rabbits, deer and ducks. Remember to hunt responsibly, ethically and sustainably for your own safety and that of others.
