APDHA, The Pig dog assocition working to keep pigdogging legal
The Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association, Inc (APDHA) was formed by a small group of pig doggers and hunters concerned by the rapidly degenerating attitude of the general public, including
landholders, to their pastime. As pig dogging is an extremely effective method of feral pig control, particularly in thicker country, at no cost to the public, this degeneration was seen to be primarily caused the
activities of an increasing minority showing no apparent respect to the rights or feelings of anyone other than themselves.
Following extensive collaboration with officers of the Queensland DPI involved in formulation of the National Code for Control of Feral
Animals, a Constitution and Code of Ethics for the APDHA was
prepared with incorporation of the association following in mid 2005.
As an obvious adjunct of our aim to restore pig dogging as a respected and valued method of control, we offer a number of benefits to both
hunters and landholders.
Benefits for Landholders
Members are bound by our Code of Ethics of which a major
requirement is that permission for access be obtained prior to hunting and that the landholders conditions for access be followed. There are no exceptions to this most basic of rules. All formal complaints from
landholders received by the APDHA will be investigated by the
committee and if found proven the member concerned will be subject to disciplinary action ranging from fines to expulsion from the
APDHA membership. Evidence of conviction for trespass or cruelty to their dogs will result in automatic expulsion from the membership.
Quite simply, we do not want members that do the wrong thing.
Members are required and actively encouraged to train their dogs to be stock and native animal proof.
All of our members receive public liability insurance coverage which these days is an important consideration for landholders.
Membership can be easily confirmed as our members are issued with a membership card which can be checked against their drivers
licence.
Members are encouraged to train / socialise their dogs to attain the
minimum degree of dog and human aggression possible. Most are
frequently required to hunt with hunters and dogs unknown to them. Many dogs are not even particularly aggressive towards pigs, merely holding them by the ear until the hunter arrives to dispatch it. The myth of the vicious pig dog is, in general, precisely that and based on perception rather than fact. The vast majority are far more placid than most family pets which duty many of them fulfil admirably as well.
Experience has shown that one of the most effective (and certainly the most cost effective) ways of minimising unauthorised access to property by hunters is to have responsible hunters regularly accessing the property with permission. The fact that pig doggers generally tend to zealously protect their hunting properties as well as pig
numbers being better controlled due to regular hunting usually makes those areas far less attractive to poachers.
Many of our members have indicated a willingness to co-operate with land holders in joint control programs excepting, for obvious reasons, where poison baits are used.
If sufficient interest from landholders becomes evident, we may be
interested in setting up a Pay to Hunt property listing.
Further information may be viewed at our website
www.apdha.org.au