Now in its 60 th year of operation Para Park is a working example of Land Based Game Management at its finest. During this period of existence, the co-operative has acquired expertise in the management of hog deer utilising efficient game management practices, management of the habitat and effective regulation of hunters during hunting seasons.
Management of the deer and habitat is critical on Sunday Island. Since our inception every piece of work ever carried out in the wildlife management area has been planned and documented and the results measured and analysed. A Wildlife Management Plan was developed back in the very early days of the co-operative and although modified significantly over the years, is still the main working document used to plan and manage all works carried out. Manipulation of the habitat by carrying out controlled burns in selected areas, sowing down carefully chosen seeds producing quality improved pasture, installing dams and fresh water troughs, are all projects that have been carried out over the years with great success. Our Wildlife Management Plan is a work in progress with an annual review carried out each year measuring our achievements against the aims and objectives of the management plan.
Population control is critical to maintaining the health of the deer and feed in all conditions. Our aim is to maintain the population at a level that can be supported in all seasons, in particular seasons of low rainfall.
Over the years we have developed a number of population estimate tools on Sunday Island;
The first is a modified version of the Peterson Index which involves a huge data base derived from a calf capture - mark - release program.
The second is a reconstructed population data base where we record data and ages of every deer ever taken, be it research, hunting or culls.
The third is a population estimate based on spotlight counts carried out exactly the same way on exactly the same route over many years.
The first two methods require ongoing data collection, analysis and input from select members capable of analysing this data we collect. The spotlight counts on the other hand give us actual minimum population numbers. Consistency is the key to accurate spotlight counts, we travel the same route, at around the same time of year. What we have found with this method is the variables in numbers counted can be quite striking. From one night to the next with similar weather conditions the counts can be half that of the night before. The results are always interesting but frustrating nonetheless.
Since the lockdowns that occurred Covid19 we have found it necessary to carry out management culls for a few years in a row. This has clearly educated the deer with their behaviour changing notably with the spotlight.
Enter Leica! We have been fortunate to have had access to the latest thermal imagery Leica has to offer and it’s been a gamechanger. Rick from Leica, a huge supporter of Para Park, has been only too willing to lend us his state-of-the-art equipment for both management culls and population counts. Couple this with changing out the white headlights to a yellow beam and the behaviour of the deer changed virtually overnight. We are so impressed with the Leica thermal gear we have recently purchased our own Calonox 2 Sight. We’re still learning how to use it efficiently (these things were certainly not made for Baby Boomers), but the features this thing have are outstanding and will be a huge asset for Para Park’s game management team. P
I’ve owned a couple of reasonable quality thermal cameras since they first became available here is Australia, and used several other brands as well, but nothing compares to the quality of this new Calonox 2 Sight. This truly is a game changer for us. It can communicate to two different tablets or smart phones at the same time, allowing those who want to be involved in the long night counts but aren’t comfortable standing on the back of a caged ute to be totally involved sitting inside in comfort away from the sandflies and dust.
It is expensive, Leica gear does tend to be expensive, but there’s a very good reason for that, when it comes to optics, Leica are world leaders. They have no peers in my opinion. I personally own two sets of Geovid Binoculars and two Magnus scopes; I couldn’t be happier with all of them.
The Calonex 2 Sight comes with a solid travel case, operates with a video and camera resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, has a whopping 32GB internal memory, and can adapt to any scope with the right adaptor in seconds. It’s a little bulky weighing in at 613 grams, but that’s a price you have to pay for something so packed full of features. It also can be fitted to any tripod via a ¼ DIN standard M4 thread and comes with a full 3-year warranty. A warranty you’ll probably never need!
This less disturbing approach we can now use to get close to deer at night also allows us to observe animals behaving naturally in undisturbed conditions. We now regularly witness rutting behaviour totally undetected, mature stags fighting, mating behaviour, as well as the ability to observe close up the condition of individual animals. We’ve even witnessed hinds giving birth on two occasions.
Para Park operates a Junior Hunting Program each year. Four to six junior hunters are balloted to take part in an educational weekend covering everything from hog deer management, firearm safety, shooting skill testing and then finally be guided individually on a weekend hog deer hunt. This program has been running since 2003 and gains more popularity each year.
Leica provide a brand-new pair of 8 x 42 binoculars each year for the juniors to use on their hunts. On completion of the program each year, they donate the binoculars to Para Park which we raffle off each year at our annual hunter’s meeting, raising much needed funds to purchase new trail cameras each year, keeping this very important program operating.
Conclusion
Many of us have known for a long time the quality of Leica Optics, but their latest thermal imaging equipment is just next level. As mentioned above, it’s a game changer for Para Park and our management practices. We’ll continue to use our current population estimate systems, but thanks to the generosity of Rick and Leica, we’ve now added another string to our bow. Couple this with the ability to observe the deer undisturbed for hours on end and it all adds to our knowledge and future decision making. If you’re thinking about upgrading your optics, or venturing into this field for the first time, consider putting your hand a little deeper into your pocket and look at the Leica range available today. You won’t be disappointed.
The robust travel case is both dust proof and waterproof and capable of handling the roughest of uses.
Canadian Research Biologist Dr. Chloe Gerak PhD assisting in a recent management cull with Barry Gell.
The quality of the Leica Calonox 2 Sight provides for clear positive identification.
Experienced hog deer guide John Mayall with successful junior hunter Jack Grealy and his stag, note: both of them are using Leica optics.
Another lucky Junior hunter, Trystan Cannon with his stag spotted with the Leica binoculars.
The quality of the Calonox easily picks up antlers and assists with accurate identification.
Members of the Para Park Co-operative have found the Calonix 2 Sight thermal camera invaluable for monitoring hog deer populations on Sunday Island.
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