Katanning Fox Shoot aiming to restore balance

The Katanning Fox Shoot, a Red Card event sponsored by the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia WA, will be held again this year on February 17 and 18.

The event provides an opportunity for the public to become actively involved in feral animal management and raise money for The Regional Men’s Health Initiative.

The shoot will be followed by a tally breakfast, hosted by Katanning Landcare, on Sunday, February 19.

“When everybody is doing a shoot or baiting or other control method at the same time, it’s more effective as more animals are culled at once,” Katanning Landcare’s Andrea Salmond said.

“Managing feral pests is something that has to be ongoing throughout the year and this is a great concentrated effort.”

Foxes, rabbits and feral cats are the target animals of the shoot, which seeks to mitigate the devastating impact of the predators on native animal populations.

“Katanning has the red-tailed phascogale, which is an iconic species here. It was once very common throughout the region, right across to SA and up to the desert, but now it’s isolated to mainly Wagin and Katanning, Dumbleyung and Kojonup,” Mrs Salmond said.

“Foxes also have a huge agricultural impact . . . they will hunt opportunistically. They won’t necessarily hunt because they’re hungry, they hunt because that’s their job.”

For every feral animal culled, the SSAA WA will donate $5 to The Regional Men’s Health Initiative.

Shooters must register for the event. Registration forms can be found on the Katanning Landcare website.