This is the code we follow. Every single one of us. It’s not optional. It’s not aspirational. It’s the standard. If you can’t follow it, this community isn’t for you.
Everything in bowhunting comes back to ethics. How you shoot. How you behave on someone’s property. How you treat the animal. How you treat the farmer. Every interaction either builds trust or burns it — and trust is what keeps access open for all of us. You set the rules. We make sure they’re followed. That’s the deal.
Every shot you take must be aimed at the vital zone. Heart and lungs. That’s it. No head shots. No hip shots. No “Texas heart shots”. No shooting at an animal that’s running flat out. If you can’t identify the vitals and aren’t confident you’ll put the broadhead through them, you don’t take the shot. Full stop.
This means knowing your effective range and sticking to it. For most bowhunters, that’s 20-40 metres on pigs and deer, maybe a bit less on foxes. If the animal is at 50 metres and you’re not 100% on that distance, let it walk. There’ll be another opportunity. A wounded animal that runs off and isn’t recovered is the worst possible outcome. It’s bad for the animal, bad for your reputation, and bad for every bowhunter who comes after you.
This goes beyond distance. The animal’s position matters. A broadside shot with the near leg forward is ideal. Quartering away can work if you know your angles. Quartering toward, head on, or any shot with branches or obstacles between you and the vitals — pass on it. Low-percentage shots are never worth it.
The discipline to let an animal walk is what separates ethical hunters from the rest. Practice your shooting at the range until your form is automatic. When the moment comes, you need to be making decisions about shot angle and distance, not thinking about your grip or anchor point. That stuff should be dialled in already.
If you shoot it, you find it. Period. Even if it takes hours. Even if it means coming back the next morning with a mate and following a blood trail through thick scrub. You owe it to the animal and you owe it to the landowner. Carry flagging tape for marking blood trails. Take note of the last place you saw the animal and the direction it was heading. Be methodical.
If you genuinely cannot recover an animal despite every effort, tell the landowner. Be straight about what happened. They’ll respect honesty far more than finding out later that a wounded pig has been dying in their back paddock.
You’re a guest on someone’s land. Act like it. Leave gates exactly as you found them — open or shut. Don’t drive off tracks unless the landowner says otherwise. Don’t leave rubbish. Don’t cut fences. Don’t damage crops or pasture. Park where they tell you to park. Camp where they tell you to camp. If they say stay away from a particular paddock, stay away from it.
The small things matter. A bloke who leaves a gate open and lets stock through has just cost the farmer time and money. That kind of thing doesn’t just burn your own access — it poisons the well for every bowhunter who tries to approach that landowner in future. Read our land access guide for more on building lasting relationships with property owners.
After every visit, let the landowner know. A quick text or call: how many animals you saw, what you took, anything you noticed on the property. Fence down? Let them know. Water trough leaking? Mention it. Stock looking crook? Give them a heads up. This turns you from a “hunter with access” into a genuine asset for their operation.
Landowners talk to each other. The bloke who sends a photo of a downed pig and mentions the gate that needs fixing is the bloke who gets invited to their neighbour’s property next month. That’s how access grows.
It’s tempting to go out every weekend when you’ve got good access. But you’ll push the animals out and wear out your welcome. Rest areas between visits. Let the animals settle back in. Talk to the landowner about what frequency works for them — some want you out there monthly, some want a big push during lambing season, some are happy for you to come whenever. Match their expectations.
Same goes for the number of animals. If a farmer has a small pig problem, taking four or five across a few visits might sort it. You don’t need to wipe out the local population in one session. Pest control is ongoing, and the aim is sustained management, not a one-off blitz that leaves the property empty for a month before the pigs move back in.
Every member of this community follows this code. No exceptions.
Access to private land for bowhunting in WA is built on trust. One person doing the wrong thing doesn’t just lose their own access — it makes it harder for every other hunter who comes after them. Landowners talk. Word gets around. The bloke who left a gate open in Nannup is the reason the farmer in Boyup Brook says no to the next caller.
We’re not just hunters. We’re pest controllers, property caretakers, and ambassadors for bowhunting. That might sound heavy, but it’s the reality. The Landowner Access Guide is built on this foundation. So is the ABA membership that gives us insurance and credibility. So is every conversation on the group chat.
Women, younger hunters, experienced hunters — we all benefit when the standard stays high. And we all lose when someone drops it. Hold each other to account. That’s what a community does.
The guide is free. The community is free. Just a bunch of WA bowhunters helping each other out. No gatekeeping, no fees.
learn
New to bowhunting in Western Australia? What you need, where to start, and how to go from the range to the bush.
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A practical field guide to finding private land access for bowhunting in Western Australia. Where to look, how to approach landowners, and how to keep access long-term.
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The Australian Bowhunters Association gives you public liability insurance, access to events, and credibility with landowners. Here’s what you need to know.
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The step-by-step process for approaching landowners, building trust, and securing ongoing hunting access on private property in Western Australia.
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