NSW pig-dog hunting rules: licences, permission and public land

Key facts

Private-property starting point

Express permission to hunt pigs and use dogs

Public-land starting point

Appropriate R-Licence plus issued written permission

Public-land pig-dog limits

Three dogs for a solo hunter; five collectively for a group

Night access

Only where approved, with a night-time written permission

Navigation

Current hunting maps and the hunter’s required GPS are separate from dog tracking

Private land: permission must cover hunting with dogs

NSW DPIRD’s responsible pig-dogger guidance says a game hunting licence is not required simply to hunt pigs on private land. It expressly requires the owner’s authority for both hunting and using dogs. An invitation to visit a property or a general understanding with another hunter does not establish those permissions.

Agree the property, boundaries, dates, participants and intended dog use with the landholder or manager. Keep a record that can be checked later. The authority offers a property-log example for this purpose. Permission for one property does not extend across its boundary, and the private-land licensing position does not remove animal-welfare or other applicable obligations.

Public land: an R-Licence is only the first step

The Restricted Game Hunting Licence provides access to the application system for public land that has been declared and opened to hunting. It does not make every forest available. Obtain the actual written permission for the area and dates, with the approved methods and dog details. Carry the required documents during the hunt.

The R-Licence application information identifies approved-organisation membership and accreditation categories, including dogs. Confirm that the category relevant to the intended method is covered rather than assuming any licence card authorises it. For an existing holder, the useful check is the combination of licence, current permission and area conditions.

Public-land pig-dog roles and numbers

DPIRD’s published rules list dogs locating, holding or bailing pigs and give limits of three dogs for a person hunting alone or five for a group. Apply the declared-public-land context when reading those provisions; do not turn the group limit into five dogs per participant or a universal statement about private-property hunting.

The permitted role wording does not replace the surrounding welfare requirements. Nor does it establish an approved method in another state. If the activity or land status is unclear, describe the actual proposal to DPIRD: property, participants, number of dogs, intended roles and time of day. Those details support a more useful answer than asking whether pig dogging is legal in general.

Dog identification and tracking

The authority’s hunting-dog summary requires microchipping, owner identification on a collar, and a lead or a switched-on radio tracking collar showing the dog’s position. It also says dogs must not be left or abandoned on public land. Check these alongside any additional conditions on the issued permission.

A dog-tracking collar and the hunter’s navigation device answer different questions. One helps locate the animal; the other supports the hunter’s required position and boundary information. Neither grants access across a property boundary. Plan recovery and communication before releasing a dog, including who can authorise entry if it moves beyond the permitted area.

Maps, exclusion zones and changed plans

The public-land access resource requires an operational GPS-enabled device with current hunting maps and exclusion information, with an exemption for supervised minor hunters under the stated conditions. A general forest map or an old screenshot should not be treated as the current hunting map. Read the issued permission with the map and observe operational signs encountered on the ground.

The permission conditions distinguish areas where hunting is excluded from total public exclusion zones, which must not be entered. Where passage through an exclusion is allowed, dog restraint conditions still matter. The same conditions require permission details to be amended when relevant information changes. Re-download the updated permission rather than relying on a booking that no longer describes the outing.

Night-time pig dogging has separate conditions

DPIRD identifies particular declared forests for night-time pig hunting with dogs. A daytime booking does not authorise night hunting. The night-time access page requires a valid written permission and R-Licence, and directs hunters to the applicable regulations and permission conditions.

The current general conditions require illumination on each free-ranging dog during night hunting and prohibit using firearms or bows while hunting with dogs at night. They also prohibit vehicle-mounted spot or search lights for that activity. Treat these as conditions of the public-land arrangement, not a description of rules for every private property. Check the current issued permission before making a plan around darkness.

Closures, other land users and dog welfare

Public-land permission conditions prohibit hunting during closures or a regional Total Fire Ban and require compliance with official signs. Working forests accommodate operations and other users, so an earlier booking is not a reason to ignore a changed condition. Check current notices close to departure.

The conditions also warn that 1080 baits may be present and protect livestock from harassment or harm. DPIRD’s responsible pig-dogger material emphasises obedience, preventing pursuit of stock and wildlife, hygiene and avoiding unnecessary suffering. Equipment and paperwork are parts of that responsibility; they do not establish that an individual dog or location is suitable on the day.

What to check before leaving and after returning

For private land, confirm the express authority and agreed boundaries. For public land, match the licence category, dates, method, dogs, permission and current map. Check closures and area-specific conditions, confirm recovery arrangements, and carry the documents and equipment the permission requires. Resolve a conflict before proceeding rather than choosing whichever older source is more convenient.

DPIRD requires public-land harvest returns within 30 days. Keep the outing details needed for the return and for any later enquiry. This guide explains the published system and its main distinctions; the complete current conditions and the permission issued for the specific hunt remain essential reading.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

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