A global ammunition shortage, consistent rain, and the success of cluster and exclusion fencing have all contributed to an "explosion" in Queensland's kangaroo population.
The shortage has been caused by panic buying and manufacturing delays during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the war in Ukraine.
For graziers and macropod harvesters, it has been causing issues with controlling kangaroo populations across the state.
In Queensland, red kangaroos, wallaroos, and eastern grey kangaroos are harvested for commercial and non-commercial purposes.
Strict quotas are placed on harvesting through government-issued damage mitigation permits.
Some graziers have estimated they have as many as 15,000 kangaroos on their properties, and recent rainfall after a long period of drought has caused those numbers to increase.
As a result, macropod harvesters have been busier than ever, but the issues around access to supplies have made it more difficult for them to do their job.
Graziers often hire contract shooters with harvesting permits to come onto their property at night to cull numbers in order to regain or maintain total grazing pressure.
This essentially refers to the ratio of demand for pasture compared to the actual supply of pasture.
Graziers will stock their property with the number of stock that fits within their total grazing capacity, but extra demand from native or feral animals takes supply from their stock.
Shooters feeling the pressure
In order to maintain a healthy level of grazing pressure, contract harvesters, such as Robert Ellis, are called in to help manage native populations.
Mr Ellis has been a macropod harvester for 11 years and grew up harvesting kangaroos with his father.
He said he had never experienced an ammunition shortage like this before the pandemic.
"Before this, you could get whatever you wanted for under half the price," he said.
"But it's hard to get anything [now] … I know gun stores that will get a big shipment and it's gone within a couple of days.
"Everyone is trying to buy bulk, not just roo shooters."
As well as the global shortage, other factors have made accessing ammunition and other items he needs more difficult in the past 12 months.
In August last year, freight company TNT confirmed it would no longer be transporting firearms and ammunition — leaving rural businesses in the lurch.
It means Mr Ellis now had to travel more than 700 kilometres to Townsville to buy supplies.
"We live so far out west and we've only got a little gun shop here and he can't keep up with it [demand] … there are probably 20 or 30 roo shooters in Winton," Mr Ellis said.
"It hurts all of us."
Mr Ellis is usually out every night harvesting, and often shoots 70 kangaroos in a night but due to consistent rainfall this year, he hasn't been able to work for large periods of time.
"I've only been able to get out and do a couple of weeks at a time before it's rained again," he said.
"I've only shot for half the year because of the rain and it can only take half an inch now and you're stuck for another week."
Exclusion fencing helped to build numbers
For many properties across western Queensland, particularly those carrying sheep, exclusion fencing has become an essential addition to their property.
The fences, which are built with meshed wire, are taller than an average fence to protect stock from predation by pest animals such as wild dogs and foxes.
But, in many instances, the fences have trapped kangaroos inside boundaries. Now that kangaroos are breeding in large numbers, grazing pressure is increasing.
Stonehenge woolgrower Mike Pratt estimated he could have around 10,000 kangaroos on his 15,000-hectare property, which he said took feed away from his stock.
"The numbers have exploded since the drought broke a few years ago, for us anyway," he said.
"Especially since we put up the wild dog exclusion fence [in 2018] and got rid of all the predators … numbers have really taken off."
Mr Pratt said the female kangaroo's ability to breed so quickly made it hard to control the population.
"They can have three joeys on the go at once," he said.
"One in utero, one in the pouch, and a fresh weaner on the ground. So the numbers can rapidly build up.
"Ten sheep are equivalent to seven kangaroos, so if we've got 5,000 kangaroos, that means they're taking feed from 3,500 sheep, which is quite significant.
"And you go into drought quicker and you'll come out of drought later if you can't control the population."
While he wants to get kangaroo numbers to a manageable level, Mr Pratt said the goal was not to cull entire populations of the native animal.
"You need to have the right balance," he said.
"We don't want to completely remove the kangaroos but you really have to keep a balanced population.
"They're entitled to be there, but they need to be managed for not only the benefit of the stock, but for the benefit of their own survival."
