Farmer explains the importance of his role

IT’S about 5.30 on a Tuesday afternoon. The sun casts a golden hue over the paddocks as it slowly sinks into the horizon near Wandoan and a mob of kangaroos dots the landscape feeding on the grass, which is bright green after four inches of rain.

But as most people are thinking about what’s for dinner, Jeff McMahon is just starting his work day which will go until sunrise the next day.

The Toowoomba electrician has been an avid shooter for more than a decade, and with kangaroo meat making $1.30 a kilogram and an abundant population across the Western Downs, he’s become a fulltime macropod harvester – or, in layman’s terms, “a roo shooter”.

“I was sparkying and shooting, but I did the numbers last year and realised there was more money in it (macropod harvesting) if you hook into it and I love being in the paddock by myself – you see some pretty spectacular country,” Jeff explains.

He shoots 30 roos a night on average and drives them to the chiller box which can be anywhere from 30km to an hour and a half’s drive away before getting to bed about 8am.

These kangaroos are sold to Macro Group Australia, a South Australiabased business which is the world’s largest kangaroo meat retailer and also specialises in kangaroo leather.

Since starting shooting week on, week off, Jeff’s decided to invest in a chiller truck for around $80,000 to save on fuel and time as he’ll be able to store about 250 carcasses in it and then deliver them once a week instead of daily.

But with a wife and a one-year-old son to support, he will have to return to a more traditional trade if there is a big price drop or a decline in demand for kangaroos.

“I don’t know a lot about the (kangaroo) leather side of things, but if it affects the market and I can’t maintain my income, I’d definitely have to go back sparkying.

“A lot of people think that getting rid of us guys (roo shooters) is doing the roos a favour, but it doesn’t in the long run because the population gets out of control so they end up fighting for feed.

“I’m concerned that if professionals like myself leave the industry, it could open it up to cowboys who don’t respect kangaroos the way I do and may not euthanise them humanely.

“When I take a

There’s plenty of misinformation out there

kangaroo out, it’s in its natural habitat in the paddock and there’s no stress from handling or transporting like there is for other stock, so it’s a pretty ideal way to go.

“I’d happily do a shooting accuracy test every year as I’m confident in my ability; it’s not in my interest to miss.

“If I misjudge, it’s not the wasted bullet, it’s the fact that the roo stirs up the whole mob as it gets away, so I need to be spot on every time.

“What I do is necessary to keep roo numbers in check and minimise damage to livestock and crops.

“There’s plenty of misinformation out there, but at the end of the day I’m making a living and if I don’t do it, then I worry for how it will end up for both the roos and the landholders.”