VALE MAX DOWNES

From 1953 to 1968, he worked as a biologist and was Superintendent of Game Management during a critical period for waterfowl conservation in Victoria. In that role, Max convinced the Government that the real risk to game bird populations was the loss of habitat and climate, not recreational hunting. Victoria’s network of 200 public land state game reserves owes more to Max’s vision and drive than to any other individual or group.

Max also worked extensively on deer populations, firstly during an eight-year stint in Papua New Guinea in 1968, doing the first research into the rusa deer population there.

Following that, he came and worked with the still-young ADA, “I came back in 1976 and worked for the Australian Deer Association as a consultant, which was a difficult job because little work had been done in Australia at that stage,” he said.

“Game managers at the time tended to confuse research into game with game management: game management is the application of knowledge, research is discovering how to do it, and they are distinct activities that require different sorts of people and training.”

In 1981, Max opened ‘The Game Conservancy Centre’ in North Fitzroy as a place where hunters could congregate and learn about game management and hunting. The venue gave access to Max’s enormous library of books and pamphlets on these topics.

In 1982, Max obtained funding from the then Forests Commission of Victoria to study how sambar could be managed as a hunting resource in a multiple-use public forest. His report to the Forests Commission titled ‘The Forest Deer Project’ was subsequently published by the Australian Deer Research Foundation. He also visited South Australia during the year to view and provide advice on fallow deer management in the state.

As part of his work for the Forests Commission he initiated ‘sambar sign surveys’ to better understand how the deer used their habitat and ‘the Big River survey’ to better understand the significance of the use of the mountain forests by hunters and other forest users.

Between 1979 and 1984 Max contributed numerous technical articles to Australian Deer magazine, mostly under the title of ‘From the Game Conservancy’.

In 1984, he visited Queensland to help initiate a red deer mapping exercise. He also oversaw a similar exercise mapping hog deer habitat in Victoria. These investigations were supported by funding from the Australian Sports Commission. The hog deer mapping remains accurate today.

In 1985, the Bunyip Sambar Pen study commenced based on Max’s advice.

Max’s later years were spent creating and curating the Australian National Hunting Archive, which includes the personal collection of his dear friend, the late Arthur Bentley.

Max passed away on Thursday, 17 October 2024, eleven days before his 97th birthday.

The Australian Deer Association extends its sincere condolences to Max’s children Greg, Malcolm, Elizabeth and Elanor and our sincere thanks to them for sharing their remarkable father with a grateful hunting community.

Home is the hunter, home from the hill…Vale Max Downes.

“Max obtained funding from the then Forests Commission of Victoria to study how sambar could be managed.“