A Guide To Choosing The Best Professional Shooter

Engaging a professional shooter is a significant decision for any landowner, government body, or commercial property manager. Because this work involves the discharge of firearms in both rural and public access areas, it carries a unique set of safety, legal, and ethical responsibilities.

As a landholder, you have a duty of care to ensure that any contractor operating on your property is not only licensed but fully equipped to manage the specific risks of the environment. To assist in your vetting process, I have outlined the top 7 essential questions you should ask any prospective professional shooting operator as part of your vetting process before deciding to employ their services.

Just for context: As part of my professional shooting business, I also provide services as a safe shooting consultant. This means I have seen the good, bad, and woefully incompetent when it comes to safe shooting practices. To be honest, most of what I review is bad to woefully incompetent, with the rarity being good. I don't say that to put shit on anyone personally, I'm just stating a fact.

Like most industries, there are a lot of inexperienced operators who have no idea and only a handful of highly experienced operators who really know their stuff when it comes to operating safely. The issue is, we are dealing with firearms and public safety, and there are no second chances when it comes to the use of firearms and public safety.

Before I get into the article, I just want to state that I will only offer general examples below of what to look for that will point you in the right direction and help with making a solid decision if a prospective operator is a good, safe operator who you can trust on your property. I do this intentionally to protect my own method of safe operation and processes that have been developed over years of operating in both rural and public access areas.

Lastly, my intention for this guide isn't to generate business. My intention is to help equip landholders and commercial property managers to properly vet any potential operators before they are allowed onto their properties with a firearm. This protects all parties involved and protects an industry I love.

With all that said, let's get into it. Here are the top 7 essential questions you need to ask a prospective professional shooter as part of your vetting process.

1. Risk Management and Public Safety

A professional shooting operation is built on a foundation of documentation and planning. High-level feral animal control is 90% preparation and 10% execution.

• The Question: Can you provide examples of your Safe Operating Framework, e.g. Job Safety Analysis (JSA), Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Operational Policies?
• What to Look For: An established operator will be able to produce evidence of a comprehensive operations manual. This will include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, a comprehensive risk assessment (JSA/JSEA), and a safe work method statement (SWMS). Each of these policies and procedures should comprehensively cover every aspect of their operation.
• Top Tip: Vicarious liability is a major issue. If a contractor does not have comprehensive risk management, appropriate policies, and good operational procedures, you are likely exposed to vicarious liability if something goes wrong.

2. Site-Specific Operational Planning

No two properties are the same. A "one-size-fits-all" approach is rarely sufficient for maintaining safety margins, especially in peri-urban environments like golf courses or other areas close to public and residential housing.

• The Question: What is your process for developing a site-specific shoot plan? Can you provide examples of shoot plans you've created for previous programs?
• What to Look For: Professional operators will conduct a pre-operational site assessment. This results in a written plan covering all operational aspects to allow safe shooting and ensure public safety. This document ensures that both the contractor and the client are in total agreement on safety and process before a single shot is fired.
• Top Tip: A well written shoot plan is the hallmark of a good operator. This will help you verify if they know what they're doing.

3. Firearm Licensing and Specialised Permits

Firearms legislation is complex, and holding a firearm licence does not necessarily mean a shooter is legally permitted to work in certain environments and land zones.

• The Question: Which firearm licence categories and 'Genuine Reasons' do you hold, and do you have a Prohibited Weapons Permit for the use of firearm silencers/suppressors?
• What to Look For: Categories: Ensure the operator holds the correct categories required for professional vertebrate pest control:
  • Rural zoned land: Category A, B, and D are required for the genuine reason of 'Vertebrate Pest Animal Control - Contract Shooter'.
  • Non-rural zoned land: Category A and B are required for the genuine reason of 'Business or Employment - Other'.
• Top Tip: In many environments, particularly near residential areas or livestock, the use of firearm silencers (suppressors) is essential for public safety, noise mitigation, and animal welfare. These require a specific Prohibited Weapons Permit. Verifying this permit ensures the operator is fully compliant with state law.
  • Ask for a copy of the operator's firearm licence and prohibited weapons permit. Then check their licence/permit numbers here to confirm they have the appropriate categories, genuine reasons, and current permits: NSW Firearm Licence Checker.

4. Qualifications in Professional Shooting

Beyond firearm licensing, it is also critical that an operator has appropriate professional shooting qualifications from a reputable training provider.

• The Question: Can you provide copies of your professional shooting qualifications?
• What to Look For: Look for contractors who have current qualifications in the following:
  • AHCPMG303: Use firearms to safely and humanely harvest wild game (required for game animal harvesting).
  • AHCPMG304: Use firearms to humanely destroy animals (required for rural and peri-urban operations).
  • AHCPMG311: Use firearms for pest control activities from aircraft (required for aerial shooting operations).
• Top Tip: Look for an operator who holds those qualifications from reputable training providers only. Like all industries, there are great trainers and there are poor trainers.

5. Verified Experience and Operational History

In a specialised field like professional shooting, a proven track record is the best indicator of future performance and safe operation.

• The Question: Can you provide references from government bodies, large rural clients, commercial airports, golf courses, etc?
• What to Look For: Look for contractors who have successfully completed contracts for local councils, government agencies, large agricultural enterprises, or public access areas like well-known golf courses. These organisations typically have the most stringent vetting processes. If a contractor is a regular operator for these entities, it is a strong sign that their safety and reporting standards are up to scratch.
• Top Tip: Only accept references from well-known organisations or government bodies. This ensures you are getting a genuine reference on the performance of the operator in question.

6. Appropriate Insurance Coverage

In the worst-case scenario where something goes wrong or someone gets hurt, it is critical that an operator or provider has appropriate insurance coverage.

• The Question: Do you have public liability insurance? If so, please provide a copy of the Certificate of Currency (CoC).
• What to Look For: Only work with contractors who have $20,000,000 in public liability. This is the standard expected by government bodies and most corporate landholders.
• Top Tip: Good operators will also have personal accident/injury insurance. This is also expected by government bodies and most corporate landholders.

7. Environmental Specialisation: Rural vs. Peri-Urban

The risks associated with a remote cattle station are vastly different from those of a golf course, a vineyard, or a small property near a town centre.

• The Question: How do your safety protocols change when moving from rural to peri-urban environments?
• What to Look For: The operator should be able to explain and justify their use of technology and their methods for shooting safely, including managing public safety in areas with high human activity. Their answer should demonstrate a clear and strong understanding of managing the dramatically increased risk of operating in populated areas.
• Top Tip: An operator who can demonstrate how to operate safely in public access areas is a strong indication they know what they're doing.

Understanding the Cost of Professionalism

When reviewing quotes for professional shooting, it is important to understand what a professional fee covers. A "low-cost" operator is only able to offer that price because they lack the overhead associated with comprehensive insurance, rigorous safety procedures, and administrative compliance. Worse than that, it likely means they are not performing the required safety due diligence of performing a site assessment and writing a shoot plan to ensure they can operate safely and ensure public safety. The risk simply isn't worth it.

At AusTiger Conservation, we believe that transparency is key to a safe industry. By asking these questions, you aren't just vetting a contractor; you are protecting your property, your neighbours, and the reputation of good professional shooters in Australia.

For a deeper look at what constitutes a professional safety framework, you can view our Risk Management Overview here.