A large male red deer in the Grampians. Photo: Steve Morvell

Deer are probably Australia’s worse emerging pest animal problem, causing damage to the natural environment and agricultural businesses. Populations are expanding and deer are invading new areas, many due to deliberate introductions by recreational hunters.

NSW has listed the damage caused by deer as a key threatening process and removed the protected ‘game’ status for feral deer on all private land. It now designates deer a pest species.

Victoria has listed sambar impacts as a threatening process and yet it, like Tasmania, continues to protect deer as a hunting resource.

Feral deer in Tasmania

The Tasmanian government must develop a comprehensive feral deer management strategy that reduces the destructive impacts of deer and protects the environment and farmers.

A Tasmanian deer management strategy should have clear actions to protect the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area from the growing encroachment of deer into this precious global treasure, accompanied by funding for professional ground and aerial shooters.

Victoria needs to list deer a pest

More than a million deer now trample Victoria’s national parks, high country, coastal country and the Mallee, and yet the Victorian government is yet to list them as a pest animal.

Feral deer destroy shrubs, ringbark trees, wallow in wetlands, wreck orchards and vineyards, and are a hazard on our roads. They devour more than a million tonnes of native plants each year. Deer are rapidly increasing in number while vulnerable native species are pushed into decline.

Join us and the Victorian National Parks Association by calling on the Victorian government to join every other state on mainland Australia by listing deer a pest animal.

The Victorian Government must immediately list deer as a pest animal and release a well-resourced control strategy, or feral deer will continue to wreck important habitat for our wildlife, cause economic harm to communities and create havoc on our roads.

We are calling on all states and territories in Australia to treat feral deer as a pest species and advocate eradication of populations where it is possible and control to protect the environment.

Many people have contacted us to tell of the damage feral deer are causing to their local environment. We invite you to contact us with information, which we will use to try to persuade governments to implement effective control programs.

More info

• Submission: Impact of feral deer, pigs and goats in Australia >>
• Review of the impacts and management of introduced deer in Australia >>
• Fact sheet – Recreational hunting NSW: claims v facts >>
• Latest push for recreational hunting in WA national parks (Jun 2014) >>
• Hunting Changes in NSW Fail to Address Problem (Dec 2013) >>
• Is hunting conservation? (analysis) >>
• A Deer Mistake (report on Vic deer farms, Dec 2008) >>
• Submission on management of hog deer in Victoria (Dec 2008) >>
• Nomination of deer as Key Threatening Process (2011) >>

Media releases

• NSW Government will remove special protection status for feral deer (Aug 2019) >>
• Senate to shine spotlight on growing feral deer, pig and goat impacts (Sep 2018) >>
• Opportunity lost – Game Council goes but deer still protected (Sep 2013) >>
• NSW and Victoria should declare deer feral pests (May 2009) >>
• Professional, not amateur deer control needed in NSW (Feb 2009) >>
• Victorian deer hunting scheme will cost us dear (Dec 2008) >>