Feral deer

Background

Feral deer are descendants of domesticated or captive deer that have escaped from commercial deer farms or been released into the wild.

All deer species in Australia were introduced by Europeans as game animals in the 19th century. They are now one of Australia’s worst emerging pests in rural and urban areas. There are about 40,000 feral deer in South Australia.

Feral deer species

There are 6 common species of feral deer in Australia:

  • fallow deer Dama dama
  • red deer Cervus elaphus
  • hog deer Axis porcinus
  • chital deer (also known as axis or spotted deer) Axis axis
  • rusa deer (also known as Timor deer) Cervus timorensis
  • sambar deer Cervus unicolor.

Sika deer and wapiti (elk) are also kept by some people.

Impacts

Feral deer are an agricultural, environmental and social pest. They:

  • eat native plants
  • trample saplings and rub against mature plants
  • compete with native wildlife and livestock for grass
  • contribute to erosion in creek and river systems.

They can also be a hazard on roads, causing an increasing number of vehicle collisions.

Populations of feral deer are expanding due to inadequate control of wild populations. They can invade new areas when deliberately released by recreational hunters, or by escaping from deer farms.

Learn about the impact feral deer could have on South Australia in the Feral Deer Economic Analysis (PDF 1.3 MB) prepared by BDO Econsearch.

Government control initiatives

National Feral Deer Action Plan 2022–27

The draft National Feral Deer Action Plan is focused on stopping the spread and reducing impacts of feral deer. It supports farmers, communities, organisations, Traditional Owners, and government agencies.

The plan recommends containing large populations of feral deer and eradicating smaller, isolated populations, where feasible. It prioritises the need for control tools to protect significant sites and increase:

  • shooting
  • trapping and fencing
  • coordination across land tenures.

The plan is supported by PIRSA's National Deer Management Coordinator, alongside stakeholders across Australia.

Feedback from public consultation of the plan is being finalised by the working group. Find out more about the draft plan.

SA Feral Deer Eradication Program

South Australia is undertaking a feral deer eradication program to reduce the number of deer impacting landowners.

This is guided by the goals, approaches, and priorities of the of the National Feral Deer Action Plan.

Managing feral deer

Landholders are responsible for culling feral deer on their properties under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Do not move, keep, or sell feral deer to prevent them spreading to new areas.

The primary form of deer management is shooting. This is most effective when neighbouring landholders work together to cull deer on multiple properties at once.

Otherwise, consider engaging these groups for assistance:

Find commercial harvesters online, or contact one of the local licenced game meat processors below.

SA licenced game meat processors

Crossroads Game Meats
Phone: (08) 8642 6066
Email: enquiry@crossroadsgamemeats.com.au

Fleurieu Game Meats
Mobile: 0427 584 053
Mobile: 0408 833 145
Email: fleurieufish@skymesh.com.au

Hahndorf Venison
Mobile: 0417 887 658
Email: venison@optusnet.com.au

Macro Group Australia – Oren Hearnden
Mobile: 0418 830 902
Email: oren@macromeats.com

Rosedale Meats
Mobile: 0409 091 052
Email: rosedale.gyss@gmail.com

The Natural Canine
Mobile: 0456 812 341
Email: damien@freerangefoods.com.au

Escaped farm deer

Deer keepers must notify their neighbouring landowners of escaped farmed deer. Landowners must then allow 7 days before destroying, selling, or disposing of tagged farmed deer found on their property.

Landowners who have seen a tagged deer on their property and have not been notified by a deer keeper must either:

  • cull the deer
  • contact a local deer keeper to capture them.

Learn how to prevent farmed deer from escaping, including fencing and ear tagging advice.

Reporting feral deer

DeerScan provides a tool for reporting of feral deer, management activities undertaken and photos of the impacts of feral deer.

The information is used to identify practical solutions and coordinated control of feral deer.

More information

How to report an established pest animal

If you see an established pest animal, we want to hear about it!

Report sightings via the Feral Scan website or app.

FeralScan
Page last reviewed: 04 Jul 2023

 


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