Deer numbers Victoria: New culling plan to reduce numbers

They’ve been spotted everywhere from Fitzroy to Park Orchards, now feral deer are in the firing line, with a plan to reduce their “exploding” numbers.

Feral deer are in the firing line, with a new state government plan aiming to reduce their exploding numbers on Melbourne’s outskirts.

There has been a “rapid increase” in deer numbers across the state in recent years, with reports of the wild animals damaging fences, jumping in front of cars and causing a significant threat to native plants, wildlife habitat and water quality.

A deer was even spotted in Fitzroy during Melbourne’s lockdown last year, while another caused an estimated $100,000 damage after rampaging through Tobin Brothers Funerals in Ringwood in 2017.

Roaming deer have also caused a rising number of accidents on the roads, with a Launching Place man’s Mercedes Benz written off in a 2017 crash.

A spooked deer also jumped on the roof of a P-plater’s moving car before smashing his windscreen in Park Orchards in 2019.

The state government is aiming to reduce “the devastating environmental impacts” of feral deer with the state’s first region-specific deer control plan.

Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the Peri-urban Deer Control Plan sets out a long-term co-ordinated approach to control feral deer numbers in the outskirts of eastern and northern Melbourne.

A deer on the loose in Johnston St, Fitzroy in 2021. Picture: Twitter/@AussieAusborne

According to a state government press release, the plan sets out a long-term, co-ordinated approach to reduce the threat feral deer pose to the environment, farming, public safety and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

High priority waterways, national parks and reserves will be targeted for deer control within Manningham, Knox, Cardinia, Whittlesea, Nillumbik and Yarra Ranges council areas.

Control methods include shooting, fencing and guards, traps and using dogs to flush deer into areas where other techniques may be used.

There will also be $250,000 of grants available to local councils and land managers to undertake safe control activities including sustainable hunting.

“We’re taking action to safely control Victoria’s feral deer population and reduce the significant negative impacts they have on our wildlife and biodiversity,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.

Leader revealed last year gunmen with silences, thermal and night vision gear were roaming the Dandenongs taking out wild deer as part of a controversial cull.

According to Parks Victoria, there has been a “rapid increase” in deer numbers across Victoria in recent years. Current estimates range from several hundred thousand to one million or more.

A wild deer caused an estimated $100,000 damage after rampaging through Tobin Brothers Funerals in Ringwood on August 31 2017.

Since 2014, several hundred deer have been culled from parks in the Yarra Ranges including Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area and Warramate Hills Nature Conservation Reserve.

Parks Victoria area chief ranger Jack Dinkgreve said it had protected threatened native species like the Helmeted Honeyeater and the Leadbeater’s possum with deer control at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area since 2020.

“In line with the … Peri-Urban Deer Plan, we will continue this valuable work over the next year,” he said.

Australian Deer Association executive officer Barry Howlett said it was good to see the state government was serious about managing deer numbers.

“We think it’s a pretty good plan but the proof will be in the pudding as to how it is rolled out and implemented,” he said.

Mr Howlett said the increase in deer numbers in peri-urban areas was due to a number of factors, including humans moving further out to locations where deer have been living, changes in forestry and climate change.

“The only feasible way to reduce deer numbers is to cull them – is to shoot them and shoot large numbers of them,” he said.

Mr Howlett said in peri-urban areas this would mean the government having to pay “a lot of money” to specialised shooters with specialised tools to ensure the culls could be done safely.

Mernda wildlife rescuer Krysti Severi said it was hard to judge what level of destruction deer caused because they lived in such dense areas.

“Quite possibly they are causing destruction but where are they causing this destruction?” she said.

“And what are we using that land for; is it just overgrown?

“It’s a hard subject to navigate around.

“I just feel like we (as humans) feel the need to kill everything.”