THE consensus of most people living in rural areas including the Mansfield Shire is that the issue of increased deer numbers on private and public land is one of management and not elimination.
In response to community concerns the Mansfield–based Up2Us Landcare Alliance will be holding a feral deer workshop on August 19 at the Mansfield Showgrounds.
This follows on from the successful feral pig workshop that Up2Us organised earlier this year to provide updated information and resources to manage invasive species on private land.
Up2Us Landcare Facilitator, Kim Magnay, cites research from the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, which says Victoria now hosts an ever–growing population of feral deer numbering around one million animals and covering nearly 40 per cent of the state.
"We often at Up2Us Landcare Alliance, receive calls asking how to protect revegetation from deer," Ms Magnay said.
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"Trials have been conducted looking at deterrents such as human hair, and to date dense plantings in small areas seems to be effective, but more work is required on this," she said.
"We have looked at different methods of guarding plants, and while deer guards do protect the plant from being grazed, often we find guards removed and plants damaged, "Ms Magnay added.
To further delve into this issue, Up2Us are working with Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) to host an information session on deer and discuss the issues landholders are facing.
The day is open to all community members and will cover the current status of deer but also discuss deterrents and management options, said Ms Magnay.
Game species in season and pest animals may be hunted on private land provided the hunters have obtained the permission of the landowner/manager as per the state Game Management Authority rules.
The state member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish, said, "The steady growth of the deer population continues to have a negative impact on agriculture by eating and destroying farmers' crops, produce and vineyards."
"I don't think the State Labor Government fully understands what this means for the region," Ms McLeish said.
"Deer are a dangerous threat to motorists and are being hunted illegally – often the head is removed with the carcass left to rot or provide a feast for the wild dog population," she said.
Ms McLeish believes, "The situation needs to be dealt with by professionals."
One such professional, Albury farmer Ian Scholz set up his contract deer shooting business five years ago.
Mr Scholz travels across NSW and Victoria, including the Mansfield district, helping landholders reduce the presence of deer on their properties and public land.
He said the season starts in April/May and runs through to October when the deer are accessible to harvesters and only outside daylight hours for safety reasons.
"During the season I would harvest 150 deer per month on average," said Mr Scholz.
It is a matter of "balance and control", he explained.
Dealing with deer requires a systematic approach, and with each return visit to private properties, the numbers do reduce over time.
For deer hunting to be sustainable, it does require "regular markets" to sell venison, said Mr Scholz.
Concerning changing the current definition of deer, he said, "The outcome from declaring deer a pest is that hunters are excluded from national parks, private landholders being made responsible for controlling deer on their land and poison being used on deer, a terrible result."
An Expert Advisory Panel's Review of the Victorian Wildlife Act 1975, which concluded in 2021, is still awaiting a response from the Victorian Government and public release of the report.
A consultation summary published on the Engage Victoria government website cited, "Deer were explicitly raised as an issue, especially concerns about their impact on the environment."
The summary noted that some participants argued for excluding deer from the definition of wildlife and declaring them as a pest species under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CALP Act) or covering them under a separate Game Act.
However, others argued for retaining deer in the definition of wildlife, and that licensing of game hunting could provide resources for proactive habitat management and sustainable use.
The Victorian Farmers Federation, in its submission to the review, focused on the primary interaction of private landholders with the Act the Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) system.
The VFF stated, "To date the different role and function of classes of land have delivered to perverse outcomes for farming."
This submission references the role and function of these regulations as a model for how the Act can better reflect land tenure and deliver outcomes that consider social, economic and environmental outcomes.
The state government states its response will set out directions for reforming Victoria's wildlife legislation and is planned to be released along with the panel report soon.
