Feral Deer Control Kit for the Upper Ovens Valley

Table of Contents

Information Resources

General information for deer control on private land

  • National Feral Deer Action Plan – being prepared by the National Feral Deer Action Plan Working Group with representatives from agriculture, conservation, government, non-government, research, professional and volunteer shooters. The working group reports to the Minister for Agriculture, National Biosecurity Committee and the Environment and Invasives Committee. The plan aims to limit further spread of feral deer into new areas and reduce the impact of large populations of feral deer on primary production, communities and the environment. The website provides a copy of the draft plan, information on the costs of deer to landowners, impacts on ecosystems, community involvement, control methods and the latest news including new methods of control. Website: https://feraldeerplan.org.au/the-plan/
  • Victorian Deer Control Strategy – developed by the Victorian Government, provides information on impacts, distribution, control methods on public and private land, legal status of deer and current challenges. Website: https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/invasive-plants-and-animals/deer-control-program/deer-control-strategy
  • Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) – excellent source of information on all aspects of deer. Provides information about distribution, abundance, impacts, monitoring, management plans, strategies, population dynamics, species information, current projects, tools and methods plus the latest news in monthly updates. Website: https://vdccn.org.au/info-and-resources/
  • PestSmart – is a best practice management website to assist land managers, farmers, producers, community coordinators, extension officers etc. with planning, managing and improving pest animal control programs.   Website: https://pestsmart.org.au/framework-overview/ PestSmart also manages the FeralScan platform which landowners can use to record and share the location of deer populations in DeerScan. Website: https://www.feralscan.org.au/deerscan/default.aspx
  • Game Management Authority – photos, illustrations and descriptions of deer species, their distribution, habitat and behaviour deer hunting seasons and limits, deer hunting methods, laws and equipment requirements, information about commercial processing of deer and controlling problem deer on private property. Website: https://www.gma.vic.gov.au/
  • Invasive Species Council – provides information on feral deer in Victoria including cultural, economic and environmental impacts, legal status and hunting information. Website: https://invasives.org.au/our-work/feral-animals/feral-deer/feral-deer-in-victoria/
  • Mitta Valley Landcare Group Inc (MVLG) website includes links to VDCCN news and MVLG Annual General Meeting Deer Reports. Website: https://mittavalleylandcaregroup.com/category/deer-control-group/
  • Yarra Ranges Council – Deer Management Information for Landholders providing information on deer species, habitat, damage, private land control options, control cost and effectiveness. PDF available at: https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/webdocuments/environment/environment-other/deer_management_booklet_2021.pdf
  • Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries – information on deer species identification (including a number of photos of bucks, hinds and juveniles), habitat and management control options. Website: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/search?collection=daff&form=simple&query=Feral+Sambar+deer&global_search_submit_button=search
  • New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment – Provides information on feral deer impacts, regional pest management strategies and programs. Website: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/pest-animals-and-weeds/pest-animals/feral-deer
  • Green Adelaide – a statutory Board established by the Government of South Australia which provides a deer management factsheet about managing feral deer dated November 2021 including impacts, distribution and management. Website: https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/greenadelaide/images/Deer-management-factsheet.pdf
  • Nillumbik Shire Council – Deer Management Information for Landholders in peri-urban areas providing information sheets on:
    • Deer Identification – Species, Scats, Signs and Damage – provides information on Sambar, Red and Fallow Deer including good photos and images of deer species, scats, hair from different species of deer, prints, trails, browselines, tree rubbing and ringbarking, scrapes, preaching trees, wallows, damage to vegetation, and car collisions.
    • Deer Management Factsheet – provides information on deer species identification, harbour, deer behaviour, legal status of deer, damage by deer and management options (and general cost comparisons).
    • Monitoring deer population, assessing damage and how to use DeerScan to record your findings – provides information on deer monitoring including photos, images, text and data recording template.

Shooting

  • The National Feral Deer Action Plan provides information and resources on deer control. Website: https://feraldeerplan.org.au/info-resources/
  • PestSmart – Centre for Invasive Species Solutions includes information on pest control including National Standard Operating Procedures for a range of deer control methods e.g. ground shooting, trapping, aerial shooting. Website: https://pestsmart.org.au/
  • The Game Management Authority is an independent authority responsible for regulating game hunting in Victoria and provides information and education on licensing, enforcement, and hunting. Website: https://www.gma.vic.gov.au/
  • Sporting Shooters Association (SSAA) is non government organisation that promotes shooting sports and provides members with resources to assist them to pursue hunting including training, news, information on legislation, access to shooting ranges and legal advice on firearms laws. The SSAA has a farmer assist program which can provide insured SSAA accredited shooters to control deer under conditions applied by the landowner at no fee. Website: https://www.ssaa.org.au
  • Australian Deer Association – provides deer hunting courses, information on firearm maintenance, description of rutting areas or rutting scrapes (including photos) and how to track deer. Website: https://www.austdeer.com.au
  • The Victorian Hound Hunters Inc – Provides information about the breeds of hunting hounds that can be used to hunt deer, assessment and training of hounds, and events related to hound hunting of Sambar deer. Website: https://www.victorianhoundhunters.com.au/
  •  

Commercial harvesters

  • Vertebrate Pest Management Association of Australia – independent, not-for-profit association for Commercial Operators in Vermin Destroyers or Professional Pest Controllers licensed in their state or Territory. Provides a list of members, contact details and the services they provide. Website: https://vpmaa.org.au/
  • Wild Game Resources – source and supply wild game meats including venison, kangaroo and wild boar across Australia through their processing facilities that supply the domestic and export market. An information pack for Victorian landholders is available on the website. Landowners can register with Wild Game Resources and gain access to a network of registered, professional harvesters who can assist landowners to reduce deer numbers on their property pay landowners a per kg payment. Website: https://wildgameresources.com.au/
  • List of recommended shooters in the Upper Ovens Catchment: Client may be able to provide names of recommended shooters in the area
  •  

Fencing

Fencing methods
Fence suppliers
  • Gallagher Animal Management (Australia)

    65 Scanlon Drive Epping VIC 3076 Ph: 1800 425 524 Website: https://am.gallagher.com/en-AU

    Gallagher fencing provide expert fencing advice, selection and training from territory managers and have number of suppliers in the north east and contact details (including phone and email) can be found on the website.

    Gallagher exclusion fencing provide electric fencing solutions that are low cost compared to other fencing options. Their fencing can be fitted to extend existing fences or to provide new fences. An example of Gallagher Westonfence that successfully exclude deer from a property adjoining a national park is provided on the website.

    Visit the Gallagher website for information on electric fencing grants in partnership with Landcare Australia.

  • Waratah fencing

    PO Box 245c,
    Newcastle VIC 2300,
    Ph: 13 01 80

    Website: https://www.waratahfencing.com.au/

    Website includes information on deer exclusion fencing products and fencing design and is available in Victoria.

  • Other local fencing suppliers (TBA by Upper Ovens Valley Landcare)
Fencing contractors
  • List of recommended fencing contractors. (TBA by Upper Ovens Valley Landcare)

Land, Property or Conservation Plan Templates

  •  

Monitoring

  • Victorian Deer Control Community Network and DeerScan – Cape Liptrap Landowners provide information on why it is important to use DeerScan and how to use it.  Available at: https://vdccn.org.au/?s=Cape+Liptrap
  • The Deer Farming Handbook Tuckwell (2003) – provides instruction on deer exclusion plot fencing construction. Available on the Deer Industry Association of Australia website: https://www.deerfarming.com.au/deer-farming-handbook
  • Monitoring Impacts of Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolour) on forests in the Cotter Catchment, ACT, Monitoring Design and Initial Findings (Mulvaney et al. 2017) – provides information on deer including descriptions, impacts, deer monitoring plot design, data collection methods and analysis. Available at: https://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1149015/Technical-report-MONITORING-IMPACTS-OF-SAMBAR-DEER-October-2017.pdf
  • Nillumbik Shire Council – Information sheet titled Monitoring deer populations, assessing damage and how to use DeerScan to record your findings which includes information on the purpose of monitoring, signs of deer, monitoring methods, how to use the FeralScan to record deer (and data security), when to look for deer, deer identification, and includes a comprehensive, easy to follow deer monitoring datasheet template. Available at: Nillumbik Shire Council website.

Return to Top

Share: