Victoria's feral deer population is expanding rapidly and invading new areas.
The Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) provides a state-wide forum to share information, experiences and collectively seek solutions to substantially reduce the impact and distribution of feral deer in Victoria.
$1.5 to 2.1 billion
Estimated cost to the Victorian economy over the next 30 years
Victorian DeeR Control Community Network
Feral deer are emerging as one of Australia’s most serious environmental and agricultural threats. Victoria has possibly the largest deer population in Australia, estimated to be over a million animals. The feral deer population is expanding rapidly and invading new areas.
There are many organisations, institutions, businesses, groups and individuals in Victoria actively involved in feral deer control, research, campaigning or are directly impacted by feral deer. However, other than local networks, there is no statewide forum to share information, experiences and collectively seek solutions.
The Victorian Deer Control Community Network will provide a platform for statewide collaboration over matters related to feral deer.
We are now encouraging people and organisations to join and contribute to the network, the only prerequisite is being interested in reducing the impact of feral deer. To become a member please download and read our Terms of Reference before filling in the application form.
The Invasive Species Council helped form the network and is providing executive officer support as well as website resources for the new community-driven initiative.
Deer control information and resources
The VDCCN website contains a resource section that includes:
- research papers
- field guides
- survey reports
- reports
The resource categories include:
- distribution
- impacts
- monitoring
- plans and strategies
- population dynamics
- species information
- tools and methods
Deer distribution timeline by species- 1922 – 2021.
We know deer were released in Victoria in the 1860’s and small confined populations persisted for decades. This map is based only on formal records of sightings documented since the 1920’s.
Hover over video and click fullscreen to enlarge.
Video provided by Alpine Environmental Science based on data from the the Arthur Rylah Institute
The high economic, environmental and social impacts of feral deer in Victoria
Peter Jacobs, the Invasive Species Council Deer Project Officer (Victoria), discusses the high economic , environmental and social impacts that Feral Deer are having in Victoria.
Become a VDCCN Member
The Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) provides a state-wide forum to share information, experiences and collectively seek solutions to substantially reduce the impact and distribution of feral deer in Victoria.
Featured News
Counting the doe; feral deer could cost Victoria over $2 billion
A new independent report from Frontier Economics warns that not controlling the impacts of feral deer in Victoria could cost the community between $1.5 billion and $2.2 billion over the next 30 years.
Peri Urban Deer Control Plan
DELWP has now released the Peri-urban Deer Control Plan 2021–26 to reduce the impact of deer across the peri-urban region east and north of Melbourne. The partnership group that helped prepare the plan contained a few VDCCN members. The Plan is constructed like a decision support tool to guide investment into on-ground action based on the greatest net benefit across multiple values and land tenure.
Alps Deer Control Trials
Alpine peatlands are a nationally threatened ecological community (as listed in the EPBC Act). As you can see from the photo below of a sambar deer wallowing in an alpine peatland, feral deer are a serious threat to these sensitive areas (along with feral horses). Imagine the time it will take for this sensitive area to recover from this devastation even if deer were removed now.
Survey of Landowners in North East Victoria
The Invasive Species Council is surveying people across Victoria to determine their views on the impact of feral deer, targeting landowners in particular. The survey ran recently for North East Victoria and will shortly expand to take in the whole of Victoria. The results will be used to better understand community attitudes about, and the impacts of, feral deer.
Deer Free Sanctuary for The Prom?
Wilson’s Promontory National Park is a remarkable place; its scenery and biodiversity values are outstanding, however the park is not immune from invasive feral animals such as deer, rabbits, foxes and feral cats. In fact over years “The Prom” has supported large population of around 2000 hog deer.
Will feral deer remain protected species?
Victoria’s Wildlife Act (1975) covers a range of issues associated with protecting our wildlife, including protecting deer! The definition of wildlife in the Act specifically
Upcoming Events
Webinar: Hunter assistance for control of deer
One of the range of options available for landowners to control the impact of deer and other pest species is to have recreational hunters come
Gippsland Community Deer Forum Managing deer across a shared landscape
A free forum to help communities tackle the problem of deer around homes, farms and nature reserves. ● Learn about the National Feral Deer and
VDCCN Webinar 6 December 2022: New deer control projects on public land
Twenty-six projects have recently received funding from the $6.5 million pool set aside for deer control on public land in 22/23. The projects are to reduce the
Deer Field Day North-east Victoria
Most landowners around the Upper Ovens Valley be they farmers, rural life stylers or residents on the edges of town are being impacted by deer
VDCCN AGM 26 October 2022
The Victorian Deer Control Community Network (VDCCN) has been in place for over a year now and we have achieved a lot in that time.
VDCCN Webinar August 2022: Commercial Harvesting of Wild Caught Deer
The third VDCCN Webinar for 2022 will be: Date: Wednesday 31 August 2022 Time: 5.00 – 6.00 pm Topic: Commercial harvesting of wild caught deer The webinar
