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2016 National Wild Deer Management Workshop Proceedings
Six introduced deer species occur in the wild in Australia, with all states and territories having at least one species present. In comparison to other introduced ungulates in Australia the impacts of wild deer have not been well documented. Globally, wild deer can have a wide variety of negative economic, social and environmental impacts – and some of these impacts are being reported in parts of Australia. However, investment in research and innovation to understand and minimise the negative impacts of wild deer has been ad hoc, with no national coordination. This workshop was held to identify national priorities for research and innovation to improve understanding and management of wild deer impacts in Australia.
Distributions of Fallow Deer, Red Deer, Hog Deer and Chital Deer in Victoria
Introduced deer species can have negative impacts on agricultural and environmental values. There is concern that deer species are expanding their Victorian distributions through natural and human-assisted dispersal, increasing the biosecurity risk to Victoria. Understanding the current distributions of deer species in Victoria will help inform their management, including as an important game resource.
Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan 2022-27
The purpose of the Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan is to set clear goals and management objectives for wild fallow deer in Tasmania over the next five years. In doing so, the Plan provides a summary of the current management context.
Victorian Deer Control Strategy
Author Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Summary The strategy has been developed under both Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037 (Biodiversity 2037) and
Widespread hybridization in the introduced hog deer population of Victoria, Australia, and its implications for conservation
In Australia, many species have been introduced that have since undergone drastic declines in their native range. One species of note is the hog deer (Axis porcinus) which was introduced in the 1860s to Victoria, Australia, and has since become endangered in its native range throughout South-East Asia. There is increased interest in using non-native populations as a source for genetic rescue; however, considerations need to be made of the genetic suitability of the non-native population.
Abundance and population genetics of Hog Deer (Axis porcinus) in Victoria
This study aimed to estimate the abundance and distribution of Hog Deer across their range as well as investigate the genetics of the Hog Deer population to examine genetic diversity, population structure and connectivity between local populations as well as effective population size.
Estimates of the 2020 deer harvest in Victoria
To effectively manage game species, it is important to quantify the numbers harvested. To ascertain levels of deer harvested, since 2009, Victorian State Government game management agencies have commissioned a series of regular telephone surveys of randomly selected Game Licence holders endorsed to hunt deer during the game hunting season.
Estimates of Harvest for Deer, Duck and Quail in Victoria: Results from Surveys of Victorian Game Licence Holders in 2013
A telephone survey of Victorian hunters was conducted during the 2013 hunting seasons for deer, duck and quail to determine the total harvest for each game type. Game licence holders for each game type (deer, duck and quail) were randomly sampled and interviewed by telephone at intervals during the respective game seasons.
Emergency Response Aerial Shooting Operation – Summary Report
Aerial shooting from helicopters as an emergency response operation is a highly effective and efficient way to manage introduced animals for the benefit to biodiversity, especially where there is good visibility and in inaccessible or remote terrain. The open canopy, loss of understorey and the congregation of animals around scarce resources as a result of the 2019-20 bushfires provided a time-critical management opportunity perfectly suited for aerial shooting.
2016 Operations Workshop: Deer & other Ungulates
In early November 2016, around 40 participants gathered at Howman’s Gap Alpine Centre for the biennial Australian Alps Operations workshop. This report includes the workshop highlights and discussion points
Evaluation of an exclusion plot design for determining the impacts of native and exotic herbivores on forest understoreys
Cervus unicolor (sambar) were introduced to Australia in the 1860s (Bentley 1998) and have since expanded their range throughout eastern Victoria and more recently into New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (Moriarty 2004). They are a large deer; mature hinds weigh 130–150 kg and stand up to 1150 mm at the shoulder and stags weigh 200–250 kg and are up to 1300 mm at the shoulder (Bentley 1998; Mason 2006). C. unicolor are opportunistic in their food selection, and depending on availability may be classed as predominantly browsers (Burke 1982; Ngampongsai 1987; Shea et al. 1990; Semiadi et al. 1995), grazers (Padmalal et al. 2003) or intermediate feeders consuming approximately equal quantities of both browse and graze food plants (King 1990; Varman and Sukumar 1993; Stafford 1997). Selective browsing by C. unicolor may impact on species abundance and distribution, and thereby alter species composition of forest types, while social behaviours, such as rubbing and wallowing, may lead to impacts on water quality and biodiversity.
Distributions of Sambar Deer, Rusa Deer and Sika Deer in Victoria
Introduced deer species are important game animals in Victoria, but in some situations they can have negative impacts on agricultural and environmental values. There is concern that deer species are expanding their Victorian distributions through natural and human-assisted dispersal. Understanding the current distributions of deer species in Victoria will help inform their management.
Effects of the Black Saturday fires on Sambar Deer occupancy and abundance
‘Reduction in biodiversity of native vegetation by Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor)’ has been listed as a threatening process under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, and there is concern that native vegetation may be vulnerable to impacts of Sambar Deer immediately post-fire. However, little is known about the impacts of fire on the population levels of Sambar Deer, except that deer are sometimes killed. The objective of this project was to evaluate the effects of the Black Saturday fires on occupancy and abundance of Sambar Deer using pre- and post-fire data from burnt and unburnt habitat.
Reproductive seasonality and rate of increase of wild sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) in a new environment, Victoria, Australia
Sambar (Rusa unicolor) are the most numerous and rapidly expanding of Australia’s six introduced deer species, however, there is little information about the reproductive biology of sambar deer in their natural habitat. To better predict and manage wild sambar populations in Australia it is important to understand their reproductive seasonality and rate of population growth. From results of the present study, there is reporting of field estimates of age at first breeding, reproductive lifespan, juvenile survival, adult bodyweights and fecundity to derive estimates of the current and intrinsic rates of increase for sambar in Victoria, Australia.
Estimates of maximum annual population growth rates of mammals and their application in wildlife management
In many situations where rm cannot be estimated in the field, or demographic data other than age at first reproduction is lacking, our approach provides an estimate of rm that can be used in population and management models, perhaps most importantly to estimate the proportion of a population that if removed on a sustained basis would drive the population extinct. Our approach can be applied to taxa other than mammals.
A monitoring protocol for assessing changes in deer relative abundance and deer impacts at Lake Tyers, Victoria, Part 2:
This document is Part 2 of the monitoring protocol. It describes the equipment required and how to prepare, set up and conduct the monitoring surveys.
A monitoring protocol for assessing changes in deer relative abundance and deer impacts at Lake Tyers, Victoria, Part 1 – Rationale
The objective of this report is to develop an experimental design and field monitoring method to assess the effectiveness of the landscape-scale Deer Control Program in reducing the impacts of sambar on native vegetation in the Lake Tyers area.
The Victoria Naturalist – The Pest Issue – December 2020
Jordan O Hampton and Naomi E Davis provide a brief review
of these impacts in Victoria and show that they are widespread across the state. While the existing evidence is limited, this is an active field of research, and comparative and experimental studies will help to address knowledge gaps and assist with the development of strategies for managing the impacts of deer in Victoria. (
A pilot study examining the ecological and human dimensions of wild deer management, Nariel Valley Victoria
This study explored the ecological and sociological aspects of wild deer management in the Nariel Valley, establishing preliminary data on wild deer abundance and ecological damage. In addition the study examined landholder attitudes toward wild deer to determine some of the factors that might influence people’s attitudes, and the implications for management.
Predicting deer–vehicle collision risk across Victoria, Australia
The risk of deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) is increasing in south-east Australia as populations of introduced deer expand rapidly. There are no investigations of the spatial and temporal patterns of DVC or predictions of where such collisions are most likely to occur.