In 2022 a Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan was released. It detailed how to manage the species (Dama Dama) for the five years from 2022 to 2027.
The plan was a response to:
A main objective of the Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan is to explore how to control deer in peri-urban areas.
Issues caused by deer in a peri-urban setting
Deer in and around peri-urban areas pose significant risks to the public:
Deer can cause property damage, injury, and potentially death via car accidents and collision avoidance.
They damage gardens, parks, remnant bush, and replanting efforts.
Peri-urban deer can become habituated to people and dogs. This can lead to attacks on pets and children particularly during the mating season.
Once established, deer in peri-urban areas are very difficult and expensive to control.
In peri-urban areas, deer can reach high densities. This is because they have lots of food and are hard to cull in these areas.
Deer in peri-urban areas can encourage illegal hunting. People may access private land unlawfully and/or shoot across it. They may also use high-powered firearms close to peoples homes.
Standard fencing is ineffective as an exclusion method for deer. It is not feasible to fence deer away from roads, parks, gardens, vineyards, or orchards.
| 
|
Peri-Urban Deer Control Project
The Peri-Urban Deer Control Project aims to develop a range of options for the safe and effective control of deer in peri-urban areas. It will work with local government and communities to do this.
The project will focus on safe, effective ground control methods. These include shooting, trapping, and sedation techniques to remove animals.
Four priority areas are the initial focus of the peri-urban project. These are the West Tamar, Meander Valley, and Tasman Local Government Areas, as well as Bruny Island.
This project receives funding from both the Tasmanian and Australian Governments.