Post on 10-Aug-2020
Dear oh deer, landholders
perception of wild deer in
south-eastern NSW
1. What is the communities
perception of deer?
2. What is the type, level and cost of
deer impact?
3. What is the level of control &
future expectations?
NSW other
Victoria other
Gippsland
Monaro
Far
South
Coast
Goulburn
Yass
Palerang
Total survey –
670 participants
NSW total – 520
participants
87
73
148
168
43
123
16
10ACT
Residential
& Lifestyle
Grazing
Cropping
Agricultural
Other
Other
Total Survey
Goulburn
Monaro
Yass/Palerang
Far south coast
Pest,
81%
Game,
15%
Native Other
No,
15%Unsure,
9%
Yes,
76%
How do you
perceive
deer?
Should deer
legislated as a
pest?
How often are
deer present?Always,
47%Sometimes,
45%
No
Unsure
Daily,
21%
Weekly,
23%
Monthly
Occassionally
Once
How frequently
do you see
deer?
Few
33%
Several
40%
Many
27%
How
many
deer do
you see?
Decreasing
Stable
14%
Increasing
82%
Have you noticed
a change in
abundance?
Many more
4%
Slightly
more
7%Present
level
10%
Slightly less
5%
Many less
16%
Complete
removal
58%
Always
13%
Sometimes
16%
No
65%
Unsure
6%
How many deer
would you like you
see?
Do you enjoy
having deer
around?
Goulburn
Yass/Palerang
Far south coastMonaro
Chittal
Fallow
Hog
RedRusa
Sambar
Unsur
e
Total
Survey
0
20
40
60
80
100
Positive impact Negative impact
Pe
rce
nt
Frequent Occasional None
0
20
40
60
80
Pe
rce
nt
Occasional Frequent
The impact of
deer
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Pe
rce
nt
<$100 $100-1000 >$1000
Private
garden
8%
Pasture &
crops
28%
Infrastructure
14%Vehicle
Collision
9%
Environmental
impact
24%
Revegetation
works
11%
Illegal
hunting
6%
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
�Fa
r so
uth
co
ast
G
ou
lbu
rn
�M
on
aro
Ya
ss/P
ale
ran
g
Co
st p
er
Pe
rso
n $
Co
st p
er
Re
gio
n $
Private garden Agricultural production
Infrastructure Revegetation works
Environmental values Vehicle Collision
Illegal hunting Per person direct cost only
Per person-total
Total survey participants
spent over $1 million
NSW survey participants
spent over $60 thousand
0
10
20
30
40
50
Daily Weekly Monthly Yearly
Pe
rce
nt
Frequency of deer control
0
10
20
30
40
< 10 10 - 50 50 - 100 > 100
Pe
rce
nt
Number of deer cull categories
1400
1100
1900
174 participants control deer &
culled 5,200 deer last year
800
0
20
40
60
80
100
Pe
rce
nt
0
20
40
60
80
100
Bait Pet food Game meat No useP
erc
en
t
Shooting was most
acceptable means of control
Not using the carcass
was unacceptable
Take home points
• The majority of people font enjoy having deer and believe they should be classified as a pest;
• Deer have been present for over 30 years in all regions and are increasing;
• Deer are consistently present across south-east NSW and Gippsland and seen on a daily basis by at least 20% of participants;
• In NSW Fallow deer are the most frequently observed, daily by 20% of participants;
• The overall impact of deer is greatest on environmental values, pasture competition, revegetation activities and infrastructure;
• Survey participants spent an estimated $1 million dollars, or $2000 per person, on deer impact in the last year;
• Most control by the landholder monthly by shooting, with over 5000 culled last year;
• Shooting is the most acceptable method of deer control;
• Utilisation of the deer carcass for game meat, pet food or baiting programs is highly
• desirable