Farmed deer

A key way to protect our region from feral deer impacts is to stop farmed or domestic deer from escaping and adding to the feral deer population. 

Immediately upon becoming aware of an escape of deer kept on your land, the owner of the land must:

• Inspect and repair any damage to, or means of escape from, the deer enclosure fences.
• Report the escape of deer to the Limestone Coast Landscape Board and provide detail as to the number and type of escaped deer, the date, time, location and cause of the escape (to the best of their knowledge).

Any escaped tagged farmed or domestic can be reported to the Limestone Coast Landscape Board through the below options:

Tips to help you manage deer escapees:

• Save contact details for your local Landscape Board to report escapes.
• Exchange contact details with neighbouring landholders to allow notification if deer escape or if fence maintenance issues occur.

Meeting the tagging requirements for farmed and domestic deer protects them from being considered as feral and immediately destroyed. If tagged farmed or domestic deer are reported escaped there is a period of 7 days to allow the tagged deer owner to retrieve them. They cannot be captured or destroyed by anyone else for a period of 7 days after the Limestone Coast Landscape Board has been notified of the escape.

Fencing standards are in place to not only ensure boundary fences are constructed, but also maintained to prevent escape of deer. If you keep deer you have a legal responsibility to ensure they are contained.

Our role is to work with you ensure your deer fences are complaint and built to the appropriate standards. Our local Landscape Officers regularly inspect deer fences for compliance and to identify faults. Landscape Officers will then work with you on the process to fix faults and achieve compliance.

There are different deer fencing standards depending on whether you built your deer fence before or after 1 February 2019.

Fences built after 1 February 2019

For deer fences built after 1 February 2019, there are strict standards on the height, construction and style of your deer fence. Boundary fences (including gates) must be constructed:

• To a minimum height of 1.9 m from the ground on either side of the fence.
• Using pre-fabricated deer mesh attached securely to poles that are a maximum of 8 m apart.
• With a bottom wire (high tensile, barbed or not barbed) that runs through staples on posts. It must be able to be tightened as needed and attached to the prefabricated deer mesh as low as practical, but no more than 50 mm above the ground.
• With a strainer wire at the top of the fence, attached to the prefabricated deer mesh.
• With posts (including gates) in a state of good repair in accordance with these specifications, free from any gaps, holes or damage; and are kept free from fallen trees or branches.

Further information about the deer farm fencing requirements and standards can be found from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA).

Read more about Deer farm fencing (PIRSA)

Fences built prior to 1 February 2019

For deer fences built prior to 1 February 2019, deer must be kept within enclosures with boundary fencing (including any gates) constructed and maintained at all times to a standard sufficient to prevent the escape of any deer. Fencing and gates should take into account the particular terrain. Further information can be found in the Deer Industry Association of Australia’s, Deer Farming Handbook.

Read the Deer Industry Association of Australia’s Deer Farming Handbook [PDF, 507 KB]

Tips to prevent recurring deer fencing issues:

• Destroy all feral deer outside of your fenced enclosures. During breeding season, feral and farmed or domestic deer can fight through fences damaging them.
• Align fences away from areas that could damage or compromise your fence. This includes wetlands, drains, native vegetation or areas heavily populated by native animals such as wombats that can burrow under fences.
• Manage farmed or domestic deer stocking rates or supplementary feed. Farmed or domestic deer can put extreme pressure on and damage fencing to escape if pasture, crops or supplementary feed is not adequate within the enclosure.
• Regularly inspect boundary fences for damage, especially after significant weather events.
• Stock suitable amounts of spare fencing materials for immediate repairs.

All domestic deer over 12 months of age must have a permanent ear tag, which has an identification code linked to a Property Identification Code (PIC).

Under the Livestock Regulations 2013, it is an offence to move or sell farmed or domestic deer not fitted with an ear tag bearing the PIC of the land from which they are moved.

Ear tagging your deer can provide a number of benefits to their management, including:

• Easily distinguishing your farmed or domestic deer from feral deer.
• Providing your tagged deer with up to 7 days protection from being culled if it escapes.

Tips to help with ear tagging:

• The ear tag should be appropriate for the species of deer.
• The tag must be clearly visible from a distance and be of an appropriate quality.
• Tags with your Property Identification Code and/or identification codes can be bought from rural merchandise stores.
• Commercial deer farms routinely tag deer and may provide advice on handling facilities or offer on-ground support.