We all have a role to play in protecting our region from the impacts of feral deer

Feral deer cause considerable impact on Limestone Coast agriculture and environment. They also attract illegal hunting and create public safety hazards on our roads.

Whether you are a landholder, deer farmer, hunter or community member, we all have a role to play in protecting our region from the impacts of feral deer.

We have an opportunity right now in the Limestone Coast where the feral deer population is not as wide-spread compared to the eastern states. With the right approach we can protect the region from the impacts of feral deer.

Through the Feral Deer Eradication Program (the Program), we are supporting landholders to eradicate feral deer from the Limestone Coast.

Visit the Feral Deer Eradication Program

The benefits of eradicating feral deer from your property

Improve your agricultural productivity and profitability

Feral deer can significantly reduce productivity on farms. One red stag reduces a properties grazing capacity by 3.6 sheep.

They compete with livestock for pasture, damage fences and have the potential to spread disease. Destroying feral deer on your property can boost its productivity and bottom line.

Prevention of disease spread

Feral deer can carry diseases such as Ovine Johnes Disease and transfer of foot rot bacteria between properties. By eradicating feral deer, you can reduce the potential for disease spread and safeguard against the risk of diseases.

Reduce illegal hunting activity your property

Feral deer often attract illegal hunting activities on private and public properties. By removing feral deer on your property, you are reducing the risk of trespass.

Protection of the natural environment

Feral deer degrade the environment. They ring-bark trees, damage shrubs, prevent seedling regeneration, and cause soil erosion. They also destroy the habitat of many native animals such as trampling malleefowl nesting sites. By eradicating feral deer on your property, you can safeguard the natural environment on your property.

Eradicating feral deer from your property with an integrated approach

If you have seen feral deer on your property you must do everything possible to destroy them. As with any pest species, feral deer do not respect property boundaries. Efforts to get rid of feral deer on your land can be undermined if feral deer from nearby properties keep coming over. For this reason eradicating feral deer is best achieved as a joint exercise, involving all your neighbours.

There is no single approach to feral deer eradication. All control methods should be designed after proper consideration of your local circumstances.

Our Feral Deer Project Officer and local Landscape Officers can help you with advice to suit your situation. This includes support to take part in the Limestone Coast Landscape Board's Feral Deer Eradication Program.

The Feral Deer Eradication Program is a coordinated effort to achieve eradication of feral deer from the region. It helps to protect primary production, the environment and improve community safety. It is free to join and supports you to destroy feral deer on your property.

The Program integrates aerial and ground shooting operations, monitoring and deer farm compliance. It aligns with National and State Feral Deer Strategies.

Visit the Feral Deer Eradication Program

Aerial shooting of feral deer

Aerial shooting of feral deer from a helicopter is an effective and efficient technique that can be used across a variety of habitats. It is ideal in heavily vegetated, inaccessible areas during the day when feral deer are seeking cover.

To maximise effectiveness and efficiency, the thermal assisted aerial culling technique is used where appropriate.

Aerial shooting can remove feral deer missed by other control programs (e.g. ground shooting or trapping). It helps to achieve landscape scale eradication in a short timeframe. Aerial shooting is safe and humane with a deliberate process of at least two shots per animal. Death of the animal is confirmed by flying back over. Aerial shooting can cull over 200 feral deer per day compared to ground shooting that removes approximately 1 deer per day per person.

Ground shooting of feral deer

Ground shooting is most effective when used alongside aerial shooting operations. It helps to target any individual feral deer that may have been missed by aerial culling. It is also an appropriate and cost effective management option where there are isolated sightings of feral deer.

Ground shooting can be a humane method of destroying feral deer, especially when it is carried out by experienced, and skilled shooters. Shooting should be undertaken in accordance with the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions Code of Practice for the humane control of feral deer.

Ground shooting must target all individual animals on your property to prevent repopulation. The following groups or organisations may assist your ground shooting operations:

professional shooting contractors
organised volunteer groups (e.g. Sporting Shooting Association of Australia, Conservation and Wildlife Management of South Australia and the Conservation and Hunting Alliance of SA.)
local hunters
commercial harvesters.

Using local hunters to get rid of feral deer on your property works best when combined with other methods such as aerial shooting. You should ensure local hunters target all animals not just trophy males. Ground shooting does not remove as many animals as aerial shooting and animals left behind, especially females, will increase the population.

Commercial harvesters are available that offer game meat harvesting. This method is not suitable for low density populations. Professional harvesters are best used when feral deer populations are in high density before aerial culling.

Talk to your local Landscape Officer or our Feral Deer Project Officer to find out more.

Read the National Code of Practice for the effective and humane management of feral and wild deer

Exclusion fencing

Some landholders in the Limestone Coast have chosen to invest in exclusion fencing to keep feral deer out of their property. The use of exclusion fencing complements other eradication methods such as ground shooting.

Exclusion fencing is built to deer farm standards, with a minimum height of 1.9 m using prefabricated deer mesh and a high tensile bottom wire. To learn more about installing deer exclusion fencing, speak to your local Landscape Officer.

Local Officers, local knowledge

We have a responsibility to ensure landholders are working to achieve feral deer eradication from the region. This is guided by the Limestone Coast Pest Plant and Animal Strategy.

Our Feral Deer Project Officer and local Landscape Officers can support you to achieve eradication of feral deer on your property by providing:

support with feral deer eradication through free programs
local advice on control methods and timing of control
help to coordinate deer eradication efforts with your neighbours.

To find out more information about achieving eradication of feral deer on your property talk to us by calling 08 8429 7550 or find your local Feral Deer Project Officer.

Find your local Feral Deer Project Officer

Read the Pest Plant and Animal Strategy [PDF, 1 MB]

Understanding your responsibilities

Under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (the Act), deer are declared for control and the Act includes separate declarations for domestic (farmed) and feral deer.

Feral Deer are deer that are not kept in captivity. In South Australia, feral deer cannot be moved, sold, kept or released. As a landholder, you are responsible for the eradication of all feral deer on your property.

Domestic deer are livestock, which must be registered with the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) under a Property Identification Code. Further information on your responsibilities when it comes to farmed deer can be found by visiting the farmed deer page.

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Species of feral deer

Several species of feral deer can be found in the Limestone Coast. The majority are fallow with a small percentage of red deer, samba, chital, rusa, and possible sightings of hog deer.

Male fallow deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

**Fallow deer buck (Dama dama)**

up to 95 cm
60–100 kg
flattened antlers up to 50 cm with numerous points
penile sheath
adams apple
highly variable in colour including red, black, white and menil (spotted)
heart shaped pale rump with black outline
long tail.

Female fallow deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

**Fallow deer doe (Dama dama)**

up to 80 cm
40–50 kg
highly variable in colour including red, black, white and menil (spotted)
heart shaped pale rump with black outline
long tail.

Male red deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

**Red deer stag (Cervus elaphus)**

up to 120 cm
135–220 kg
multi-pointed complex antlers up to 90 cm
large pale rump patch
ears are normally long and pointed
grey-brown in winter
reddish in colour during summer
short tail
calves have distinct white spots.

Female rusa deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

**Red deer hind (Cervus elaphus)**

up to 90 cm
95 kg
large pale rump patch
ears are normally long and pointed
grey-brown in winter
reddish in colour during summer
short tail
calves have distinct white spots.

Male sambar deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

**Sambar deer stag (Cervus unicolor)**

up to 160 cm
300 kg
lyre-like antlers with 3 tines per antler and up to 75 cm
prominent bat like ears with pale inner
uniform dark brown coat with ginger and cream under parts and light buff colour under chin
hair is very stiff and course.

Female sambar deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

Sambar deer hind (Cervus unicolor)

up to 115 cm
230 kg
prominent bat like ears with pale inner
uniform dark brown coat with ginger and cream under parts and light buff colour under chin
hair is very stiff and course.

Male chital deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

Chital deer stag (Axis axis)

up to 90 cm
85 kg
smooth and slender antlers with usually three tines on each and up to 89 cm
striking white throat patch
reddish to chestnut brown coat with dark brown/ black muzzle white spots
long tail.

Female chital deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

Chital deer hind (Axis axis)

up to 80 cm
60 kg
striking white throat patch
reddish to chestnut brown coat with dark brown/black muzzle white spots
long tail.

Male hog deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

**Hog deer stag (Axis porcinus)**

up to 70 cm
55 kg
antlers are thin and usually have three points on each side and up to 35 cm
uniform yellow/brown to red/brown coat
may have white spots in summer and a dark brown coat in winter
underside is white/cream
smallest deer species in Australia.

Female hog deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

Hog deer hind (Axis porcinus)

up to 60 cm
30 kg
uniform yellow/brown to red/brown coat
may have white spots in summer and a dark brown coat in winter
underside is white/cream
smallest deer species in Australia.

Male rusa deer, image credit Victorian Game Management Authority.

Rusa deer stag (Cervus timorensis)

up to 110 cm
135 kg
antlers usually have three lyre-like tines up to 96 cm
coat is coarse
heavy dark grey/brown during winter
reddish-brown during summer with light chest and throat spots.

Rusa deer hind (Cervus timorensis)

up to 95 cm
90 kg
coat is coarse
heavy dark grey/brown during winter
reddish-brown during summer with light chest and throat spots.

Recording feral deer activity in DeerScan

Early detection is an important tool in managing feral deer eradication efforts. DeerScan is a free resource for the general public, farmers, local councils, community groups, pest controllers and biosecurity organisations. You can use DeerScan to record feral deer sightings, report feral deer impacts, and document control action.

Keeping records of the number of feral deer that are sighted and controlled on your property will provide very useful information on population sizes, distribution trends, feral deer density and effects of and planning for eradication programs.

Information you enter can alert local biosecurity authorities and your community about feral deer activity and can help to protect native wildlife from feral deer activity.

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Feral deer