Feral deer are having a field day trashing and trampling the Grampians (Gariwerd) and Little Desert national parks and Mount Buangor State Park as native plants and animals start to recover after recent bushfires.
To eradicate the exploding feral deer population Landcarers, farmers and conservationists have called on state and federal environment ministers’ for more resources. They want both levels of government to sieze the opportunity to eradicate feral deer as outlined in Victoria’s Deer Control Strategy.
‘We’ve got to make the best out of a bad situation. Vegetation is sparse after fire so it’s the ideal time to boot feral deer out of these beloved wildlife refuges. Let’s not pass up a rare chance to support these amazing places and help them bounce back.’ said Jordan Crook, Parks and Nature Campaigner at Victorian National Parks Assocation.
The Victorian Labor Government’s response in Monday’s The Age confused community members when it said ‘Deer hunters play an important role in curbing the impact of wild deer on our environment’.
This statement conflicts with the government’s own policy that ‘Recreation hunting is not enough to reduce deer populations on its own’ and is ineffective in protecting native wildlife and habitats.
As the Commonwealth’s Feral Deer Action Plan makes clear, ‘recreational hunting programs are not containing feral deer or reducing feral deer population growth’.
To protect the safety of millions of visitors, recreational hunting isn’t permitted in Grampians (Gariwerd) and Little Desert national parks. It is also widely acknowledged as an ineffective method of controlling deer numbers on its own. A funded, targeted control program is seen as the best option for reducing feral deer numbers.
‘The Victorian Government’s deer control plan for Western Victoria specifies long-term elimination of feral deer. The fires provide the perfect opportunity to bring forward that plan,’ says Peter Jacobs of the Victorian Deer Control Community Network.
He added ‘It’s far cheaper to invest in eradication over the short term when the opportunity arises than keep funding control programs year after year that never get rid of them.’
Letter from conservationists and farmers here
Deer images and footage here
Contact details:
Victorian National Parks Assocation Campaigner: Jordan Crook on 0401635573 or [email protected]
Victorian Deer Control Community Network: Peter Jacobs on 0487295198 or [email protected]