Karmactive Staff
Tasmania’s feral deer population has jumped by nearly 20,000 in just five years, according to a recent government survey. The aerial count conducted in October 2024 found an estimated 71,655 deer, up from 53,660 in 2019 – representing about a 33% increase.
The survey revealed deer numbers are growing by around 6% annually, with the animals spreading westward toward environmentally sensitive areas including the World Heritage-listed Walls of Jerusalem National Park and Central Plateau Conservation Area.
“Those numbers are going the wrong way,” acknowledged Tasmania’s Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce, who released the findings on October 2. “This is not a linear line, so with any species that is on the up and up, once we get to a certain level it’s very difficult to control.”
The survey, prepared by Terrestrial Ecosystem Services and commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources, found the increase was “not anticipated” and recommended more frequent monitoring every 2-3 years instead of the current five-year intervals.
The findings have intensified a long-running debate over how Tasmania should manage its feral deer population, with farmers, conservationists, hunters, and government officials offering conflicting solutions.
TasFarmers CEO Nathan Calman claimed deer could be costing the sheep industry $87 million annually, based on the assumption that deer consume twice as much as sheep. “The feral deer population in Tasmania is out of control,” Calman said, adding that “the hoops and red tape” farmers face when trying to control deer numbers are “probably unreasonable.”
Conservation groups are calling for stronger measures. “It’s very concerning and indicative that what the government policies have been to date are not working and we really need a dramatic change of direction,” said Dr. Tiana Pirtle from the Invasive Species Council.
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The council is urging the government to remove the deer’s “partially protected” status, commit $8 million over four years for professional control programs including aerial shooting, and revise the current zoning system.
Tasmania manages deer under different zones: a “sustainable hunting” zone in the Midlands “where deer are an accepted part of the landscape,” a mixed management zone, and a “no deer” zone for the rest of the state. Tasmania and Victoria are the only Australian states that manage deer partly as a hunting resource rather than solely as a pest.
Hunters have a different perspective. Tasmanian Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Carlo Di Falco, who is a deer hunter, supports opening more areas to recreational hunters. “What we need to do is give hunters more access to places that are locked up,” he said, adding that if additional Sustainable Timber Tasmania land was opened to hunters, “we’d keep the numbers down.”
In response, Minister Pearce announced several measures, including plans to unlock more land for recreational hunting, streamline permits to reduce red tape, explore a Farm Assist Program connecting farmers and hunters, consult on commercial wild-shot deer trials, increase deer farm compliance, and develop a new Deer Plan before the current one expires in 2027.
The government plans to conduct its next aerial survey in 2027, though conservation groups argue more urgent action is needed given the unexpected population growth and spread toward sensitive ecological areas.
