Santa’s lost deer under close watch

Now, Biosecurity Queensland is undertaking a trial of infrared technology to determine whether it could be used in broadly surveying the state’s feral deer populations. Queensland’s Department of Agriculture is also conducting research to examine monitoring techniques, control strategies and community views about feral deer to help future management.

With the Queensland Feral Deer Management Strategy entering its final year in 2018 it appears to be achieving some success. DAF launched the initiative in 2013 to manage agricultural, environmental and social impacts caused by the four species of feral deer across our state.

In western Queensland, Red deer are being monitored by a remote camera research project to determine the local population size. 

Meanwhile, the Brisbane City Council has reported a 31 per cent drop in complaints year-on-year relating to feral deer, while Ipswich Regional Council said they currently don’t have any public issue relating to feral deer around the Mt Crosby region and haven’t experienced an increase in feral deer reports throughout 2017.

While the idea of Santa’s sleigh pulling reindeer, helped by the ever-cute Bambi cartoon, make them an aesthetically pleasing idea, feral deer have the potential to cause significant environmental degradation, damage crops and carry diseases that affect livestock. And a Biosecurity Queensland spokesperson said the primary responsibility for controlling feral deer rests with landowners.

“Under legislation, all landholders (including the state government) are responsible for the control of Class 2 feral deer on lands that they manage,” a DAF spokesperson said.

“Landholders in or adjacent to environmentally significant areas may have a responsibility to control Class 3 species if directed by a local government that reasonably believes the species are affecting the environmentally significant area.”

Landholder who are directed by local councils to control deer and don’t comply can face a fine of up to $44,000, while anyone introducing deer species currently not found in Queensland could be penalised up to $88,000.