Management of wild deer in Australia: with particular reference to fallow deer and red deer

Abstract

In Australia 26 species of exotic mammals and 27 species of exotic birds have become established since the country was colonised by Europeans in 1770 (Bomford 1991). Deer have been a part of the wider Australian biodiversity from early in the 19th century, and since that time populations of some deer species have increased in both numbers and distribution, whilst other species have failed to become established and dwindled to extinction (Bentley 1998, Hall and Gill 2005). Ever since their early introduction, deer have been seen both as a pest and an important economic and hunting resource. Therefore it would be wrong to support a perception of deer simply as a pest, just because of their exotic origins. A responsible way forward is to promote the management of the deer for the joint outcomes of reducing adverse impacts on agriculture and forestry, and for exploitation and harvest. A third outcome of any management scenario concerns stewardship, and a realisation that whether we like it or not, deer are a component of Australian ecosystems. So management imposes a responsibility to control numbers yet at the same time allows for the support of sustainable populations. Thus the word "management" reconciles the need to control damage and maintenance of a valuable resource. ... The objective of this book is, for the first time in Australia, to attempt to guide readers through the maze that has become wild deer management in this country. We hope to evaluate the reasons and options for managing wild deer and any damage they cause. To assist in this process we have relied heavily on studies from overseas - the simple truth is that since the first deer arrived in Australia in the early 19th century, precious few scientific studies have been published on wild deer and their damage in this country. We have deliberately tried to avoid anecdotal or unpublished reports simply because it seems that everyone has an opinion on how best to manage wild deer. Rather than a criticism, this is the reality at the beginning of the 21st century. We sincerely trust that this book will be the seed that grows into the tree of knowledge on the management of Australian wild deer by the end of the century.