FAQ

Yes. The impacts of feral deer to public safety, the environment, and agricultural enterprises, as well as natural and cultural heritage have been recognised in the North Coast Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan (RSPAMP) as a high priority. A range of actions have been identified in the Plan, for more information: https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/820802/north-coast-regional-pest-plan.pdf

This plan recognises that areas within the North Coast LLS Operational area do not currently have existing feral deer populations including the Northern Rivers. It does however acknowledge surveillance and monitoring activities to be undertaken to locate any distribution changes or new feral deer populations.

The Feral Deer Management Project Officer at Tweed Shire Council or North Coast Local Land Services have specialised Biosecurity Officers who can provide information to landholders on the requirements and control options for feral deer. Contact Tweed Shire Council on 02 6670 2400 or 1300 795 299 to talk to your closest team member or email feraldeeralert@tweed.nsw.gov.au or admin.northcoast@lls.nsw.gov.au.

Yes, all sightings of feral deer should be reported. The best way to report feral deer sightings is through the Feral Scan which is available from the Apple Store or via Google play. For those with no access to electronic technology you can call North Coast Local Land Services on 1300 795 299 and ask to speak to a Senior Biosecurity Officer for their area or contact Rachel Hughes, Tweed Shire Council Feral Deer Management Officer on (02) 6670 2710.

When a report is made through Feral Scan the appropriate  Biosecurity Officer with North Coast Local Land Services and Rachel Hughes (Deer Project Officer) are notified. They can contact the person who lodged the report and liaise with relevant authorities regarding an appropriate response.

Presently surveillance and monitoring are being undertaken to determine any distribution changes and new occurrences of feral deer in the Northern Rivers. All landholders are being encouraged to report any sightings of feral deer in the local area using Feral Scan or contacting Rachel Hughes on 02 6670 2710 or North Coast Local Land Services on 1300 795 299.

There are limited options for controlling feral deer.  Deer are controlled using approved techniques such as trapping and shooting. The available options are best discussed with your local Council and North Coast Local Land Services Biosecurity Officer so they can advise on the best options for your individual circumstances. They will also be able to advise what programs are currently underway in public managed areas.

All land holders are responsible to manage the impacts of feral deer. Under the Biosecurity Act a landholder has a biosecurity duty to fulfill for all pest and weed species on their property. Given the wide range of impacts feral deer can have on environmental, agricultural and social values, deer are listed as a Key Threatening Process under biodiversity legislation and are a priority pest in Local Land Services Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plans.

A legislative change occurred on the 6 September 2019 where deer are no longer listed as a game animal under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act. As such deer across NSW, are now referred to as feral.

Yes. Feral deer are not a protected species in NSW. Any method of control must involve humane euthanasia. This means that the person responsible must adhere to animal welfare requirements when destroying any pest animal species. For more information about humane control techniques for feral deer refer to Pest Smart Website for the Standard Operating Procedure for the ground shooting of feral deer. https://pestsmart.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/12/DEE001-SOP.pdf

For the legal requirements for use of firearms refer to the NSW Police Firearms Registry - https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/firearms/licences

Refer to the DPI Game Licencing Unit https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/hunting for information about hunting on public lands.

On public land the hunting of deer is managed by the Game Licencing Unit within the Department of Primary Industries. More information about the licences required to hunt on public lands can be found at: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/hunting or on 02 63637650 or email game.licensing@dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Feral deer have been known to travel large distances and over various types of terrain. It is important to remember that moving feral deer for release into the wild is against the law. Unfortunately, feral deer occur in many areas across NSW. You can refer to the current maps of distribution at the DPI website: Visit the link below for more information:  https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1266880/feral-deer-all-species-distribution-and-abundance-2020.pdf

Feral deer cause social, environmental, and economic impacts in areas where they are known to occur for example the Port Macquarie-Hastings area. These impacts include damage to residential gardens, the natural environment, agricultural industries and are a public safety risk particularly through road accidents and human interactions. Given the wide range of impacts feral deer can have on environmental, agricultural and social values, deer are listed as a Key Threatening Process under biodiversity legislation and are a priority pest in Local Land Services Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plans.

Feral deer can be particularly aggressive during breeding season (which varies between species), especially males. They are also referred to as a ‘flight’ animal and can quickly react to situations and catch people off guard.

Yes, feral deer do spread disease. The diseases include Q fever, chlamydiosis, leptospirosis, campylobacterosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis.

The law in NSW requires that a person harvesting game animals intended for human consumption must be licenced with the NSW Food Authority. The brochure contained in the link contains information on the Licencing Requirements for Field Harvesters of Game Animals for Human Consumption. For further information contact the NSW Food Authority on 1300 552 406.

Under the Biosecurity Act a landholder has a biosecurity duty to fulfill for all pest and weed species on their property. This is referred to as a General Biosecurity Duty (GBD). This brochure from NSW DPI explains the meaning of GBD. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/722886/General-biosecurity-duty-with-diagram.pdf

All land holders are responsible to manage the impacts of feral deer.

Yes. For example, in the Hastings-Port Macquarie area there is a coordinated effort being undertaken to control feral deer in locations specified by and in accordance with the Hastings Feral Deer Management Plan 2020-2024. A copy of the Plan can be downloaded from the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council website.

The best way to help at this stage is to make sure that all feral deer sightings are reported. If you see or hear of a feral deer in the Northern Rivers region, please report it to Feral Scan; or contact your Local Council or Local Land Services on 1300 795 299.

More information is available on the NSW Department of Primary Industries website.