Last year landholders were invited to complete a survey developed by Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare and associated Landcare groups to gauge landholders’ perceptions on a range of deer issues. The survey covered south-east NSW, bordering Victorian regions and the ACT and provided an opportunity for landholders to express their views of wild deer, provide observations on deer species and abundance, document whether wild deer are causing an impact and convey any concerns they might have on the management of wild deer.

The full report on the survey will be out soon but here are a few preliminary results. There is a clear, significant interest in this issue with 650 responses to the survey from across the south east. Of those people, 76% consider deer a pest species, more than 60% see deer at least monthly, 79% believe deer numbers are increasing, 28% enjoy having deer, 16% would like to see more deer and 29% of the people who responded from the South Coast already control deer.