By JESSE GRAHAM
A PARKS Victoria program to cull deer numbers in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley has come back for another year, after the inaugural year was labelled as a success.
Parks Victoria’s Deer Control Program began its second year in mid-March, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of fallow and sambar deer on sensitive habitat and native plants.
Under this year’s program, volunteer members of the Australian Deer Association and the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia have been authorised to kill 220 deer from the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve and Warramate Hills Conservation Reserve in Gruyere.
Last year was the first year the program had been run, and 100 deer were culled across the three sites.
Parks Victoria District Manager of the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Ranges District, Craig Bray, said the organisation was “very happy” with the progress of the program, but that deer continued to be a problem in the area.
“There is still evidence of deer within the parks, but we are seeing positive signs of environmental recovery and revegetation in areas that have previously been damaged by deer activity,” he said.
The program contained a number of strict safety procedures last year, including closing the parks to the public during shooting, not shooting on weekends, public holidays or on school holidays, ensuring one shooter was active at any time and warning nearby residents – these measures will continue this year.
Environmental groups, such as Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and Sherbooke Lyrebird Survey Group, have come out in support of the program, due to deer damaging endangered animal habitats with the thrashing of antlers on trees and damaging fauna with their hooves.
Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater president, Robert Anderson said the group had been advocates of a deer control program for many years.
“Early signs of the program appear to be very positive, with considerably less damage to areas that have been revegetated then would otherwise be expected if no control had taken place,” he said.
“Loss of habitat and the destruction of revegetated areas have held back the recovery program of the Helmeted Honeyeater – a program that continues to decrease deer numbers is most welcome.”
Mr Bray said the program would continue for as long as “deer were having a negative impact on sensitive vegetation in the three parks”.
For more information on the program, or for details of park closures, call 13 1963 or visit parkweb.vic.gov.au.
