Being over run by Deer it seems.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Reading the local paper and it seems we have FERAL deer roaming around the Dandenong Ranges, I person was charged on by a deer, Cars are hitting and near missing them. Locals want action

We had this problem a while back when the big fires forced deer out from the other ranges. I didn't know Deer were classed as Feral, ( I suppose, since they are not native they could be classed as feral) Indeed you need a endorsement to hunt them. With all this Fresh Venison roaming around and no one is allow to hunt them due to being in a populated area, the local National park has many tourists and bushwalkers. Hunting is prohibited.

Reminds me in my younger days of Stalking Deer, we hard to find, only came across some droppings and some tree rubbings, but never got to shoot one. Now they seem to be every where, well more concentrated to smaller areas.

I watched a program call Beyond the Divide, and it seems NSW has opened and are opening more National Parks for Hunters, once they get a R permit after doing a safety exam. I wonder if Vic will follow.

[frantic]

The tale goes, a farmer from the Illawarra about 80 years ago went broke and instead of killing the deer released them as a result with no natural predators the estimates go from 300,000 to 500,000 between sydney and melbourne.
As our escarpment is where they breed and is so close to residential areas there are groups of bow hunters who unofficially chase the deer. Just don't make the same mistake as one did who went to retrieve his arrow from a pig and got sliced open along his leg about 30 cm then that has been infected badly:(. He forgot his knife and had to finish the pig off with the arrow.

[Grumbles]

Reading the local paper and it seems we have FERAL deer roaming around the Dandenong Ranges, I didn't know Deer were classed as Feral, ( I suppose, since they are not native they could be classed as feral) Indeed you need a endorsement to hunt them. .

In Victoria [and NSW] deer are not classified as feral but are legally classified as a "Game" species. There are minimum firearm calibre restrictions which can be used on them and you also need a DEPI Game Licence to hunt them.

If deer numbers are a problem to land holders then an "Authority To Control Wildlife" permit could be obtained by those land holders who do not possess a Game Licence. Under new regulations implemented this year farmers can now destroy deer on their property without a permit.

Legal deer hunting areas on public land for recreational hunting can be found at -

Deer Hunting in Eastern Victoria - Department of Environment and Primary Industries (http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/game-hunting/game/deer/sambar-hunting-with-dogs/deer-hunting-locations/deer-hunting-in-eastern-victoria)

[Grumbles]

Just to clarify about what we are talking about when the word deer is used.

In the Aust. Eastern States it is recognised that there are six deer species roaming the countryside. They are Sambar, Fallow, Chital, Rusa, Red and Hog Deer.

There are also limited numbers of cross breed Wapiti/Red deer. Rumour has it that there are pure bred Wapiti roaming about - something which I would not discount.

[JohnF]

In NSW, a lot of people are unhappy that hunters are now allowed to hunt in National Parks. Perhaps they should send them deer hunting instead.

[vnx205]

I had the impression that was precisely what many of them were hunting in National Parks.

[gofish]

I was shocked when i saw them at the Prom last year...didn't know they were down there.

[Grumbles]

Hunting in NSW National Parks is still to be proclaimed but hunting in NSW State Forests is allowed subject to the NSW Game Council Regulations.

Interestingly though deer hunting by stalking has been allowed in some Victorian National Parks for many years without incident or controversy.

State Forests in Vic. are open to all forms of hunting aka deer and the declared vermin species.

What is an oddity is that if a deer stalker hunting deer legally inside a Vic. National Park encounters vermin aka wild dog, wild cat, fox, pig or goat etc these ferals are totally protected inside Vic National Parks and cannot be hunted or shot. It is ony deer which can be hunted.

[tonic]

They are all over the Gold Coast now, even had one caught on an island in the Broadwater.

I do know that some or most of them did come from failed deer farms in our hinterland. One of the properties we quoted to drill a bore on for the new owner.

The old owner let 120 go into the Nerang State Forest. A work mate that lives nearby sees them quite a bit and there have been many car crashes on main roads in that area.

My family are all around Glen Innes, my cousins and their boys shoot them anytime they feel like going out.