By JESSE GRAHAM
INTRODUCED deer species will be in the crosshairs over the next year, in a move to protect endangered species and native vegetation in the Dandenong Ranges and surrounds.
Parks Victoria announced on Wednesday 5 March that it had given approval for a deer control program to take place over the next 12 months.
The control program will target Sambar and Fallow deer species and will be taking place in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Warramate Hills Nature Conservation Reserve and Yellingo Nature Conservation Reserve.
The program has called for 70 from the Dandenong Ranges National Park (30 Fallow, 40 Sambar), 130 deer to be culled from Yellingbo (100 Fallow, 30 Sambar) and 20 (10 Fallow, 10 Sambar) to be culled from Warramate Hills.
The two deer species, according to Parks Victoria District Manager Craig Bray, are introduced species and are causing damage to native vegetation and habitats for endangered species.
Mr Bray cited deer thrashing their antlers on trees as one of the causes of habitat degradation for Lyrebirds, along with Helmeted Honeyeater and the Lowland Leadbeater’s Possum colonies around Yellingbo.
“This program will seek to restore these parks and reduce the damage deer are causing,” he said.
Monbulk resident Bruce Johnson wrote to the Mail about the cull program, and raised concerns about the 54 hunters that will be taking part.
“The current system of two people is far better than 54 individuals shooting (at) any time of the day or night,” he wrote.
“We do not want shooters of any description using high-powered rifles in a bush area where shooters do not know where houses are located.”
However, a Parks Victoria spokesperson said that only one shooter would be participating at any one time, and that residents in surrounding areas would be notified on days of hunting.
The spokesperson said that hunters will not pursue animals that leave the designated shooting areas and travel into residential properties, and that strict conditions have been placed on those participating.
One of the conditions is that, if a deer is wounded, shooters must track and kill it before continuing to hunt other animals – the shooters have also been trained to identify target species from other animals.
The parks that shooting will take place in will be closed to the public when the program is carried out, with signs displayed at all formal entry points, though shooting will not take place on weekends, public holidays or school holidays.
Shooting will take place at day and night, and the program will be assessed after the 12-month period to see if it will continue after then.
All shooters are accredited marksmen and have gone through rigorous training procedures in terms of identifying animals and behaving safely in the designated areas, according the Parks Victoria.
Sambar and Fallow deer species are hard-hooved introduced species, and can cause degradation of native and fragile vegetation, disturb and erode soil and compete for food with native wildlife.
For more information, and updates on park closures, visit www.parks.vic.gov.au or call 13 19 63.
