Overview

• An independent 2024 aerial count commissioned by NRE Tas estimated 71,655 fallow deer, up from 53,660 in 2019.
• The report found regional increases ranging from 12% to 55% and higher densities near the Central Plateau and Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
• Authors recommended aerial surveys every two to three years and annual wilderness monitoring to gauge whether management goals are being met.
• Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce said the state will open more public and private land to recreational hunting, streamline permits for control, and run the next survey in 2027.
• Conservationists, farmers and several MPs called for stronger, coordinated professional control and policy changes, while a pro-hunting MP said recreational shooters already take more than 20,000 deer annually.