In 2019, the Tasmanian government undertook a baseline survey to estimate wild fallow deer abundance and distribution.

The 2019 baseline survey, a significant undertaking by the Tasmanian government, was crucial in bridging the knowledge gap on fallow deer in Tasmania. Its findings will be instrumental in enabling an evidence-based approach to their management.

In October 2024, a follow-up survey will be conducted using the same methodology as the 2019 survey and will model the estimate wild fallow deer abundance and distribution in Tasmania.

As is often the case regarding wild deer management in Australia, decisions are made in the absence of a body of supporting evidence. This underscores the importance of an evidence-based approach, as the simple and primitive narrative of wild deer being “non-native” is the basis of policy and management programs, regardless of the cost or efficiency.

The survey area is approximately 26,000 km2 and includes Tasmanian Wilderness Heritage Area Deer Control Project areas.

The 2019 survey concluded that only 53,660 wild deer were in central and north-eastern Tasmania. This result decisively debunked the false claims of others who wrongly suggested there could be up to 100,000 wild deer in Tasmania, which could grow to 1 million by 2050. This accurate data provides a solid foundation for future management decisions.

Such aerial surveys don’t need to be repeated annually; they can best be conducted every 4-5 years, with appropriate ground surveys undertaken annually. Further improvements to ground surveys, such as distance sampling and thermal imagining, can further improve their accuracy, with aerial surveys providing a means of calibrating ground data.

While others will continue to ignore science in their ideological pursuits, the Australian Deer Association is unwavering in its commitment to advocating for an evidence-based approach to wild deer policy and management. This also extends to helping fill knowledge gaps relating to wild deer and their ecological role within the Australian landscape.

Surveys from the October 2024 flights are expected in the second quarter of 2025.