WA holds first aerial cull of feral deer to curb pest population
The state government decided to take a stand on the pest after surveys in the Esperance and Harvey regions revealed a growing number of feral deer.
Cattle farmer Andrew Keep said he regularly saw groups of up to 12 deer jump the fence into his paddock to graze overnight.
"They leave a lot of tracks in our muddy paddocks, so I know there is a growing problem," he said.
Teams of sharpshooters in helicopters will fly over certain properties, dense bushland and forests, using thermal cameras to spot the deer.
Mr Keep said he was glad the government was taking steps to "nip it in the bud" and provided permission for teams to shoot deer if they saw them on his 64-hectare property, east of Harvey.
Similar aerial culls of feral deer are common in eastern parts of Australia, where the pest's population size has swelled.
Feral deer impact on the environment and agriculture by damaging crops, causing soil erosion, and competing with native animals and livestock for food.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) manager of vertebrate pests Tim Thompson said it was important to get on top of the problem in WA before it was "too late".
"We have nowhere near the feral deer population or impacts that they do over east, so we're in a unique situation," he said.
Leschenault Biosecurity Group executive officer Kate Duzevich agreed aerial culling could be the most humane and cost-effective way to manage feral deer in south-west WA.
She said early action was vital to avoid the kind of large-scale damage seen in other areas of the country.
"I believe this is the most humane, most cost-effective, and realistic control tool that can be deployed in management," Ms Duzevich said.
"If you're in the business of growing pasture, the physical presence of deer, their hooves churning up soil, the wallowing, [is] damaging productive land."
Mr Thompson said DPIRD's preliminary surveys used thermal technology to determine how widespread WA's deer population was.
"We know that there is anywhere from one deer per square kilometre to four deer per square kilometre," he said.
DPIRD estimated about 700 deer lived in Harvey, with 660 in Esperance and 170 in Muchea, north of Perth.
Mr Thompson said his team was working with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to ensure the aerial shootings were done as safely as possible.
He said some areas and roads would be closed off to the public, similar to how sections were managed during prescribed burns.
"There will be absolutely no risk of any sort for people, particularly camping and things like that," he said.
Mr Thompson said the state government was also working alongside native title groups to ensure no heritage or sacred sites would be affected.
Mr Keep said he was not concerned about the sharpshooters flying over his property in search of feral deer.
"The helicopters will be first thing in the morning at dawn when the thermal imaging system will be able to pick up the heat signatures … so they could quite clearly identify a deer, pig or even a cow, so they won't be fatally shooting cattle," he said.
"I'm pretty sure if they want it to be successful, they'd be very responsible in undertaking this; otherwise, there would be huge blowbacks."
The RSPCA was contacted for comment on the animal welfare implications of aerial deer culling, but declined to respond.
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