New research has exposed the fact that Australian authorities are using baseless claims to demonise wild deer and publicly justify their expensive and possibly pointless efforts to eradicate the animals.
A study conducted by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has revealed there is little to no evidence to back up claims that deer are hurting the environment, and found deer are comparable to native animals in terms of environmental impact and potential to spread disease.
“In general, robust empirical evidence on the ecological interactions and effects of the six deer species is sparse,” the study reported.
“However, using the empirical data identified through our systematic search of the literature, the effects of Australian deer do not appear to be different from those of Australian native herbivores, deer in their native ranges, or from African herbivores.
“It does not appear that one could empirically determine whether Australian deer are native or introduced from their effects on ecosystems.”
Hunting organisations say the study should have a significant effect on future research and management of Australia’s wild deer populations.
“Wildlife management, including deer management, must be grounded in science rather than reactionary policy decisions,” Barry Howlett, of the Blond Bay Hog Deer Advisory Group (BBHDAG), said.
The study was commissioned by the BBHDAG as well as the Australian Deer Association (ADA) and SSAA Victoria; and conducted by UTS researchers Dr Rosalie Chapple and Dr Daniel Ramp along with University of Alberta researcher Dr Erick Lundgren.
“The findings highlight that many policy claims about deer impacts are often based on non-experimental data, emphasising the urgent need for a rigorous, evidence-based research program to assess deer’s ecological role,” Mr Howlett, who is also the communications manager at SSAA Victoria, said.
The study exposed the way authorities are publicly making baseless claims to back up their efforts to eradicate deer.
It showed, for example, there was no cited evidence to back claims in the NSW Local Land Services South East Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan 2024-28 to support its statement that: “Hog deer cause significant damage to vegetation and sensitive areas. Hog deer cause considerable damage to coastal vegetation and other sensitive areas. They can damage plantations and ornamental gardens and spread exotic weed seeds. Feral hog deer can also carry and spread livestock diseases that may reduce farm productivity and increase management costs.”
It poured doubt on claims that deer pose a risk to native animals and domestic livestock from disease.
“Despite the seriousness of this concern, management plans did not cite any empirical evidence from Australian research to support claims of disease risk,” it said.
The researchers said deer have been shown to alter plant communities in a variety of ways, sometimes negatively, but added that their effects could also have benefits such as reducing wildfire risks and spreading native plant species.
“Further research on the effects of Australian deer may benefit from posing open-ended questions and studying deer in the context of the evolutionary history of the Australian continent,” they said.
The full report is available here.
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