DEER are in the cross hairs at Port Stephens after the area's feral deer population has become a significant issue.
Hunter Local Land Services said the feral population's impact had continued to grow, sparking major efforts to remove them.
The Hunter Regional Pest Animal Committee have helped coordinate a control program in Ferodale and the Greater Raymond Terrace area, with 48 deer culled from private and public land in Raymond Terrace.
Chair of the committee, Brett Miners said feral deer posed a safety risk to motorists and motorcyclists on local roads.
"The Regional Pest Animal Committee is pleased to see completion of a successful control program in the Raymond Terrace area," he said.
"There will need to be follow up control programs, however the removal of 48 feral deer is a good start in reducing the risks posed by feral deer to local road users and to surrounding landholders."
The committee said professional feral animal controllers primarily undertook the program on lands where feral deer created high risks.
The project was a collaboration between the Hunter Local Land Services, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Port Stephens Council and other public and private land managers.
After being introduced in the 19th century and farmed throughout the state, there were now four species of feral deer in the region, Hunter Local Land Services said.
According to the government body, the greatest impacts of feral deer include:
- Threat to human life and cars through road collisions.
- Mental health strain on local landholders.
- Damaged crops and pasture, reducing yields of crops and available feed for stock.
- Increased maintenance cost and safety risks for landholders if cattle escape due to damaged fencing.
- Damage to native vegetation in both conservation and forestry land along with private landholders with environmental assets.
- Economic and environmental impacts due to damage to revegetation works including a koala habit restoration project.
Port Stephen Council had previously considered a "softer approach to deer management" after it was criticised for a plan to cull the animals two years ago.
