The Gutwein majority Liberal Government is getting on with the job, delivering a range of measures to help farmers and land owners better manage wild deer populations.
Our focus is on maintaining a sensible balance between managing the impacts of wild deer on agricultural production, conservation areas and forestry, and maintaining deer as a valued recreational hunting resource.
New measures were announced last year for the 2020 season, aimed at cutting red tape and increasing opportunities for farmers and recreational hunters to manage deer.
Public forums are being held over the next few weeks to explain the changes, with the first forum be held at Longford on Thursday 23 January and sessions to follow at Ross, Avoca and Bothwell.
Changes to the management of deer include the extension of the game hunting season for antlerless deer, which will run from 15 March to 15 November, the introduction of five-year crop protection permits for antlerless deer and the removal of quotas and tags for both Game Licences and Crop Protection Permits issued for antlerless deer.
Crop Protection Permit and Game Licence holders are still required to report annual take returns to enable long-term monitoring of deer numbers and the impact of deer management strategies to be assessed.
The changes come into effect at the start of the antlerless fallow deer season on 15 March.
The information sessions will provide people with the opportunity to discuss deer and other game-related management issues.
Forums will be held at:
The Tasmanian Government last week also announced four new reserves will be opened up for the 2020 deer season – Tooms Lake Conservation Area, Buxton River Conservation Area, St Pauls Regional Reserve and Castle Carey Regional Reserve.
The Ballots for these areas close on January 27 and the ballots will be drawn on January 28 and 29 with the successful applications notified by email.
More information on the changes to antlerless fallow deer management is on the website www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/deer-changes
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