Background
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania successfully delivered a wild fallow deer control project within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA).
From 2023 to 2025 1,340 deer were removed over a 54-day period. Most of the deer shot were located within the high-density zone of the Central Plateau Conservation Area. This has resulted in also reducing migration pressures of deer in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
The TWWHA Deer Control Project 2025 aimed to remove wild fallow deer from the
Central Plateau Conservation Area and maintain eradication of deer from the Walls of Jerusalem National Park. The program primarily used aerial shooting from helicopters supported by thermal technology, complemented by approved volunteer shooters from the Australian Deer Association and the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia. This approach has delivered proven success in the TWWHA over the past three years.
To continue suppressing deer numbers and to reduce the likelihood of reinvasion into the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, targeted ground-based culling is considered a necessary and effective complementary measure.
2026 Volunteer Program Plan
To support this ongoing effort, we have developed a Volunteer Program to enable approved
Australian Deer Association and
Sporting Shooters Association of Australia volunteer members to undertake deer culling activities beginning on 4 May through to 31 May 2026 within the
Central Plateau Conservation Area portion of the TWWHA.
The program will utilise the skills of experienced volunteer conservation shooters, supported by trained and authorised departmental Authorised Firearms Officer staff, to help reduce the impacts of deer on the natural values of the reserve.
During this period:
the Central Plateau Conservation Area will be closed in the vicinity of the designated hunting zones (Figure 1), including their associated buffer zones.
Hunting Zones 1, 2, and 3 encompass the area east of Talinah Track (the eastern section of the Central Plateau Conservation Area), west of Highland Lakes Road, and north of Marlborough Road.
The boom gate at the Lake Augusta Dam wall will be locked on Sunday 3 May 2026, in line with annual practice. Together with buffer zones, this measure will help prevent unauthorised access to the hunting area.
A map view of the zones is available below. The map is also available in PDF format:
PWS Deer Eradication Map 2026 (PDF 5Mb)
Figure 1: Zones 1 - 3 will be open to volunteer deer culling program
To ensure safe and effective operations, the hunting zones will be closed to all users from
Monday 4 May to 31 May 2026.
“No Access” signs will be placed in strategic positions (boom gates and walking tracks) as an added safety measure.
Project update
Wild fallow deer present a significant threat to the natural values of the TWWHA. They cause:
soil and waterway erosion
damage sensitive vegetation communities
browse more intensively and at different heights than native herbivores
consume a broader range of plant species
In large numbers, deer can substantially modify the ecosystems in which they live. They can also carry animal diseases and contribute to the spread of plant pathogens.
The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service has undertaken three eradication and control efforts of wild fallow deer in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and adjacent Central Plateau Conservation Area. The below summary reports provide an update on project outcomes.
TWWHA Deer Control-Summary Update-July 2023.pdf
TWWHA Deer Control - Summary Update - June 2024 (PDF 563Kb)
TWWHA Deer Control Summary - November 2025 (PDF 5Mb)
More information
For more information about the management of wild fallow deer in Tasmania see
Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan on the NRE Tas website.