The ACT Government will undertake aerial culling of overabundant wild deer in the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo Corridors from Monday June 3 until Friday June 7.

The ACT Parks and Conservation deparments Invasive Animal Manager Oliver Orgill cited environmental concerns as a rationale for the cull “If these populations are left unmanaged, they will lead to the deterioration of riparian areas and will continue to add grazing pressure to farms already affected by extended dry conditions.”

The Australian Deer Association will be meeting with the ACT government shortly to discuss wild deer management. In order for the public to be confident that deer management programs are being conducted efficiently and humanely, there needs to be full transparency. Land managers should be able to clearly explain what problem they are trying to address and have robust pre and post operation monitoring in place to ensure that success or failure can be objectively measured.

There is currently no recreational hunting on public land in the ACT and the skilled and accredited recreational hunting resource is not engaged by public land managers to assist with wild deer management.

The following sites will be closed from 6:30 am on Monday 3 June until 12 pm Friday 7 June 2019.

• Bullen Range nature reserve
• Lower Molonglo nature reserve
• Woodstock nature reserve
• Kambah Pool recreation area
• Centenary trail between Kambah Pool and Tuggeranong creek
• Murrumbidgee discovery trail between Kambah Pool and the Cotter
• Shepherd’s Lookout track
• Uriarra Loop track
• Georgio’s Sandwash track
• Tong’s Hole track