The Forest Deer Project, completed in 1982 and first published in 1983 was the report of renowned zoologist and game manager Max Downes. The report makes observations about sambar deer ecology behaviour that are as valid today as they were forty years ago. Importantly it also makes observations about the interactions between hunters and wild deer.
As early as 1967 Max Downes summarised his attitude to deer management in the Foreword to the first edition of Arthur Bentley's seminal 'An Introduction to the Deer of Australia'.
"...the deer herds will not remain static. Some species could die out, others could cause damage to agriculture and natural habitat. Without an increased knowledge, a concerted plan of action, and the facilities to produce a desired result, in other words a game management programme for deer, there is no real chance of satisfying the varied interest which deer arouse. Without this plan deer cannot be properly utilised or controlled"
As a part of ADA's program of digitising important archives we are delighted to make the Forest Deer Project available as an online resource.
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