NEWS
In March and April of 2023, the Australian Deer Association hosted Kip Adams, Dr Bronson Strickland and Dr Craig Harper from the National Deer Association, Mississippi University and the University of Tennessee, who spent nearly two weeks visiting and presenting to stakeholders in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. This was the third trip for Dr Harper and the first for both Mr Adams and Dr Strickland.
Having just landed, it was straight to business, with the ADA hosting a wild deer roundtable discussion with representatives from Parks Victoria, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the Victorian Deer Control Strategy and the Game Management Authority. Various topics were discussed, including management of human-deer conflicts, abundance measurements, high-value asset protection, and ongoing deer management in peri-urban environments. The discussion ran overtime, with no-one wanting to leave. Those in attendance built a great rapport and a shared enthusiasm to do it again.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to several hog deer habitats in the Gippsland Lakes and Loch Sport region. Our guests, Sean Kilkenny and Chairman Col Brumley, would be joined by Penny and Rob Cumming, and Peter McDonell, who was gracious enough to play host for the evening. On a previous trip, Craig had visited and provided advice regarding the local landscape and some management techniques that could be implemented. This was an excellent opportunity to better understand the environment and how hog deer interact with the local flora communities on the back of the last visit and the subsequent body of work applied in the area. Of note and particular interest was the challenge faced in combatting the ever-present African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula). (African lovegrass is a drought-tolerant perennial grass that can quickly colonise overgrazed landscapes). Also of interest were the consequences of different levels of effort placed into land management by surrounding properties and how this affects flora and fauna presence and distribution.
A further property visit was arranged with Neil Page and Corrie De Visser, whose property is internationally renowned for its quality of hog deer due to their ongoing work and land management. This also provided a fantastic opportunity for Craig to check in on the back of previous visits and discuss what has or hasn’t been working regarding previous recommendations regarding vegetation and stag harvesting considerations. While on-site, Kip’s eagle eyes spotted a hog deer cast antler. A fantastic memento from any trip, let alone one to the other side of the world. Having visited some of these properties in the past, Craig provided additional information and recommendations regarding herbicide applications, prescribed burning practices, and mowing to improve the habitat.
With a day between engagements, a trip out with Paul Boag was arranged where our guests could spend a day in the field, watching and observing sambar and red deer in fringe country habitat. This was a particularly insightful part of the visit, as it allowed for a live on-ground discussion about comparative deer movements, behaviours and hunting techniques for different deer species, such as whitetail in the United States. After a morning of sitting and glassing, several deer were spotted and observed from a distance. A plan was hatched to have our guests harvest a deer in Australia. As it turned out, the plan worked well for Craig, who successfully harvested two red deer hinds in quick succession as they moved between gullies.
Between informal board engagements was the Hunter’s Dinner, where our guests each presented to a captivated audience. The subjects included habitat management, buck use and movements relating to food and the National Deer Association’s impact on deer management programs and harvest trends in the United States. During the dinner, Craig, Kip and Bronson were extremely personable and generous with their time, speaking to every attendee who wanted to. The dinner was a sell-out, with members travelling far and wide to be there that night. Their Victorian leg wrapped up with an informal brunch with some board members to discuss possible opportunities and concepts that can advance the cause of sound deer management in Australia.
Stay tuned in the next edition of Australian Deer for their Tasmanian leg.
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