Shooters keen to target feral deer in national parks

Aerial cull prompts push from sporting shooters to target feral deer in WA national parks Wed 15 Jul 2026 at 9:22am In short: Organised aerial culling has eliminated more than 270 feral deer around two towns in southern WA. The cull has almost eradicated the pests near Esperance, but the program has sparked controversy in Harvey. Recreational shooters say on-ground hunting is a more humane option, and are petitioning for access in national parks. Authorities say they are close to eradicating feral deer near two West Australian towns following an aerial cull of the invasive pests. WARNING: This story contains images of dead and dying animals, which some readers may find distressing. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) carried out a cull near Esperance and Harvey in June, removing about 270 deer across both communities, down from more than 500 last year. The operation has effectively eliminated feral red deer around Esperance, to the point that no further culling will be required. But the cull will return to Harvey in 2027, where it has sparked controversy over the low-flying helicopters and repeated gunfire, and prompted a renewed push for on-ground hunting. 'They would have let off 50 rounds' Loading...Harvey resident Matt Muir started a petition, tabled in parliament in June, calling for the aerial cull to stop. "Having choppers flying around over your property … shooting multiple rounds in quick succession … using distress noises to spook the deer out of heavy cover … it ends up being quite disturbing," he said. "They would have let off 50 rounds." Mr Muir said he supported the eradication of the deer, but questioned whether it was being done humanely. He said videos taken by Harvey locals showed deer shot in hind legs and left to perish, and questioned whether trained ground shooters would be more effective. Liberal MLC Phil Twiss sponsored the petition of about 170 signatures calling for the cull to cease. Loading...Mr Twiss told ABC he had met with trained semi-professional volunteer shooters who were keen to volunteer their services. "They believe they could actually go in there and safely kill the deer,"he said. DPIRD said aerial control was conducted by nationally accredited operators capable of achieving effective control while meeting animal welfare standards. Bid for on-ground shooting in Harvey While deer hunting on public land remains popular in some states, pest shooting on crown land is much more tightly regulated in WA. Sporting Shooters Association state president Paul Fitzgerald said his members felt they could help with deer control. He objected to the aerial cull, describing it as the government using "helicopter gunships". "We have an insured and proficient cohort of licensed firearm owners in Western Australia who are a part of the Sporting Shooters Association conservation and wildlife management groups," Mr Fitzgerald said. "[Sporting shooters] can undertake deer eradication much more effectively with less stress to farming operations and livestock." The Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), which manages crown lands, said discussions with external groups around their potential involvement in pest culling were ongoing. Cull defended as vital protection Invasive Species Council advocacy director Reese Pianta defended the cull, citing its effectiveness in eliminating the feral animals. "The alternative is that the deer population rises and gets out of control, and that will also impact on people's ability to quietly enjoy property," he said. "If you don't remove about 40 per cent of a deer population year on year, you are spinning your wheels or going backwards. "This isn't random shooting happening in a bush environment. This is part of a controlled operation." Bid for eradication DPIRD manager of vertebrate pests Tim Thompson said 67 rusa deer were killed in Harvey in 2026, compared to about 190 last year. Numbers are now estimated around 400. "There's an opportunity to eradicate rusa deer, so that's a longer-term approach," he said. He said retrieving carcasses from state forest was not feasible. "The reality is it's quite difficult to remove these carcasses; you'll probably do more environmental damage than the value of the carcass, and it's quite inaccessible country," he said. Mr Thompson said it was important that the deer population be quashed early, given animal numbers in Victoria were now about 1 million. "There is a need to act now before Western Australia is in a similar situation to Victoria in maybe, you know, five, 10 or 20 years' time."