Over 1300 people responded to the poll with just over 56 per cent of readers sharing the view wild deer should not be reclassified as a pest species in NSW.

Other responses to the poll included the proposition some areas of the Bega Valley be declared pest areas during certain parts of the year, and that the animals be left alone all together. 

Currently, all wild deer in NSW are defined as game animals under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002, and a license must be held to hunt deer on private land.

However, if hunters are required to help landholders, some game licence conditions can be suspended by the Department of Primary Industries.

This suspension allows game hunting licence holders to “hunt in ways that may otherwise be prohibited, for example hunting at night with a spotlight and hunting outside of deer seasons,” the department’s website states.

Earlier this month Wolumla’s Brigitte Dohm said an influx of wild deer on her property over the last six months has caused extensive damage to her and her neighbours’ properties.

After reading Ms Dohm’s comments Nethercote resident Sherri Cooper took to social media to describe a close call with a sambar deer, a species native to India, southern China and Southeast Asia.

“Last year I had one almost run into the side of my car at the bottom of the hill just into the 100 kilometre zone on the way to Candelo,” she said.

“It was still daylight.

“Luckily it swerved back at the last minute.”

Ms Cooper stated she had both her children in the car at the time.

According to council, “feral deer” are causing herbivory and environmental degradation across the shire, with the southern brown bandicoot and the long-footed potoroo most at threat. 

The Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia run a Farmer Assist program, developed to enable farmers with wildlife management issues to seek the assistance of their members.

The association’s hunting program manager for NSW, Guy Pitchford, said the process is designed to be straightforward for users.

 "It is basically like a job agency where a farmer posts a job online with descriptions of general lay out of the land and species and we can assist,” Mr Pitchford said.

He said the program had seen Bega Valley residents approach the association for help since it was opened to landowners last year.

 "I was speaking to someone at Jellat flats recently, however they wanted someone to control the entire process for them including vetting the volunteers,” he said. 

 "We probably get a couple of deer notifications a month in NSW, but you may see that increase during mating season."

Mr Pritchard said a population management plan for the animals would mean culling over a third of their numbers.

 "If you want to control the population, research suggests that for Fallow about 34 per cent must be taken just to maintain your current levels,” he said.

 "There's no clear distribution data on population levels.

 "The deer may have a very large range of 15 square kilometres or more.

 "They are a creature of habit."

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