Deer taking over Keiraville man's property

By DOMINIC GEIGER          

Aug. 20, 2013

The Illawarra Mercury





Keith Tognetti wants more to be done to reduce feral deer
in the Illawarra. Picture: ANDY ZAKELI

Keith Tognetti has watched helplessly as feral deer have ravaged the "rainforest" he created on his Keiraville property.
Living in the foothills of the Illawarra escarpment, Mr Tognetti spent 20 years and thousands of dollars creating his garden.
He said an ever increasing feral deer population had "denuded" both his garden and the surrounded escarpment, which had led to erosion and water run-off issues.
"We have them coming to our front door every night," Mr Tognetti said.

MAP: Illawarra deer sightings

"It's grown out of proportion."
He had witnessed a doubling of deer numbers around his home in the past three years, and said they needed to be exterminated using "every means possible".
"Anyone on the escarpment now can't have a garden," Mr Tognetti said.
The primary deer control program in the Wollongong local government area is the Northern Illawarra Wild Deer Management Program, which employs professional hunters to cull deer on public and private property.
Private and public stakeholders are involved in running the program, and it has been credited with culling more than 750 deer since it began in May 2011.
But recreational hunters believe more could be done to manage feral deer.
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia Illawarra branch secretary Mark Banasiak said the state government needed to reverse its decision to temporarily disband the Game Council and allow responsible recreational hunters to operate.

"You were able to be involved in such activities and it helped manage the depopulation [of deer]," he said.

"Since that's been taken away nothing much has been done."
RSPCA NSW chief inspector David O'Shannessy said the organisation recognised some species of animals needed to be controlled.
"But it needs to be justified, effective ... and humane."