All gun licence holders on the NSW side of the Border could be given the green light to hunt wild deer on private property if the state government agrees to remove the game status.
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And it could have a lasting impact for landholders battling the pests in the Murray Local Land Services area, which includes Albury, Federation and Greater Hume council areas.
Under current rules, a game hunting licence is needed to shoot deer - with some exceptions which came into effect in November.
These included lifting the seasonal restrictions on hunting of fallow, red, wapiti and hog deer, allowing the use of spotlights and other electronic devices and allowing hunting from vehicles and hunting deer at night on private land.
But a Game Hunting Licence is still needed to hunt deer on private or public land.
NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said there were "a number of options on the table to manage the state's increasing deer population, including removing the game status of deer".
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"The deer population has exploded over the last 10 years and the current policy settings limit the ability of landholders and farmers to effectively manage the species," he said.
Murray Local Land Services biosecurity and emergency services manager Geoff Corboy said deer are an "emerging problem" in the Murray area.
"Particularly in forested areas where they can find cover," he said.
"Wild deer were identified as a priority pest species in our regional pest management plan, adopted in July last year.
"Our activities under the plan so far have included extensive monitoring of key sites in the region to understand the extent of deer populations.
Mr Corboy said the suspension of hunting regulations late last year gave landholders "more options".
"It's too early to tell what impact this has had on deer numbers," he said.
"Gun licensing is handled by the NSW Firearms Registry."
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