Brownhill Creek shows what's possible in the fight against feral deer

For many Adelaide Hills landholders, feral deer are no longer an occasional sighting. They are damaging fences, impacting crops, spreading weeds and creating risks on local roads.

The Brownhill Creek area in Adelaide's foothills has experienced these impacts firsthand. Today, local landholders are showing what can be achieved when communities and neighbours work together to tackle the problem.

Located between Cleland and Belair National Parks, the area is home to bushland, small rural properties and one of the few remaining populations of the endangered southern brown bandicoot. It also forms part of the Bandicoot Superhighway initiative, which helps reconnect and expand habitat across the Adelaide Hills.

Feral deer have damaged native vegetation, harmed wildlife habitat and contributed to the spread of invasive European olive throughout the area. The local Friends of Brownhill Creek group has documented deer eating olive fruit and later regurgitating viable seeds, helping the weed spread through the landscape. In one recorded pile of deer vomit, an astonishing 1,219 olive seeds were counted.

To help address the issue, Green Adelaide and Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu began working together in 2024 to coordinate feral deer control across the area. The program provides landholders with free access to government-contracted shooters, making it easier to undertake coordinated control across neighbouring properties.

More than 100 landholders have joined the program. Over the past two years, coordinated control work has removed 462 feral deer from the area, with landholders in the program estimating they have removed a further 200 animals.

The results are already being seen on the ground. Most participants report fewer feral deer sightings and less damage to their properties, demonstrating the value of acting early and working together.

South Australia has set an ambitious goal to eradicate feral deer by 2032. While there is still work to do, Brownhill Creek shows what can be achieved when communities take action before populations become harder to manage. Early action is more humane, more cost-effective and gives the best chance of protecting native wildlife, productive land and local communities.

If feral deer are impacting your property, or you would like to learn more about local deer control programs, click here to find out how you can get involved.