Thermal Survey — Deer Activity on Rural Lifestyle Block

Background

A 65-acre rural lifestyle block in the upper Sunshine Coast hinterland had been experiencing ongoing browsing damage to a young food forest planting. The landholder had observed deer at dusk on several occasions but was uncertain whether the damage was from a small transient group or a more significant local population. Before investing in a full control operation, they wanted to confirm the scale of the problem.

Approach: Survey First

A single-night thermal survey was conducted — observation-only, with no culling. The survey covered the property from dusk through to approximately midnight, focusing on the food forest planting area, the adjacent ridge line and the gully that forms the eastern boundary.

Findings

The survey confirmed 4–6 chital deer using the property as a regular nocturnal transit corridor, moving from the state forest on the ridge to the east down through the gully and across the food forest area. Thermal data confirmed the deer were using a single well-established trail along the gully edge, consistent with the vegetation damage pattern the landholder had noted.

The survey did not identify any feral pig activity during the observation period, addressing the landholder’s secondary concern about pig damage to the food forest roots.

Deliverable

A written survey report was delivered including a property activity map showing the confirmed deer transit corridor and feeding area, estimated population size and recommendation for a follow-up control operation targeting the identified corridor. The landholder elected to proceed to a control operation based on the survey findings.