Deer hunting license requirements revoked across NSW to control population

In a bid to control numbers, anyone with a firearm licence will be able to hunt deer on private land, so long as they have landowner's permission.

The Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area has a known red deer population but culling those herds while in the conservation area remains prohibited.

Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the decision to remove deer from the 'game species' classification would give landholders the upper hand in dealing with "surging numbers" of "the four-legged menace".

"The NSW deer population has exploded in recent years and these feral animals are not only causing grief for farmers battling drought - they're encroaching on urban areas and creating a hazard for motorists too," Mr Marshall said.

"As it stands, landholders are fighting these feral animals with one hand tied behind their back.

"It simply doesn't make sense for deer to have a semi-protected status while their population is soaring.

Over the last 10 years the distribution of deer across the state has increased from approximately 8 to 17 per cent.

A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries said there had been no monitoring of the population on and around Mount Canobolas and their numbers could've been impacted by the 2018 bushfires.

The spokesperson said while there was no active monitoring of deer populations in and around Orange, Fallow deer and Red deer pose a risk to farmers by eating crops and pasture.

"A key message for local farmers is not to wait for wild deer to become a problem - start management as soon as you observe them on your property to avoid the high densities of wild deer that are being observed in other parts of the state," the DPI spokesperson said.

The changes will come into effect on September 6.