SYDNEY, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of Queensland's feral deer population is surging, creating significant challenges for landholders who face costly fencing, crop damage, and expensive control methods.

Once protected in Queensland, four deer species were declared pests in 2009. The state government's latest feral deer management strategy warned that herds were expanding rapidly, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Sunday.

Nationally, the feral deer population reached an estimated 2 million in 2022 and could double annually under ideal conditions, according to government figures.

Sunshine Coast butcher Adam Neilsen who had transformed locally harvested deer into meat products for farmers' markets, told the ABC that wild venison could be part of the solution and it could be replicated in other areas struggling with feral deer.

"It's a delicious, responsible choice," Chef Alistair McLeod was quoted as saying that deer meat was the ideal choice for red meat enthusiasts, offering exceptional flavor, tenderness, and juiciness.

The majority of deer removed through pest control programs are discarded in landfills, resulting in wasted valuable food, McLeod told the ABC.

Landholders were legally obligated to control deer numbers, typically through shooting, costly trapping or deer-proof fencing. Feral deer cost the Australian economy over 91 million Australian dollars (57.35 million U.S. dollars) annually, according to the New South Wales Center for Invasive Species Solutions.

As environmental concerns grew, experts argued that shifting pest management practices towards commercial harvesting could help balance ecological impact with economic opportunity.