Some of the crops were days away from harvest while others had reached the halfway mark.

Regardless of where they were in the growing cycle, looking out across what had previously been carefully tended beds of vegetables and seeing the complete havoc the deer had wreaked left Michael Collins and Sam Shacklock of Plenty Valley Produce in despair.

It was the enterprise's first winter crop at their new Kinglake location, having outlayed significant financial and energy resources moving from Lower Plenty to expand the business to meet increasing demand, and the destruction represented a hit of close to $40,000 to their bottom line.

Very few vegetables seemed to be off-limits for the deer, decimating the cauliflower, kale, broccoli (three different varieties of), chard, lettuce, herbs, endive and tonnes and tonnes of cabbage.

And this was just one weekend.

“This season alone we have lost a conservative $100k in potential revenue,” said Michael of the impact of these introduced pests.

Deer fences had been on the list of things to do, but with finances already stretched Michael and Sam had hoped to recoup some of their initial expenses to afford this vital piece of infrastructure.

The fence has rapidly become their main priority, pushing back upgrades to the pair’s delivery vehicle and relegating the tractor shed to the wish list.

The growing tunnels will have to be pushed out for another growing season, with the pair only able to get one up as money is tight.

"And unfortunately the timing of the most recent deer incursion was shocking for replanting," said Michael.

"It was too close to solstice to plant, and the plants would have just bolted and tried to flower."

Left with predominantly leeks, carrots and potatoes - the root vegetables escaping much of the impact - the pair were still able to honour their monthly market commitments.

"The support from our market clients has been amazing, but it didn't really feel worth attending with such a limited selection," Michael said.

"We also had to cut some staff hours both on-farm and at the market, and let go of others altogether.

"It was very disappointing, as staff turnover is a killer when it comes to kicking off the next season properly," he said of the flow-on effects.

Plenty Valley Produce is just one producer locked in an ongoing battle with deer.

The state's burgeoning feral deer population - now estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands - is causing significant economic and environmental damage, putting farmers and ecosystems on a collision course with a long-standing legal framework that classifies these animals as "game" rather than pests.

This conflict is at the heart of a debate that pits conservation and agricultural interests against a deeply entrenched culture of recreational deer hunting.

A 2022 report by Frontier Economics, commissioned by the Invasive Species Council, sheds light on the staggering financial impact of feral deer.

The report warns that without substantial control measures, the cost to Victoria could reach between $1.5 and $2.2 billion over the next 30 years.

These figures, according to the report's authors, are conservative and don't even account for the immense, and hard-to-quantify, costs to biodiversity and Indigenous cultural values.

For farmers, the financial burden is particularly heavy.

The report estimates that farmers could lose up to $350 million due to grazing on farmland and face up to $144 million in costs associated with managing the deer.

Grape growers and market gardeners in the Yarra Valley, in particular, are feeling the pain, with the financial burden of deer damage classified as "high".

This destruction is occurring as the deer population continues to grow and spread, with Sambar deer now prevalent across the peri-urban region, and fallow and red deer also making their mark.

The economic fallout also extends beyond the farm gate.

Feral deer are responsible for millions of dollars in losses to the forestry industry and they pose a significant threat to public safety.

Motor vehicle accidents involving deer are a significant concern, with costs estimated at $3.3 million per year, according to PestSmart.

The growing deer population in Victoria contributes to more frequent collisions with vehicles and as deer move into urban areas, the risk of accidents in these areas increases.

While the Victorian government has allocated $18.25 million over four years for deer control, many, including the Invasive Species Council's Peter Jacobs, believe this pales in comparison to the true cost of inaction.

A major point of contention is the Victorian Wildlife Act of 1975, which protects feral deer as game animals for hunting.

This classification, created when deer populations were small, is now seen as a major obstacle to effective control.

Conservation and environmental groups argue that this protection has hindered efforts to manage the exploding deer population.

They point to the fact that deer hunting on its own, has not proven to be an effective means of controlling population growth or range expansion.

This view is echoed in the National Feral Deer Action Plan, which states that recreational hunting programs have had "little impact on population growth".

The Victorian Government's own 2021 Statewide Deer Control Strategy also states that "recreational hunting on its own is not an effective means of controlling deer numbers".

Despite the debate, the Victorian Deer Control Program is implementing a multi-faceted approach to manage deer numbers, particularly in high-priority areas like the Kinglake and Yarra Valley region.

However while these initiatives are a step in the right direction, many believe they are not enough.

The Invasive Species Council and other groups are calling for the Victorian Government to officially declare deer as a pest species and remove their protected status.

This change, they argue, would unlock a wider range of control options and provide a more coordinated, landscape-scale approach to a problem that is only growing.

The issue of feral deer is a complex one, touching on economic, environmental, and cultural values.

As the debate continues, one thing is clear: without a fundamental shift in how deer are managed, the costs to Victoria's land, wildlife, and farmers will only continue to rise.