Tasmanian hunters say leaving wild deer meat to rot on the ground after aerial culls is an unethical waste when it could be donated to hungry families during a cost-of-living crisis.
The carcasses of wild deer shot during this month's aerial cull of the pest animal in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park will be left to rot at the site of death unless a biosecurity risk is flagged.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Adrian Pickin said the meat from planned deer culls could instead be harvested cleanly and given to registered food banks for human consumption.
He said regulations in other countries allowed recreational hunters to donate meat.
The call comes as mothers go hungry to feed their kids, and almost half of all Tasmanian households experience food insecurity.
"The state is just going to unethically slaughter the deer when it could be done in a better way," Mr Pickin said.
"Supermarkets are putting sensors on meat to prevent shoplifting when we have a natural resource here that could be going to people in need, but the state is just going to unethically slaughter the deer when it could be done in a better way," he said.
"Overseas and around the world the animals are killed cleanly and the meat is not wasted. In Europe, America and New Zealand, the hunters are able to donate the meat to charities."
A Tasmanian study is currently looking into the viability and safety of wild deer meat for human consumption, with a two year trial to process animals shot by recreational hunters currently underway.
But in New Zealand, wild venison can already be shot by recreational hunters and donated to charities who must distribute the meat with 'eat at your own risk' labels.
Phase 2 of Tasmania's deer cull in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park will begin on April 29.
Phase 1 of the cull, which was labelled "barbaric", killed 71 deer with 4855 rounds of ammunition, shot with semi-automatic weapons at an average of 6.4 rounds per deer.
