The latest round of aerial deer culls in Victoria's Alpine region has sparked concern that the practice could be creating a "smorgasbord" of fresh food to support the region's wild dog population.

Key points: Professional shooters kill more than 130 deer in one day in a trial in the Alpine region

Professional shooters kill more than 130 deer in one day in a trial in the Alpine region The Victorian National Party says the carcasses left behind could be feeding wild dogs

The Victorian National Party says the carcasses left behind could be feeding wild dogs The Australian Deer Association says there is no evidence to support this, with culled deer usually recovered by hunters

The Parks Victoria project, carried out in May, has resulted in more than 130 deer being shot by a professional aerial marksman in less than a day under stage two of the Alpine Deer Aerial Shooting Trial, near Mt Bogong and the Bogong High Plains.

This adds to the 119 deer that were shot in the first stage of the trial in October 2018 in a bid to protect sensitive alpine vegetation against the expanding deer population.

The trial has been criticised by the Victorian National Party and some residents, who say eliminating deer and leaving behind hundreds of carcasses could simply be giving feral dogs a boost instead.

Nationals Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, said it was disappointing that shooters were leaving the carcasses where they dropped.

"The numbers that were actually culled are minimal to the numbers that are up there," he said.

"The wild dog population continues to grow and there's a lot of evidence from those who are hunters seeing wild dogs feeding off those carcasses."

He said farmers could be left to battle the knock-on effect of the fallen deer, with sambar deer weighing 100kgs to 350kgs.

"Landholders are already facing a battle to keep their livestock safe from wild dogs, but the Andrews Government is making their job infinitely harder by littering nearby public land with a smorgasbord of culled deer."

Culled deer a 'drop in the ocean'

The Australian Deer Association (ADA) has refuted claims that leaving carcasses promoted wild dogs and pests.

The association is working with government agencies in a bid to use skilled, voluntary, recreational hunters to better tackle the wild deer population through a collaborative approach.

ADA's executive officer, Barry Howlett, said carcasses were usually recovered by hunters, but those that were not would not have a detrimental impact on the environment despite concerns they would attract and support wild dogs.

"The evidence doesn't show that," Mr Howlett said.

Barry Howlett (right) and Peter McDonell hunting on private property near Bunyip in Gippsland. ( ABC News: Jessica Longbottom )

"They certainly visit carcasses but not to the degree you would assume."

The association said deer that were not culled would naturally die in the Alpine Park region.

"The reality is whether they're culled or die naturally, that biomass will end up in the bush at any rate," Mr Howlett said.

"As hunters … we don't like to see waste, so most hunters will carry out as much meat as they can use and we like to encourage that.

"But there are areas where culls will be carried out for environmental reasons where that's just not feasible."

Striking a balance

Parks Victoria will leave deer where they fall in areas where the carcasses have no impact on visual amenity or water quality.

It has backed this practice with evidence from a 2014 study by the former Department of Primary Industries, showing wild dogs showed little interest in deer carcasses as a part of their diet.

The project also noted that the recreational hunting harvest, which was more than 100,000 deer in 2017, provides access to a great number of carcasses throughout the hunting season.

Parks Victoria chief conservation scientist, Mark Norman, said deer were being managed as an invasive species in key conservation areas due to the high levels of damage they caused national parks and reserves.

"In conservation programs being delivered by Parks Victoria, deer carcasses in wetlands or waterways, and those visible from walking or vehicle tracks, are broken up and moved," Dr Norman said.

"Many of the deer shot are in remote areas away from walking and vehicle tracks and to remove and/or move them would be unsafe and impractical."

Victoria is not currently using commercial harvesting as part of deer control programs. But Parks Victoria has outlined that commercial harvesting may be considered to help control deer in the future, where practical and feasible.

The Victorian Farmers Federation has also been contacted by the ABC for comment.