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General Information
* Quiet hand-reared Fallow and Rusa deer can be fed. $1.00 per bag of pellets.
* Deer antler demonstrations on request
* Licensed cafe/ bar
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Environmental Rejuvenation Program (ERP)
Volunteers offered free camping and meals in return for help to clear the waterways to the catchment of Samsonvale Dam of debris and lantana.
Create bush walks and restore the natural beauty of the land protected under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) at the Deer Sanctuary and Kupidabin Wilderness Mt. Samson Queensland.
Call 07 3289 4270
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Feed the Deer
Quiet hand-reared Fallow and Rusa Deer can be fed. $1.00 per bag of pellets
In 1981 Des and Maureen Pickstone purchased 40 acres of virgin bush in the Samsonvale area - now named Mt Samson, situated between Samford and Dayboro on the north side of Brisbane.
They named the property "The Lyell" as the valley hovered over by Mt. Lawson, Mt. Samson, and Mt. D'Aguilar looks identical to the Lyell, a gold mining town built on a mountain side above the Buller River on the West coast of New Zealand and pioneered by Maureen's Great Grandfather in the 1860's.
The Lyell Deer Farm was established and in 1984, 20 Red Deer were purchased, which had been trapped by a farmer from the feral herd in the Brisbane Valley. Deer Farming was in its infancy and income was generated by selling breeding stock to new Farmers coming into the industry. Maureen was Secretary of the Queensland Deer Breeders Association for 10 years.
Progeny of their original herd were sold to provide more fencing for expansion. After three years they found the land was not viable for a commercial deer farm. Beautiful as it was with all it's character, trees, rocks, and gullys - supplement feeding all year was too costly.
Des and Maureen looked at the alternatives, sub-divided the land, constructed a road and opened to the public.