The Chital Deer were first released at Maryvale Station, about 150km north west of Charters Towers in 1886.

The population remained small and localised for over 100 years, but in the past 20 years landholders have reported a marked increase in the numbers of deer that have spread well south of Charters Towers.

James Cook University researchers are investigating why the numbers have exploded in a bid to keep the animals in check.

JCU researcher Dr Ben Hirsch said the deer were known to cause damage to agricultural crops and compete with cattle for food, particularly in the dry season.

"We don't know exactly what is driving their population density and range expansion," Dr Hirsch said.

"We suspect it's either natural population growth, changes in environmental conditions, or shifts in behaviour.

"If we can find out what is causing the expansion, then wildlife managers will be better placed to prevent their spread further."

The scientists plan to capture and fit at least 40 adult female deer with satellite GPS collars that will record their location every two hours.

When new fawns are born, they will also be monitored to see if they survive.

The team is also planning to survey landholders, collect DNA samples, and deploy camera traps to understand the behaviour and local ecology of the deer.

"We'll then analyse the data using new mathematical modelling techniques and be able to generate a new method for understanding population trends in Chital Deer and other introduced species," Dr Hirsch said.

The researchers are hoping to to predict how and where the Chital Deer population will expand in the future, and how landholders, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and others can better control the populations.