Deer have been globally translocated by humans to many locations inside and outside of their native ranges. This has often resulted in the deliberate or accidental establishment of either genetically modified deer, or entirely novel non-native populations that have sometimes become widespread and overabundant. We briefly summarize the history and outcomes of this “anthropogenic dispersal” of deer, focusing on non-native deer populations that are fully outside the native range of the species as a whole, with New Zealand, Australia, and southern South America as our primary case studies. People have translocated deer for a variety of purposes: aesthetics, species conservation, commercial farming, and to create huntable resources. Globally, 19–20 deer species have extant non-native populations. This includes all nine species solely native to northern Eurasia and/or North America, but just a third of species native to southern Asia, and none native to South America. There are non-native populations of most of the large-bodied and/or most abundant deer species, but far fewer of the smaller and/or rarer species. Fallow, sika, axis, rusa, and red deer are the most common and most widely distributed non-native deer species. Although many of the pre-1950s attempts to establish non-native deer populations failed, the release of even small numbers of deer was often successful. Deliberate release of non-native species for hunting is now illegal in most jurisdictions but continue to occur and new populations still establish through escapes from game estates or deer farms. Non-native deer can adversely affect the native biota by hybridizing with related native deer species, by modifying plant communities, and by competing with other fauna (including native deer). They can also spread parasites and disease, both to wildlife and humans, and directly threaten human health, farming, and forestry. Offsetting those adverse impacts, non-native deer are an important food source in some subsistence cultures, and, as a huntable resource, they provide trophies, venison, and sport. Non-native deer are usually managed for hunting, especially in Europe and the Americas, but in New Zealand and some other places, they are classed as pests. However, few non-native deer populations have been eradicated or even subjected to large-scale control programs. We conclude that non-native deer have a mixed future: sometimes they will be controlled as pests but mostly they will be left unmanaged or actively managed for hunting.