The target for this year's cull is larger and more widespread than the past four years.

In 2015, government-authorised shooters targeted 2466 animals, and culled 1689, and last year the cull target was for 1991 animals and 1989 were culled. 

Cull quotas were 1500 and 1244 in 2014 and 2013 respectively.

This year the cull has been expanded to 12 reserves, whereas in past years it had operated in 10 or fewer.

However, this year's target total is far from the ACT's highest quota on record in 2011 when close to 3500 kangaroos were contracted to be killed, with 2439 culled.

Director of Parks and Conservation, Daniel Iglesias, said the conservation cull would encompass Canberra and Googong Foreshores in nearby NSW.

"More than half of the cull quota this year – up to 1406 eastern grey kangaroos – is for ACT managed Googong Foreshores across the NSW border," he said.

"Googong Foreshores contains a number of threatened ecological communities and plant and animal species. It forms part of a corridor of relatively intact vegetation extending from the Tinderry Range to the north-eastern ACT."

He said due to previous culling and favourable conditions for pasture growth, the numbers to cull at some sites had been reduced this year.

The ACT government plans to use a proportion of the kangaroo meat from the cull as baits within its wild dog and fox control programs.

Reserve sites will be closed from mid-afternoon until the early morning over the coming months.

Mr Iglesias urged the public to be vigilant and report any illegal activity at the sites.

"Every year the ACT government experiences vandalism and removal of warning signage which costs taxpayers' money to repair the damage and disrupts the work of volunteer groups who help look after our parks," he said.

"Fines apply under the Nature Conservation Act 2014 for vandalising reserve infrastructure or entering closed reserves."

He asked Canberrans to report suspicious behaviour or vandalism to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Access Canberra on 13 22 81.

The 12 sites to be closed for the conservation cull are Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve, Mount Majura Nature Reserve and adjacent territory land, Kama Nature Reserve, Mount Painter Nature Reserve and adjacent territory land, The Pinnacle Nature Reserve and adjacent unleased land, Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve, Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserves, Callum Brae Nature Reserve, East Jerrabomberra Grasslands, West Jerrabomberra Nature Reserve, and Googong Foreshores.