Deer stalkers on call for farmers as numbers soar

FOR the first time in Ireland, licensed deer stalkers will be called out byfarmers to shoot protected species of wild deer if they are damaging crops, forests or causing traffic accidents.

Despite more than 20,000 deer being legally hunted each year, experts believethere could be five times as many around the country.

The new deer management programme — launched by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), the Irish Deer Society and the Wild Deer Association of Ireland — will also advise landowners on other ways to manage deer.

Paul Wood, of the Irish Deer Society, said the scheme was not about killing huge numbers of deer but dealing with localised problems.

“We are a conservation organisation, we are not a deer shooting organisation,but deer have no natural enemies and therefore the rifle is an important management tool,” said Mr Wood.

“It is possible this could cause some controversy because people don’t understand the problem, people don’t realise there are so many deer. But I wouldprefer to see deer shot humanely.

“Proper management conducted during the open season should reduce the need for Section 42 licences, which allow the hunting of female deer out of season and can leave calves on their own,” he said.

The IFA said the rise in deer numbers poses a threat to road users and privateproperty. Deputy president Derek Deane encouraged farmers who have problems with deer numbers to use the scheme, which will preserve the deer population in their own environment.

“The dramatic rise in deer numbers in the last few years has posed problems for farmers, including fence damage, encroaching on crops, grazing of pastureland and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks,” said Mr Deane. “All these have financial implications for farmers.”

President of the Wild Deer Association of Ireland Pat Scully said education will also be an element to programme.

“Part of the problem is down to a lack of deer management knowledge,” he added.

“Hunters often concentrate on culling male deer because they want a set oftrophy antlers. This does very little to control deer numbers as female numbersescalate,” he said.