Permit backlog will see huge fall in numbers of deer culled

Less than half the number of permits needed by deer hunters this autumn have so far been issued. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Less than half the number of permits needed by deer hunters this autumn have so far been issued — and the Irish Deer Commission said the delays, compounded with a downturn in demand for venison, mean fewer deer will be culled from forestry and farmland this year.

It will be several months before the backlog is cleared, the deer commission expects.