Oh deer, population explosion causing problems

SHY and pretty to look at, deer seem to have a magnetic appeal for people.

But, with the deer population growing all the time — some would say out of control in parts of the country — these delightful-looking creatures can be a pest.

Increasingly, there are reports of damage caused to farmland, forestry and private property, not to mention traffic accidents involving deer that roam onto public roads. Deer have no natural predators in Ireland so, as is the case with many introduced species such as mink and grey squirrels, their populations will continue to rise unless controlled.