There has been a significant rise in the number of wild deer culled by licensed hunters this year, as reported by the Deer Alliance, a coalition of four prominent Irish deer organizations. The alliance comprises the Irish Deer Society, the Wild Deer Association of Ireland, Wicklow Deer Management & Conservation Group, and the Wicklow Deer Society. They disclosed that a total of 65,547 deer were culled across the three species of red deer hybrids, sika deer, and fallow deer. This marks a 20% increase from the previous year, which had already set a record high and exceeded the ten-year average.
The Deer Alliance highlighted that out of the total culled, 18,936 deer were taken in Co. Wicklow, known for the Wicklow Mountains National Park, a significant habitat for deer and thus classified as a “deer conflict zone.” Furthermore, the organization revealed that 6,486 hunting licenses were issued for the 2023-2024 hunting season, along with 1,414 ‘Section 42’ licenses. These licenses led to the culling of 12,628 deer during the closed season from May to July, or through night hunting with lamps throughout the nine-month season from September 2023 to April 2024.
Regulations were also updated, extending the open season for male deer from August 1 to April 30 and for female and antlerless deer from November 1 to March 31. The Deer Alliance plays a crucial role in training licensed hunters, with over 3,800 hunters having completed its mandatory Deer Alliance Hunter Competence Assessment Programme (HCAP) since its inception in 2003, in collaboration with NPWS, Coillte, AGS, and IFA.
Liam Nolan, the course director for HCAP, expressed amazement at the surge in licenses and deer culled, emphasizing the threat posed by overpopulation. However, Nolan cautioned that the current culling rate is unsustainable and could lead to a detrimental impact on biodiversity. He stressed the importance of a science-based approach to deer management to achieve a balanced population. Nolan pointed out that extending the male deer season alone will not ensure sustainability unless female deer are managed simultaneously.
Nolan voiced concern over the negative rhetoric surrounding wild deer, particularly the labeling of sika deer as ‘non-native, alien species’ to justify their extermination. He highlighted the importance of considering the contribution of these deer to the country’s biodiversity. Nolan also raised safety concerns regarding night hunting, calling it inherently dangerous due to the difficulty in ensuring a safe backstop for bullets traveling at high speeds.
He reminded landowners of their potential liability for third-party injuries if they permit night shooting on their land and advised them to ensure hunters are adequately insured and trained to HCAP standards. Nolan advocated for the development of a national deer management strategy, as proposed by the Deer Management Strategy Group (DMSG) established in 2022 by Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.
The DMSG recommends the establishment of Deer Management Units (DMUs) in areas with excessive deer populations, and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) has issued a Request for Tenders for a Programme Manager to implement these recommendations, valued at €3.4 million over three years. Nolan stressed the importance of safe, efficient, and humane deer control practices based on scientific principles rather than arbitrary targeting of deer.
