Large number of wild deer culled in Westmeath and Roscommon
Some 895 wild deer were culled in Westmeath and Roscommon in the twelve-month period up to February 2022, it has emerged.
Data released by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to the Irish Deer Commission show that nationally 55,008 wild deer were culled in that period. It represents a record for the number of wild deer culled, up 24% from the previous record set in 2019 when 44,381 deer were culled.
In Westmeath, there were 249 wild deer culled, compared to 646 in Roscommon.
Hunters must make an annual declaration to NPWS stating the number of deer culled by county, sex, and species, and this data is provided to the Irish Deer Commission annually. While the data is not independently verified, hunters are required to sign a declaration confirming the accuracy of the information returned.
However, Damien Hannigan a spokesperson for the Irish Deer Commission stated: “The actual deer cull is likely to be significantly higher as the cull total does not include wild deer killed illegally known as deer poaching, nor does the total include the growing number of deer killed on our roads. Over the last five years over 200,000 wild deer were culled in Ireland under licence from the NPWS and highlights the important role licensed deer hunters play in managing deer at sustainable levels to minimise negative impacts on farming, forestry, and the wider ecosystem.
“The Irish Deer Commission actively work with landowners who suffer negative impacts from wild deer, we also support the various agencies who deal with an increasing number of deer vehicle collisions on our roads through a network of trained members.”
The commission said there may be several factors for the increase in culls. It says the number of hunters licensed to cull deer has grown significantly with 6,232 licenses issued in 2022, up 17% from the previous year.
The Irish Deer Commission believe restrictions around the management of deer during the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with a worldwide crash in venison prices, delays by NPWS in the issuing of deer culling permits, poor forestry design for the management of deer, and a rapid expansion afforestation in Ireland, all have created the perfect storm for deer numbers to increase.