Unit established to manage wild deer numbers in Westmeath

A deer management unit to bring the wild deer population down to a sustainable level in the midlands is up and running.

FRS Co-Op has appointed local coordinators to lead dedicated Deer Management Units (DMUs) in areas of the country that are well-known as hotspots for wild deer, including for the midlands counties.

A dedicated DMU known as M1 has been established for the midlands counties of Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, and is part of FRS Co-Op’s contract to establish a total of 15 DMUs in areas of the country that are well-known as hotspots for wild deer.

The establishment of DMUs was a key recommendation of the final report recently published by the Deer Management Strategy Group.

FRS Co-Op was awarded the contract in February this year to implement and deliver a number of recommendations from the Deer Management Strategy Group, including to establish 15 DMU’s in hotspot areas of the country and to appoint local coordinators to work with landowners and hunters.

FRS Co-Op’s role will be to connect landowners affected by wild deer in hotspot areas with licenced hunters. The co-op will not directly employ any hunters as part of its contract but will oversee the coordination with local hunters and hunting groups who wish to participate in the deer management programme.

The local coordinator appointed by FRS Co-Op to lead the midlands DMU will be engaging with farmers and landowners in the area to identify issues relating to deer that currently exist and to help facilitate deer management by engaging with local hunters.

Deer management will be implemented in hotspots areas identified across the midlands counties with the goal of bringing the wild deer population down to a sustainable level.

This will protect Ireland’s natural environment, improve biodiversity in our woodlands and other habitats, protect farmland, and contribute to improving human safety by reducing the number of road traffic accidents involving deer.

Though there is no accurate data on the exact deer population in the country, there is clear evidence that the wild deer population has grown considerably in recent decades and led to a corresponding increase in negative impacts, including biodiversity loss, damage to natural woodlands and farmland, and increased road accidents involving deer.

DMUs have been established in areas where the underlying data (e.g. native woodland monitoring, commercial forest inventories, road traffic accident statistics) demonstrate that deer impacts are particularly significant.

A survey conducted as part of the final Deer Management Strategy report found that over 80% of stakeholders identified biodiversity loss, damage to farmland and road traffic safety as either “very” or “somewhat important” issues relating to the growth in the national deer population.

Michael Keegan, manager of FRS Co-Op’s deer management programme, said:

“Over the coming weeks, local coordinators appointed by FRS Co-Op will be engaging with local landowners and farmers in areas of the country that have been identified as hotspots for wild deer. This is an important step for the establishment of dedicated DMUs in deer hotspots of the country, which was a key recommendation of the final Deer Management Strategy report,”

“FRS Co-Op’s role is to help implement deer management in areas of the country that are hotspots for wild deer, and to act as the coordinator between landowners, farm managers, hunters, and other key stakeholders. I would urge any farmers or landowners located in these DMU areas that are having issues with will deer to contact FRS Co-Op, and we will help coordinate and implement deer management in their area.

“Additionally, I would urge landowners in deer hotspots to join a local deer management group or look to establish a deer management group for your area if one does not currently exist. FRS Co-Op is available to assist landowners seeking to establish local deer management groups.”

Any landowners seeking further information on FRS Co-Op’s deer management programme can visit www.frscoop.ie/deer