The Irish Deer Society (IDS) has said that the welfare of deer must be central to any national plan for a cull of the species.
The group, established in 1968, has as a primary aim to safeguard the welfare of deer and their habitat “in a sustainable and balanced manner”.
IDS welcomed the publication of a report from the Irish Deer Management Strategy Group (IDMSG) which was set up to lead the development of a strategy for the management of wild deer in Ireland.
The report lists 15 ‘actions’, eight of which are recommended for early implementation.
These recommended actions address a wide range of issues from hunter training and forest design to land use management and the venison market.
IDS has been recommending a deer management policy for many years and see it as “a first step in dealing with the overpopulation of deer”.
Deer cull
IDS said it recognises that the culling of deer is necessary to ensure a balance between animal welfare and habitat, but said that this must be done “a humane and well-regulated manner”.
The group, which played an active role in the preparation of the new report, welcomed the establishment of a programme manager to oversee the implementation of the management plan.
IDS said that it will be working closely with this manager in the coming months “to ensure the welfare of deer is paramount in any plan being implemented”.
“We do however think that the extension of the stag season will only increase the deer population as the excessive hunting of males to the exclusion of females is the root cause of the explosion in the herd numbers.
“We do welcome the extension of the female season to March as it takes the animal welfare into account,” the group said.
IDS said it is “somewhat disappointed” that the recommendation to develop a structured deer management policy on state lands operated by Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is not an immediate action.
Meanwhile, the Association of Hunt Saboteurs has said that a proposal for a national deer cull is “firearm conservation and has little to do with deer welfare”.
John Tierney, campaigns director with the group claimed that there is “no independent scientific evidence” stating that a deer cull is necessary.
“The deer of Ireland are part of our natural heritage. Rather than using deer as live targets it would be more beneficial if a local deer tourism industry was developed that would provide for deer watching activity,” he said.