The Irish Deer Commission has urged the public to report any deer culling crimes to their local garda station or National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conservation ranger, amid what it has described as a “surge” in recent cullings.
The commission received reports of two deer killed in west Waterford on November 23, and three deer killed on the same day in east Cork.
The commission said that it is believed the incident in Waterford involved dogs, with the deer dying, as a result of stress.
The three deer killed in Co. Cork were shot and dumped on farm land in public view, according to the commission.
Gardaí in Midleton, Co. Cork are investigating the incident.
A new wildlife crime reporting app launched by Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in Ireland (PAW Ireland) allows members of the public to report deer culling more conveniently.
The Irish Deer Commission said that links between deer and bovine tuberculosis (TB) have resulted in this “surge”.
A spokesperson for the Irish Deer Commission said:
“TB is a devastating disease for rural Ireland, both financially and from a mental health prospective. We should do all we can to support farmers who are impacted, however we should not unintentionally mislead or give false hope, that by culling deer bovine TB will reduce in livestock.”
Deer culling
Deer may only be culled under special licence from the NPWS, and a specific firearm licensed by An Garda Siochana.
The commission has reminded the public that licensed hunters can only cull deer during the open culling from September 1 to December 31 for male deer, and November 1 to February 28 for female deer.
There is no open hunting season for red deer in Co. Kerry, due to conservation concerns.
Deer can only be culled during the open hunting season, from one hour before sunrise and one after the sunset.
It is also an offence to hunt deer with dogs, or for landowners to bury deer carcasses on their lands.