Chairperson of the Wild Deer Association of Ireland (WDAI), Ger O’Brien, is passionate about the countryside and the wild deer that call it home, but he would like to see legislation that maps out the hunting season reviewed so that better management of the deer population can be achieved into the future.

In discussing the role of culling in maintaining a sustainable number of healthy deer in our countryside, Ger said that he would like to see two things happen:

The hunting season extended; and
The outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) ‘considered’ when granted a hunting licence outside of the hunting season.

Founded in 1981, the WDAI is an ‘independent, national organisation for deer management and conservation in Ireland’. The association runs courses that aim to educate people about deer, particularly hunters, farmers and land managers.

“We are on the side of the deer, we don’t want to see deer as a problem, but at the moment they are a problem – not everywhere but in certain areas,” he told Agriland.

SmartDeer project

Finding a solution to a perceived problem requires having a greater understanding of it.

Right now, a project that is being led by the Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology & Behaviour at University College Dublin (UCD) is working on providing that understanding.

With support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), researchers at UCD are carrying out the country’s first-ever nationally coordinated deer-monitoring project under the title, SmartDeer.

While a lot of deer data exists in the country, much of it is fragmented and out of date. This project will, for the first time, track the distribution and population density of the four species of deer across the country.

Combined with other data, this information will help to produce up-to-date deer distribution maps, and will put an accurate number on the deer population in the country – something which is needed.

All this new information will ensure that deer-related decisions and policies will be evidence based – and may even dispel some common myths.

This kind of work is hugely important because the mere mention of the word ‘deer’ in agricultural circles frequently connotes the potential for bTB transmission.

*Image source: Wild Deer Association of Ireland*

Deer and bTB – some facts

In 2016, levels of bTB reached a historic low when herd incidence fell to 3.27%, according to the DAFM.

But each year since then, there has been a slight increase and, in 2020, the incidence rate had reached 4.27%.

In the same year, the cost of the DAFM’s TB programme was almost €100m.

Consequences to a farmer of an outbreak can be devastating, so their concern is understandable.

But it must be stressed that the DAFM has pointed out that badgers are far more problematic as spreaders of bTB to cattle, which is why it has been running a badger vaccination programme, along with culling, for some time.

Of course, it can be spread from cattle to cattle too and the DAFM has also stated that the expansion of the national herd since 2015 is a factor.

Within the DAFM’s Bovine TB Eradication Strategy 2021-2030, published earlier this year, it stated that the risk posed to cattle by wildlife will be dealt with by culling and vaccination of badgers; researching bTB in deer and enabling local coordination of deer culling; and educating farmers on actions they can take to protect their cattle.

Also within the strategy, it states that research carried out by University College Dublin and DAFM has confirmed that deer can be infected with bTB and can pass the disease back to cattle.

This has been found to be the case mainly in Wicklow where growing numbers of Sika deer, in particular, may be linked to bTB outbreaks in the county.

But the strategy also states that “outside of Wicklow, there is currently no evidence that deer are a significant source of bTB infection in cattle; while deer infected with bTB are occasionally found, they are far less common than in Wicklow”.

“It is possible that local problems with deer and bTB may arise, based on local ecology and the interactions between cattle and deer,” it also said.

Other research conducted and published in 2020, revealed that cattle and deer share highly similar Mycobacterium bovis strains, suggesting that transmission between
these species is occurring in the area [Wicklow].

While Wicklow appears to be a ‘hotspot’ the prevalence of bTB in deer is very low in most other areas.

Education is key

Back to the WDAI and Ger, who has been involved in deer hunting for many, many years.

His knowledge of the animal and the activity is vast and insightful and his work with WDAI is all about passing on that knowledge to educate others for the benefit of the deer, and the environment.

Culling, he believes, is essential in maintaining sustainable deer numbers; ensuring their overall good health; and minimising damage they can cause to crops, fences, and forestry.

But it must be done right, and by the right person, Ger said.

If a farmer has an issue with deer numbers on their land and is, perhaps, concerned about bTB transmission or damage to crops, then Ger recommends contacting an organisation like the WDAI in the first instance.

By doing this, a management plan can be put in place that can address the issues at hand, identify what needs to be done, and how that can be achieved.

Individuals who wish to become competent hunters are advised to complete a training course such as the Hunter Competence Assessment Programme, which is designed to create safer, more efficient and more humane management of deer in Ireland.

“We run various training programmes for our members or for anyone that wants to attend. Included in the training is looking at how to shoot an animal, where to shoot them, how to bleed them, how to grollick them, and how to inspect them for disease. And we do carcass handling too,” Ger explained.

Grollick
The process of gutting game like rabbit and deer.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has confirmed that, first-time deer-hunting-licence applicants for the 2022-2023 season will will be required to produce evidence of attendance and completion of a certified deer-hunting training course.

Culling

It is a sensitive subject, but a cull of wild deer must focus on the females, according to Ger (as well as those that are old, or lame, or with poor body condition).

As the season progresses and pregnant females become more obvious, some hunters are reluctant to shoot these deer, however.

“We try to educate people so that they understand that if they are required to manage a herd, then they have to manage the females, rather than the males.

“When the female hunting season starts in November, the females are already pregnant but in November and December, they are not obviously pregnant, so people will shoot them.

“As the season progresses into January and February, people can get squeamish about it because the females are obviously pregnant.

Generally speaking, to maintain numbers, you are looking at culling 30% of the deer present, and up to 50% if there is a requirement to reduce numbers in an area, said Ger.

Inspecting the animal after it has been killed and knowing what to look out for are important skills to have as there are ways to identify if a deer is potentially infected with M. bovis, said Ger.

This is very important information for a farmer to have – regardless of the outcome.

But not everyone is equipped with this knowledge, and Ger has heard things like ‘the colour of the flesh’ being referred to by some as a way to determine if an animal is infected.

“You may as well be reading tea leaves, there isn’t a hope in hell that you can tell by the colour of the flesh,” he said.

Generally speaking, if a deer is infected with M. bovis you are looking for abnormalities in the lungs and the glands (mesenteric or submaxillary) – the former will be enlarged and the latter will be swollen and pus-filled.

While this may provide an initial indication, the animal – if displaying any signs – should be sent to a regional veterinary laboratory where a post-mortem will confirm if the animal has bTB.

Licence to hunt deer

Landowners and land managers are responsible for deer management in Ireland and they must give permission for hunting to take place on their lands – this permission is a requirement in the deer-hunting licence application process (under Section 29 of the Wildlife Acts 1976).

The issuing of licences to hunt is the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

According to Ger, up to 40,000 deer were culled in 2019-2020 – this has increased from about 10,000 in 2000 and 30,000 in 2010.

Although he estimates that in 2020-2021 season, about 60% of that figure was reached due to the impact of Covid-19.

The NPWS confirmed that fewer licences were granted in 2020 compared to previous years:

2018 – 5,502 licences granted;
2019 – 5,815 licences granted;
2020 – 5,344 licences granted.

Season extension – deer

The current licensing situation could be improved upon, said Ger. He would like to see the season extended to match what is in place in Northern Ireland.

In the Republic, the upcoming hunting season for:

The male red, sika and fallow deer is from September 1 to December 31 (the muntjac deer can be hunted from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022);
The female red, sika and fallow deer, as well as the antlerless deer, is from November 1 to February 28.

Hunting season in Northern Ireland for male deer is August 1 to April 30 and for female deer is November 1 to March 31. Muntjac are all-year round.

It is Ger’s view that lengthening the season will facilitate more effective and successful hunting. There are a number of reasons for this.

“During the winter months, deer are able to sustain themselves on roughage such as barks of trees and briars and that kind of thing,” he explained.

This diet means that they stick to the forests and woodlands, making it harder to find them, harder to see them, and impossible to distinguish male from female at times.

“But once the days start lengthening, their metabolism changes. Once the grass starts growing, the deer get together in bigger bunches, and they start spending a lot more time out in the fields,” said Ger.

Improved visibility, greater numbers, and easier access means the hunting process would be improved upon.

“But this is the time of the year when we can’t shoot them, unlike in Northern Ireland where you can shoot them up to the end of April,” he said.

Section 42 licence

Another change Ger would like to see is the granting of a licence, outside of the hunting season, if there is an outbreak of bTB in an area.

A Section 42 licence is currently granted under the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended) where protected wild animals or birds that are causing serious damage to crops, other animals, woodlands (among other reasons) can be hunted.

But the NPWS confirmed that “there are no specific provisions in the Act for granting licences based on TB outbreaks”.

Also Read:
Farmers urged to share their bovine TB story in NI consultation

Hunting Licences

'We are on the side of the deer...but they are a problem in certain areas'

First-time applicants for deer hunting licences may have to undergo training