Deer cull to begin in south Mayo

Deer cull to begin in south Mayo


Anton McNulty

A CULL of deer will take place in the Partry and Tourmakeady areas following the setting up of a deer management programme to reduce stocks of deer in the area to manageable numbers.
In the last number of years, the number of deer in the area has grown to an all-time high and the number being culled have not kept pace with the increase. Farmers and landowners living in the area say that they are causing havoc and destroying crops and gardens and have also become a danger to motorists.
To try an alleviate the problem, a meeting of landowners was held and on the advice of the National Park and Wildlife Service (NPWS) they set up a deer management programme to organise a controlled cull of some of the deers. John Hession a local farmer explained that they approached Gun Clubs in the area to nominate their most professional sharpshooters to carry out the cull in a controlled and professional manner.
John told The Mayo News that they did not want to get rid of the deer but explained that their numbers have increased so much, he has been unable to produce a crop of silage because the deer keep eating the grass.
“The problem has been getting bad for years but last year was the worst. I had to cut silage in Roundfort because I could not get a crop near my own home. I have to draw the silage from there to my farm in Partry and that puts you under a lot of pressure. The idea of the deer management programme is to get the best expertise and reduce the number of breeding animals. We don’t want to kill all the deer but we want to reduce the numbers so they are manageable because at the moment they are out of control. At the moment, they are causing damage to crops and no one can keep a garden in Partry,” he said.
John explained that the number of deers in the area is impossible to tell and often disputed with some people saying there is over 1,000 while others say the number is closer to 750. He revealed that over the last couple of months 28 deer have been culled in one field alone and it would not be unusual to see up to 50 grazing in one field.
The cull will have to take place before the end of February when the hunting season ends and a meeting has been organised to get permission from landowners. The deer was introduced to Partry 20 years ago and are believed to have originated from a deer farm near Ballinrobe. John said the deer are strong and powerful but not considered dangerous eventhough he has noticed they have become braver and do not run away as much when approached.

Deer meeting
A meeting will be held in Partry Community Centre next Friday, February 5, at 8pm to discuss the problems with deer numbers in the area. All interested are encouraged to attend.