Protected Kerry Red Deer sold to UK Trophy Hunters for up to €20,000

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Protected Kerry Red Deer sold to UK Trophy Hunters for up to €20,000



The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD is to meet with the Wild Deer Association of Ireland to discuss the issuing of licences under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts and concerns about the current Red Deer population in Co Kerry.



The Wild Deer Association of Ireland (WDAI) - the main organisation representing the country’s deer hunters - had written to Minister Gormley, seeking an urgent meeting with him to discuss recent evidence that licences issued under Section 42 of the Wildlife Acts by the Minister are been abused for financial gain.*

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Section 42 allows the Minister to issue licences to cull deer outside of the designated open season for culling, where there is evidence of crop damage by deer. In the case of the male Red Deer in Co. Kerry as a protected species under the Wildlife Acts, due to their international importance and low numbers, such licenses are required to cull any male Red Deer as there is no open season for culling the mature antlered stags. Licences are issued to the landowner who nominates a hunter to undertake the culling.



Culling is undertaken without any supervision or confirmation that the designated hunter was the actual person who culled the stag or how many deer were culled. This is despite the expertise and resources are available locally within the NPWS. “Trophy hunting” is where a male deer is shot for its antlers with large Red deer making up to €20,000 per stag. It is recognised that trophy hunting can be contrary to proper deer management which requires a higher number of female deer to be culled.*

*

A spokesman for the WDAI said: ‘While we sympathise and regularly offer advice to landowners who suffer genuine crop-damage from deer, nor do we object to the promotion of tourism from hunting or shooting, we do strongly oppose any abuse of our heritage or protected wildlife species. Incidents of crop damage by Red Deer in Kerry are rare and where such incidents arise there should be sufficient staff of the NPWS locally to deal with the problem with no need to for these licences’.



Following the introduction of an open season for female Red Deer in Co Kerry in 2005 due to increasing deer numbers, there is now growing concern amongst organisations such as the WDAI and local NPWS staff that Red Deer numbers are at a dangerously low level and the current open season needs to be urgently reviewed by the Minister.



In response to parliamentary questions on behalf of the WDAI from deputies Joanna Tuffy TD, Labour Environment spokesperson and Phil Hogan TD, Fine Gael Environment spokesperson, the Minister also stated "My Department is actively taking measures to combat deer poaching around the country".

-***** ENDS –

Further Information:

Damien Hannigan, Secretary, Wild Deer Association of Ireland, 087 2496987

Pat Scully, Chairman, Wild Deer Association of Ireland, 086 8381244


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Damien Hannigan
Secretary
Wild Deer Association of Ireland
PO Box 31 Midleton
Co. Cork
087 2496987
www.wilddeerireland.com

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FISMA

Why would anyone pay that amount when they could go to the Highlands and take one free?

landkeeper

i very much doubt you'd find anywhere in great britain where you can shoot a trophy class stag for free , for that matter any stag for free

cavan shooter

I just dont get the trophy hunting bit at all. Shoot for the meat yes, this actually annoys me, I'm sure a deer stalker will put me right

meathshooter1

typical of the government looking after the rich again the npws should have a lottery of deer licence holders to carry out the cull

4gun

how come the "emperor" in the UK was reportedly shot for 2000 stir and was a 16 pointer stags in Kerry are no where as good and can fetch 20000 euro whoever they are they are being ripped off :eek: