Deer Populations/territory size

Cork boy 55

Just wondering why some of the smaller forest parks don't have WILD deer in them?


What would the minimum sustainable WILD herd size?
What territory size would you need to sustain the herd?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_of_Ireland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The range of territory size for red Deer is from 200 acres to 2000 acres for a small group but it is very dependant on the quality and variety of the food supply available. There are then issues around confinement and the impact on the local landscape as well. In addition any herd needs to be big enough to ensure genetic variety.

magicbastarder

it's also possible that it's due to whatever management practices there are in the parks for management of ground flora. deer can be detrimental for such plants.

Cork boy 55

Just to give one real-world example

A "small" forest I was in in at weekend which is 300 hectares or 741.316 acres
Moanbaun Wood in Cork

http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/?id=53&rec_site=44


Could A wild deer herd live there?

Noticed over the areas numerous other smaller forests without deer that could have them... maybe

Capercaille

Small forests are easy to lamp so small populations of deer get wiped out easily.

magicbastarder

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

A "small" forest I was in in at weekend which is 300 hectares or 741.316 acres
Moanbaun Wood in Cork

Could A wild deer herd live there?

well, that's about 40% the size of the phoenix park, which has a herd of deer in it (which are culled every year, i think by about 50).

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Consider the impact on the flora of the woods too.

Capercaille

magicbastarder wrote: »

it's also possible that it's due to whatever management practices there are in the parks for management of ground flora. deer can be detrimental for such plants.

Even in the national park in Glendalough there's overgrazing. There's hardly any understory trees like whitethorn,blackthorn, holly and not many young oak trees growing. There is a small area fenced off from the deer/goats and the place is just full of young trees and holly. There should be IMO a severe cull of the deer, especially considering there only hybrid sika/red deer.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

There should be IMO a severe cull of the deer, especially considering there only hybrid sika/red deer.

I've heard people half-joke that you'd need to get the army in if there was ever to be a serious and significant cull attempted in Wicklow!

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I've heard people half-joke that you'd need to get the army in if there was ever to be a serious and significant cull attempted in Wicklow!

Even with all the poaching going on in Wicklow, the place still has way to many deer.

Cork boy 55

So you would have to introduce some sort of predator to keep numbers down
Man beast or machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE3fmFTtP9g

Is there map somewhere of deer herds in Ireland?

dodderangler

Capercaille wrote: »

Even with all the poaching going on in Wicklow, the place still has way to many deer.

From what I've seen there's way too many does around.

magicbastarder

speaking of poaching, the wicklow people has a front page story claiming up to 30 a night are being shot illegally.

dodderangler

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of poaching, the wicklow people has a front page story claiming up to 30 a night are being shot illegally.

A fella was caught with 28 deer in his van.

Cork boy 55

Speak of the devil and he shall appear

I walked straight into a Fallow dear recently
Turned the corner of a forest track and there She was bent down eating something
Five meters away, Two of us froze looking at each other for a few seconds and then it bolted into the woods.

Is there a map somewhere showing where deer populations are?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

No map but from where you are, try the Clara Vale Nature Reserve.

OpenYourEyes

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Speak of the devil and he shall appear

I walked straight into a Fallow dear recently
Turned the corner of a forest track and there She was bent down eating something
Five meters away, Two of us froze looking at each other for a few seconds and then it bolted into the woods.

Is there a map somewhere showing where deer populations are?

The biodiversity data centre website might have some, but they're probably marked in 10km square grids - although if you check that, and then look at the map to find suitable habitat it might be useful.......