Deer License Problems

Deroluma

I am having difficulties getting land that meets the criteria for my deer license.
so far I have offered over 400 acres and still no joy.
Over 100 acres are across from a forest of 600 acres and Coillte letting with good numbers of deers. I have stalked and harvested deer on this land before and the farmers is very happy to see me come, however, according to the local powers that be I was told that the land is not suitable for as it has no shelter and roughage area for deers, I think they are mistaken with habitat that the forest provides and the grass that the deer eat that belong to the farmer.
According to the Firearm Licensing Conference report, it states "There are usually no direct habitat management activities undertaken for the
purpose of deer and vermin shooting but it is widely accepted that these forms
of shooting are important for the protection of certain natural and agricultural
habitats including woodland, crops, arable, and grassland habitats. "
I am very confused why I still have no license.
If anybody can shed a light on it I would be appreciated.

Tommyaya4

Where is the other 300 acres has to be an issue with deer numbers in the land and how adjacent it is to forestry

Tommyaya4

Where is the other 300 acres has to be an issue with deer numbers in the land and how adjacent it is to forestry

Deroluma

All the four hundred acres are around this one forest and the one hundred acres in question are directly across the road, approximately 30 feet, the farm runs along the road for a frontage of 15 acres.
Cuillte has a quota of about 30 deers in the forest.

Tommyaya4

Across a road is the problem I have well over 200 acres to hunt for the licence application I have another 180 plot that I shoot on but wouldn't use it as part of my application as again it's across a road

Tommyaya4

I'd u have 100 acres onto the wood I don't understand why u would be knocked unless u have issues with roads and farm buildings

Deroluma

I'm not sure but I need to do my homework, there is a few of us that got knocked back and all on different lands, we need to get organised and see can we get this sorted. It is very hard to deal with the licensing crowd as we don't even know what they are looking for and they will not meet us, I would like to know if it's a case that they think there is too many of us here locally or is it a case that they are prodding to see who really wants a license.

I don't know what they want but after years of putting returns and detail health and conditions of animals and having had a Coillte lettings in the past and managing the deer in it, it's a hard pill to swallow.

gunny123

Because some big-wig has the shooting rights to the forestry and doesn't want some oik shooting all "his" deer.

Deroluma

We thought of that and also that the gentlemen that is granting the permits is a hunter.
This needs to go further whether the local politician or solicitor.
The last thing I want to do is to go to county Dublin or Wicklow and step on somebody else's land to look for permits and then to come back to the land where I got refused and harvest my deer.

Tommyaya4

Well the best one I heard of a landowner this year the wildlife officer asked himself and the neighbor not to sign any permission this year I know because I have permission from both but not depending on them and both are old family friends anyway the both agreed I was speaking to the wildlife officer st a clay shoot one evening the reason being that so many lads had permission you would have an army on the land so any application that arrived this year with the 2 folio numbers are obviously falsified and the licence won't be granted

Deroluma

I wish I could talk to the wildlife officer but nobody in the job yet so I'm not sure who is in charge.
I have a lad looking for land from his uncle in County Dublin but I'm not going to hold my breath, I have also 200 acres permission in Kerry so hoping to talk to the farmer in the next couple of days to see if he would give me the folio numbers and stuff, so fingers crossed.

Deroluma

Just got off the phone to the farmer in Kerry that I know and just doing the application now to send over to him.

cookimonster

Bit confused here but first.....what county are you talking about?

The confused part....if there's no wildlife ranger in the job than who is doing the refusing?

If your on good terms with the farmer and he is happy to have the deer culled then ask him to put in for a section 42 stating that the presence of deer is an issue with his land,.
I've heard some boll@x, but to refuse you a license in an area that is metres away from a known deer population is tripe. I have permissions for red dear in Meath that have them ranging all over the parish with no fixed abode and I use said permission for my license.

Having said that I know several areas where the deer do not venture due to either geographical or man made obstacles. So you can have deer herding on one side and none on the other. But everyone will agree that some of the best stalking is on the outside of coilte woods in the surrounding farms. Which I gather is what you now have.

Deroluma

The permissions covered Cavan and the gentlemen that went to see the farmer told him that there is no cover for the deer and no rough ground, the farmer showed him where I despatched one pricket last year and the farmers brother got 4 deer on the farm, the gentlemen in question stated that it was not suitable for deer hunting.
there is no man-made obstacle to prevent the animals from crossing, in actual fact, they can move freely out of the forest and in through gaps in the hedge to go into the farm.

cookimonster

Not really what I was getting at in a literal sense...... example being that a few permissions I have in Cavan are divided by a main road. The deer are frequently seen on the left but never the right...

In Cavan they were reds and they ranged down a long river valley, most of the farms are just typical Cavan hilly areas. Any time I saw the deer they were happily grazing in the open fields.

I think your at a loss with this lad in terms of processing your application but at least you have the permission, but something seems off in terms of his attitude. If there's few or no deer and he gives you permission then there is no foul on his part as you will not be doing any major harm to a non existent deer population or to the occasional stray from the local wood.

Funny thing is that I've heard that coilte are coming under pressure from surrounding farmers as to the damage been done to their farms by the deer population marauding out from the woods.

Deroluma

Yeah I know what you mean, a friend of mine was refused on some other land for the same reasons but when the guy came out to talk to the farmer he asked the farmer that somebody was looking to come on the lands with a high powered rifle to shoot, it sound it like he was trying to scare the farmer.
Very unprofessional !

cookimonster

Both myself and a stalking buddy have had in the past and are still having problems with one particular wildlife ranger in respect to section 42s. In several cases there was just no communication with the farmers, eventually a few of them contacted Dublin direct. Farms that where eventually visited (many where not) where not inspected but yet queried the presence or extent of damage detailed in the application. When paper work was eventually completed it was then left sitting on a desk for over two weeks before been posted (this for a 4 week license). Cull figures and gender wholly inappropriate for the basis of the cull application, ie 'shoot 1 stag only -duration 12 week's. In all cases a blind person could see the large numbers of deer on the land and the damage they were doing. But even after the farmers made complaints to Dublin there was a high degree of bull with renewals of the sections just extending by a few weeks with 1 additional animal. In all cases it smacked of anti hunting more than conservation.

Deroluma

Yeah I must admit I felt almost like I was doing something wrong by asking for a deer license.
I usually harvest between 3 to 6 deer per year and that does my family and a few roasts for the farmers, it's not like I was getting 50 and 60 a year.
I should start taking GPS co-ordinates of any deer that I get as they are going to be on the farmlands that were deemed unfit for the license.