Deer population

Asus1 · 28-08-2022 11:33am #1

I don't shoot deer but seen on a British forum that is primarily focused on deer shooting that the population over there is estimated to be at its highest in over 100 years at around 2 million animals.

Around me in the last 5 years I've caught reds on trail camera and this year I got a sika and young for the first time.This area just is a large area of bog and mixed planted and wild forest.

Have ye who shoot deer noticed an increase or decrease in numbers and are ye getting a fair price off dealers for animals as that was another complaint on the forum as they were getting around £1-1.50 per kg.

I'll look for link to deer numbers.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/18985041/england-deer-population-soars-cull/amp/

Seems they are saying highest in 1000years

Grizzly 45 · 28-08-2022 12:10pm

The 1.50/per kg seems to be an EU standard to screw hunters across the Union. While the game dealer is getting a 100% markup as are the supermarkets and butchers selling venison...Welcome to the world of the farmer in selling food at below the cost of the production market. The ass fell out of the market too during Covid, and that was plugged with farmed imported NZ deer, which is where still the majority of venison comes from in the Union.

As for numbers...Hard to say in the ROI as there has FIK never been a proper nationwide population survey done.So there is no baseline to measure on.The figures here are based on the bag returns, which are notoriously inaccurate and hunting licenses issued PA .So what we get is an extrapolated figure that might give a trend nationwide,but its useless down at a county level. Farmers and lads in Sth Galway/nth Clare might be screaming they are inundated with deer,but down in West Kerry /East Limerick a deer seen there might be a tourist where they haven't been seen for decades. I figure what might be happening in some areas is timber harvesting or other change in habitat,thus making some local populations disperse to new ground. As I have also had sika show up on my let which was predominately reds over the last two seasons,and there was much timber felling in the greater area over the last 5 years.

Cass · 28-08-2022 4:50pm

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deerhunter1 · 28-08-2022 5:46pm

I have seen a huge explosion of deer numbers everywhere I go, seeing them in places I have never seen them before

tomtucker81 · 29-08-2022 9:11am

I would say there is a massive increase.

The areas I hunt along include farmland and private forestry, bordering larger coillte forestry and national park.

When I started deer hunting about 10 years ago, it was a case of picking which area to go to and hoping there might be deer there on the day.

Now it's a case of not mattering which area I pick, there will be deer, I always see deer, it's just a matter of trying to stalk in for a shot.

A definite increase.

Asus1 · 29-08-2022 7:45pm

First I knew there was any deer around my area is when a big red stag appeared out of a birch forest one evening when I was up the bog.

Rescueme0007 · 03-10-2022 12:43pm

Well I'm stalking Sika exclusively at this time and people in the local area (south shore of Kenmare Bay) are adamant that they are seeing lots of Sika in the area and numbers growing each year. I have been out five times this season and yet to take a beast. They'll only appear after sunset and always from the wrong direction! The last evening a fine stag came up behind me to about 50 metres distance, froze and gazed at me for awhile, then decided to scarper 🤬, very frustrating after a two hour drive, and much waiting. Still it's a delightful part of the world and it'll be all the sweeter when I do manage to take one!

Grizzly 45 · 03-10-2022 1:51pm

Hunting is a new situation and experience every day.Did you learn from it to be smarter than the deer next time round?😉🙂

Rescueme0007 · 12-10-2022 9:50pm

Well, I was either smarter or luckier since, as took one Saturday last. Hopefully, a sign of things to come, but maybe not!😊

itisnotgrand · 18-12-2022 8:04am

Purchased a lovely venison steaks in the English market in cork. Told its Irish venison. lovely bit of stuff probably nicest meat I’ve cooked. Will be back for more.

on a side note a friend of mine hurled abuse at me over what’s app for eating it as “all deer are full of TB” ?! As far as I know TB is in lungs not the tissue.