Farmers in Co Wicklow whose crops, forestry or fencing are being damaged by high numbers of wild deer should apply for a Section 42 permit to allow hunters shoot on their land. This is the advice from Tom Shortt, the IFA’s representative on the deer forum.

He is also on the steering group tasked with reducing the population of deer in the Calgary area of east Wicklow by 1,500 head.

Farmers apply for Section 42 permits with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

“You must then arrange to get good hunters in to actively stalk deer,” he said. “The Section 42 is time-limited, so the hunter must make an effort to reduce numbers in that area to a sustainable level.

“Both the Department of Agriculture and the National Parks and Wildlife acknowledge the over-population. It’s up to farmers to make use of that and if recreational hunters can’t solve the problem, then professional hunters may have to be called in.”

The number of deer shot under permit across Ireland each year has increased rapidly over the past 25 years but this has not stopped the deer population rising.

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