New survey work in Co Wicklow has confirmed earlier findings that grazing by wild deer can cause significant loss of grass to cattle and sheep farmers. The loss ranged from 10% to an extreme of 90%, depending on the number of deer present on farmers’ land and the duration of their grazing.

The population of deer in Co Wicklow has grown in recent years and loss of grass to deer has become a great concern to livestock farmers.

The survey work was carried out in Co Wicklow for the Manor Kilbride Deer Management Project by agricultural consultant Jim Fitzsimons. Chair of the group Sean Eustace said that the survey is limited in scale but shows the need for further research as well as management of deer numbers.

He said that he hoped that research could be carried out under the three-year Deer Management Project due to start in Co Wicklow.

The Wicklow Uplands Council is now seeking a coordinator to run the project. The vacancy has been advertised and the closing date is 10 September. The role will involve quantifying deer damage and producing deer management plans.

The Manor Kilbride survey of damage involves placing protective cages over an area of grass, allowing measurement of how much grass outside the cage is taken by grazing. This is done when there are no cattle or sheep in a field and therefore only deer are grazing.

Meanwhile, the 2018/2019 hunting season for deer opens this week. The season for male deer runs from Saturday 1 September to 31 December. That covers red, sika and fallow deer.

The season for females runs from 1 November 2018 to 28 February 2019. Hunters can apply now to the Wildlife Licensing Unit in the National Parks and Wildlife Service for licences for the new season.