How many deer in wicklow

Citing National Parks and Wildlife Service deer returns for animals shot by licensed hunters, Mr Hannigan said Wicklow accounted for 13, of the 37, deer returns last season. He pointed out that these figures, while the best available, represent returns sent in by licensed hunters and were not verifiable.

The number of deer shot illegal or poached remains unknown. While welcoming the new contract, Mr Hannigan said farmers and hunters needed to work closely together to resolve issues with wild deer. What we are aiming for is working in partnership with landowners — that is the only way we will solve this.

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Eoghan MacConnell. Landowners and hunters He added the final three locations had yet to be decided under the project, which is being run in conjunction with Wicklow Deer Management Partnership WDMP. Here, you are as guaranteed to see deer as you are standing on the gallops of the Phoenix Park. The first area can be considered a kind of stepping-stone between observing the semi-tame deer of the Phoneix Park and watching the flighty deer of the rest of Wicklow.

The second will let you spot, and get close to, the latter type. Above the waterfall at the top of the Upper Lake, the large bowl-shaped Glenealo Valley forms the background for all those popular photographs of Glendalough you see.

Yet, scattered right and left across that lovely scenery, if you look closely enough — especially with a pair of binoculars — are even more beautiful dots that are red and sika deer and their hybrids.

If you climb up the zigzag path to the top of the waterfall and walk up the valley to the right, towards Turlough Hill, you will get quite close to several herds. The deer are not usually hunted here. The National Parks and Wildlife Service are responsible for controlling the herds, and culling is logistically more complicated in such a high-amenity area than it often is in other places. In addition, the deer are accustomed to seeing hikers and are likely to just watch you walk past, if you pretend to ignore them and resist the temptation to walk straight towards them.

Deer are swift, agile animals, and the open ground gives them confidence that if you get too close for comfort, they can easily outpace you across the moor. The area above Lough Dan is perhaps even more beautiful than Glenealo, especially at this time of year, with the deciduous trees along the lake in full colour. It is also home to hundreds of sika deer, and frequented by far fewer hikers than Glendalough. The easiest way to get there is by driving along the R up from Roundwood and parking at the forestry gate on the left, where the Wicklow Way enters the forest.

A fifteen or twenty minute walk along the forestry roads from the gate will bring you to one of the loveliest but least-seen views in Wicklow. Follow the main forestry road where it deviates from the Wicklow Way and take the next right, that later curves around to the left, to a large unforested clearing on your right hand side, with views of Luggala Mountain beyond it. There are often deer out in this clearing, grazing in plain sight, and resting in the dips and hummocks under the large clumps of heather and gorse.

You will have clear views of the entire valley and it is spectacular — all the more so because adding to the beauty are masses of deer grazing on the mountain opposite, which a quick scan with binoculars will reveal I usually stop counting after fifty.

Down on the valley floor, especially on the lawn in front of the large stately house, there are usually a few dozen more deer too.

By: WicklowNews. June 11, pm. Sign up to our weekly newsletter. Related Articles. Such a cull would take out 17, deer if the lower estimate of herd numbers is accurate. However, a cull of 50, deer would be required if the herd.

The Wicklow Deer Management Partnership WDMP has called for the Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the farm organisations, to draw up a strategy for managing deer numbers in the county. Enter email address This field is required Sign Up. Hunters should be brought in to cull up 50, deer in Wicklow - report. Close File Photo deer and fawn.