Some 78,175 wild deer were culled in the 12 months up to 28 February 2023, according to data released by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to the Irish Deer Commission.

The cull sets a record for the number of deer culled in Ireland, up 41% from the previous record set in 2022 when 55,008 deer were culled.

This data is provided to the Irish Deer Commission annually by licensed hunters who make annual declarations to the NPWS stating the number of deer culled by county, sex and species.

Spokesperson for the Irish Deer Commission Damien Hannigan said that the actual deer cull is likely to be significantly higher, as the cull total does not include wild deer killed illegally, known as deer poaching, nor does the total include the growing number of deer killed on our roads.

"Over the last five years, over 250,000 wild deer were culled in Ireland under licence from the NPWS and highlights the important role licensed deer hunters play in managing deer at sustainable levels to minimise negative impacts on farming, forestry and the wider ecosystem," Hannigan said.

Increased hunters

One of the main reasons more deer are being culled is due to the increased number of hunters licensed to cull deer.

According to the Irish Deer Commission, 6,486 licenses were issued in 2023, up 45% in the last 10 years when 4,502 licences were issued to cull deer during the open culling season.

The deer shooting season starts on 1 September and ends on 28 February, with dedicated periods when male and female deer can be culled.

Just over 70% of the national deer cull came from the seven counties of Wicklow, Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Kerry, Galway and Clare.

Co Wicklow, an area believed to have an overpopulation of wild deer in some areas, was responsible for 29% of the cull, a reduction of 8% of the national cull from the previous year.

The Irish Deer Commission believes restrictions around the management of deer during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with a worldwide crash in venison prices, delays by the NPWS in the issuing of deer culling permits, poor forestry design for the management of deer and a rapid expansion afforestation in Ireland all have created the perfect storm for deer numbers to increase.