‘EXPLOSION’ IN WILD DEER NUMBERS ACROSS COUNTY
WILD deer are becoming a major safety hazard in County Wexford as increasing numbers of the animals move south from neighbouring Wicklow.
At least two accidents have been caused by deer on or near the Rosslare Road in as many weeks, with one family lucky to be alive after a Stag ran into their car and smashed into the side of it close to the Drinagh roundabout on the outskirts of Wexford town.
And in the north of the county, IFA chairman Pat Murray said there had been an explosion in the number of deer.
‘God forbid that anything would happen, that somebody would be killed, but that’s the risk,’ said Mr Murray, whose own Jeep was struck by a deer in north Wexford several months ago.
Christine Ryan, from Ballycogley, said she and her six-yearold daughter Jaden and niece Rebecca Foley had a very lucky escape in the accident on the Rosslare Road side of the busy roundabout on January 7.
‘My niece said it was a miracle it didn’t come through the windscreen,’ said Christine.
‘I was dropping her off to work when she said “look there’s a deer” and with that he ran across the road in front of us.. I tried to stop and was still trying to when he hit the car and came up the side of it,’ she said.
Shocked but unscathed, and with a large dent in her car wing, she then saw the Stag run off and at least 10 more deer in a field next to the road jump across the fence and run across the N25.
‘I lived in Mayglass all my life and I have never heard of deer down here,’ she said.
‘Somebody could easily be killed,’ said Wexford Mayor Cllr Frank Staples, ‘there have been lots of sightings.’
In another incident shortly before Christmas, a car was badly damaged after it ran into a deer near Killinick. Gardai said they had no information on this incident, although, according to local reports the deer was killed and the car was a virtual write off.
Cllr Staples said he had been told that €5,000 in damage had been caused to the car.
‘They are moving down from Wicklow, from farm to farm,’ said Cllr Staples.
Mr Murray said the huge increase in the deer population in the north of the county with the animals spreading south from Wicklow in search of greener pastures.
‘There are three main issues, accidents being caused by deer, second the damage they are causing to crops and fencing and thirdly the animal health issue because some could be carrying TB,’ he said.
Mr Murray estimated that there were between 150,000 and 200,000 deer in Wicklow, representing 40 per cent of the deer population in the country.
‘There needs to be a cull.. culling 30,000 out of the entire east region would just hold the numbers as they are, but there is question about whether there is the political will to do this.
Mr Murray said deer were particulary numerous in north Wexford with large numbers in areas of woodland near Kilanerin, Castletown and Bunclody, although there was no accurate estimate of just how many there were in the county.
‘Some farmers in north Wexford have counted as many as 50 deer in their fields close to woodlands. I am calling on the Department of Environment and the Department of Agriculture to deal with this situation,’ he said.