OPW culls 30 deer in Phoenix Park

Thirty deer were culled in Phoenix Park in Dublin last week to help manage the deer population, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed.

The OPW, which is responsible for the management of the park, said it carried out a cull last Wednesday morning “as part of the sustainable management of the deer population in Phoenix Park”.

“A total of 30 deer were culled from the herd.”

Records released recently showed sales of deer culled from herds in the park have generated almost €10,000 for the State in the last three years.

More than 200 animals have been killed since November 2013. A marksman is hired by the OPW to carry out the work.

Four culls took place between November 2015 and March 2016 and the resulting 108 deer carcasses were sold for €6,000.

Between November 2013 and January 2014, three culls were carried out, generating €3,775 for 117 deer.

Deer slaughtered from the park last spring were exported to the UK market as frozen venison.

Nearly 31,600 deer were shot dead during the open hunting season nationwide in 2014 and 2015, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

As of the end of September, some 4,250 people had applied for licences to kill wild deer around the country for this year’s season, which runs until the end of February.

The national wild deer population is estimated to be about 300,000.