Figures just released by the National Parks & Wildlife Service show that the total recorded cull of wild deer in Ireland during the 2011-2012 hunting season was 31980, of which 11776 or almost 37% were shot in Wicklow. The total figure included 2698 red deer, 14224 fallow deer, 14117 sika deer, 935 sika/red hybrid deer and 6 muntjac deer. A total of 425 “Section 42” licences* were issued during the calendar year January to December 2012, of which 27 were issued to cover shooting at night, using lamps (25 of which were issued in Wicklow). A total of 4501 deer hunting licences were issued altogether (which includes 283 out-of-State hunters), suggesting another incremental growth of approximately 10% year-on-year in the number of persons hunting wild deer under licence.

*Section 42 licences cover out-of-season shooting and other special situations including agricultural damage and for scientific purposes.