Non native species in Ireland

[Ballymac]

I think this was mentioned on here a year or two ago, but there was an article in the Sunday Times regarding hunters releasing muntjac deer for sporting purposes and of course they are getting out of control. It is thought that they have been released in certain areas and may even have been farm reared as they are not shy or nervous of human contact.

 

Was wondering if anyone of our members has spotted any or signs of them.

[Teal]

I have been told by a reliable source that wild boar have also been released in the country. Like the muntjac they have been brought over on the ferry.

[cjm]

There is definately wild deer around the limavady, ballykelly and ringsend areas of the country. been spotted numerous times

[GW80]

I personally haven't seen any muntjac but there was a report of one that was knocked down by car near Donaghadee last year on newsline, think it was about the Cotton area!! The only deer have i have seen on one of my farms has been a Sika!

[angrymallard]

I personally haven't seen any muntjac but there was a report of one that was knocked down by car near Donaghadee last year on newsline, think it was about the Cotton area!! The only deer have i have seen on one of my farms has been a Sika!

Really? i am from donaghadee and do most of my shooting around here and i have never seen a deer, thats quite interesting.

[GW80]

Really? i am from donaghadee and do most of my shooting around here and i have never seen a deer, thats quite interesting.

I'm not sure how to post the link, but if you google muntjac in northern ireland you will find the report, it was June 2009!

[Fishermanpaddy]

There are Muntjac in Ireland 100%. Iv seen the photo of that one knocked down, whoever took the photo done so when the poor b#####d was lying on the ground with its leg hanging off. They are so difficult to spot or record since they are about the size of a lab.

[monkeyboots]

plenty of sika , red and fallow my way havent seen any muntjac, letterkenny is full of deer was down lamping with the lurchers a couple of years ago and there was loads about mostly fallow/red deer

[angrymallard]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8082155.stm

 

here's the link here, the professer jamie **** in the report is also a fellow shooter i have a friend who is involved on a shoot with him, and i have heard he's gun mad, also could be my lecturer next year if i choose do do zoology.

[Ballymac]

Sorry for any confusion, I know there are plenty of native deer in areas of Ireland north and south. I was interested in hearing if anyone had seen or heard about muntjac in particular.

It seems as Teal has said these are transported by ferry and they are looking into restricting movement of these animals. I think they were introduced into England a couple of Hundred yrs ago to Woburn park/estate and thru escapees and deliberate releases have populated areas of England. I don't know that htey have destroyed natural habitiats in England (flora fauna that sort of thing) but this press release was hinting that this could happen.

 

I would assume that there would be no real threat of the muntjac taking over areas were red and fallow deer are, or destroying native woodland habitiat (any more than other deer)

 

Did read a report about one being knocked down in Co Down. Checked the article again it stated that at least seven stalkers have shot muntjac in Wicklow Waterford and Mayo last year and there have been many more eyewitness reports of sightings.

 

The National Parks and Wildilfe Service has called for for the alien species to be wiped out, so there might be some shooting opportunities to be had.

[Richie10]

Muntjac eat plants other animals don't, like Bluebells. I have seen more damage by roe, fallow and red than by muntjac.

As for being tame, that's not really the case. They are very bold characters and wild ones venture right into towns.

[lukequenby]

Muntjac are in Ireland, north and south of the border. It is thought they were deliberatley introduced for shooting / sporting reasons, though whoever did this has opened a serious can of worms. They were introduced to Woburn Park, Bedfordshire in 1838.

 

 

Muntjac are very destructive, eat just about whatever is in there path, can breed a couple of times a year and often have a calf at foot. So that along with the fact that they are more solitary in habit can make selecting the right animal for culling quite difficult. The herd size in England is around 60,000, but that increases 10% annually, far more than any other deer species. They are serious habitat destroyers and grazers, particularly in forestry, market gardening / veg growing and coppice re-growth / young trees. They cause around £10 million of damage to the east of England alone.

 

 

It is estimated that the uk national herd will have doubled in size by 2015, and they will soon take over the Fallow as the 3rd most common deer in the uk. They compete with the Roe deer in this country, with the Roe often coming off second best and being pushed out of it's territory.

 

I belive there are pretty hefty fines in place for deliberate introduction, but obviously it's a bit late for that now, so now you guys in Ireland need to get shooting them before they take over!

 

Though they do not physically compete with 'native' species, it's food, fertility and breeding that often leads to the natives coming off worst, though they havn't made serious inroads into Red territory in the uk as one thing they hate is the cold. In really cold winters, like last year, there are higher than normal mortality rates among Muntjac.