Gun surround
bound for an animal
red, fallow, sika, muntjac hybrid
In Ireland, the wild deer population consists of red, fallow, sika, muntjac and hybrid deer.
H u n t i n g S e a s o n
| Type of deer | Hunting period | Where in the State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male Fallow Deer | 1 August to 30 April | All counties | |
| Female and Antlerless Fallow Deer | 1 November to 31 March | All counties | |
| Male Sika Deer | 1 August to 30 April | All counties | |
| Female and Antlerless Sika Deer | 1 November to 31 March | All counties | |
| Male Red Deer | 1 August to 30 April | All counties except Kerry | |
| Female and Antlerless Red Deer | 1 November to 31 March | All counties except Kerry | |
| Muntjac Deer | 1 September to 31 August |
Fallow bucks
are easiest to see in October during the rut. They tend to use the same rutting ground each year and the rutting area would have a strong musky smell with some scraping of the ground and tree bark damage.
Adult bucks
are 140–160 cm (55–63 in) long, 85–95 cm (33–37 in) in shoulder height,
and typically 60–100 kg (130–220 lb) in weight; does are 130–150 cm
(51–59 in) long, 75–85 cm (30–33 in) in shoulder height, and 30–50 kg
(66–110 lb) in weight.
Sika bucks - moult coat (Japan)
Red deer bucks - largest Irish deer - native - rut in October
A fully-grown Red stag can stand 120cm (48”) high at the shoulder and can weigh anything up to 190kg (420Ibs). A female (hind) is smaller with shoulder height up to 110cm (44”) and a weight of up to 110kg (240Ibs).
Reeve's Muntjac - invasive and destructive of Irish habitat - world's oldest known deer species (15-35 million tears ago)
rut all year
EXTINCT IRISH ELK - a mega animal Image from Chauvet cave
