Drivers, watch out for amorous deer!

DEER mating season is about to begin in earnest this month, drivers have been warned to look out for them on the road.

Numbers of deer have risen in local wooded areas in recent years.
They are particularly prevalent in places such as Kilconly, Ballygar and Mountbellew.
The breeding season, or rut, starts in October every year. Female deer, does, generally come into heat in the second or third week of the month, and are duly sought out by the stags.
The reason for the increase in numbers is due to individuals interested in shooting buying deer and releasing them into wooded areas. They have subsequently mated, as John Higgins, a Conservation Ranger with the Parks and Wildlife Service, pointed out.
“There’s between 50 and 80 deer in the Kilconly area at the moment,” said John, who lives in Kilconly and whose job sees him cover an area stretching up to Claregalway, west to Leenane and back to Ballinrobe in Co Mayo.

Read the full story in this week's edition of The Tuam Herald