Is Ireland ready to tackle its growing deer management challenges? How will the new national deer management programme impact hunters, landowners, and conservation efforts? What role do thermal imaging technologies play in modern wildlife management? In this milestone 200th episode of Conservation and Science, we welcome back Ashley Glover, a conservationist, master huntsman, and long-time friend of the podcast. Recording from Wicklow Wolf Brewery, we celebrate this special occasion by diving into the significant changes coming to Irish deer management. From there, we discuss many more Irish conservation and nature restoration-related topics.

Ashley shares valuable insights on the recently introduced national deer management strategy, including the establishment of 15 deer management units across Ireland. We explore the complexities surrounding implementation, from landowner engagement to data collection methods and hunter integration. The conversation highlights ongoing policy conflicts, such as how to manage deer on state lands, and addresses critical issues like deer-vehicle collisions and the humane dispatch programme. Ashley explains how thermal imaging has revolutionised deer counting and tracking, making wildlife management more effective and evidence-based.

Beyond deer, we discuss other pressing conservation matters in Ireland, including invasive American mink control and the challenges of predator management for protecting ground-nesting birds. Ashley offers valuable perspectives on balancing conservation needs with hunting traditions and the importance of mentoring new hunters. In our conversation, we examine Ireland's conservation landscape, highlighting both the progress made and the significant work still needed to address policy conflicts in biodiversity management, peatland restoration, and sustainable land use.

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The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organisation. The participants are expressing their personal opinions and perspectives.