The rhythms of nature

August is a month of preparation and anticipation ahead of the start of the season and Barry Stoffell is glad to be back into the old routine

- Barry Stoffell

It has been said many times that we Irish stalkers require a more ample supply of patience than our counterparts on the other side of the Irish Sea. With no roe nor muntjac to see us through the summer, we must wait a full six months from the end of one season to the start of another.

As August draws to a close, our wait is nearly over. Seasons for all three deer species in Ireland open on 1 September and, in a year that has thus far been characterised by nothing but uncertainty, this represents a welcome reminder that the rhythms of nature remain gloriously unaffected. Come what may, the nights will draw in, the mercury will fall and the stags will once again feel their hormones surge, entirely unaware of the chaos that’s occurred since we last saw them.

In good order

This is a time of preparation and anticipation for the Irish stalker. For those of us with large blocks AM of forestry to manage, much of the month involves revisiting areas not seen for some time and getting everything in good order for the start of the season.

Spring storms will inevitably have brought down some timber, so clearing the access tracks to key areas is usually necessary. On a larger scale, felling activity may have changed the shape of the forest, opening up new clearings and margins, which might offer fertile new areas for deer management, and changing the available cover for both man and beast.