Wicklow Uplands Council has warned of a person contacting farmers in an attempt to hunt deer recreationally on their land.
The individual is falsely claiming to be associated with the Wicklow Uplands Council, and its subsidiary Deer Management Project.
The organisation, which represents over 50 member groups and individuals with interests in the Wicklow and Dublin Uplands, have said that "The individual has no involvement with the organisation or the Deer Management Project, and that no landowners will be approached in this manner, especially during the Covid-19 restrictions."
Following the release of the statement, Pat Mellon, Project Manager of the Wicklow Deer Management Project said: "The scope of the project does not include recreational shooting and all contact with landowners is conducted formally by myself rather than individual third parties.
"This development is of great concern to all involved and will be closely monitored to prevent any further incidents of false representation."
The project itself was launched in 2018 to address the "adverse impacts of the high deer population in the county."
Strategically managed by Wicklow Uplands Council and the Wicklow Deer Management Partnership, the project has successfully established five deer management units (DMUs) in different locations where issues have been identified.
Each of the units consists of landowners, hunters and other interested parties, who collectively agree upon key objectives on how best to sustainably manage deer found in their locality.
"The actions of this individual are potentially damaging to both the reputation of the organisation and the project," Mellon said.
