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Hi
NovaScotiaHunting.com members:
Sorry I was unable to join the chat group on Sunday November 23rd.
I will try to answer the questions presented by Backwoods Buddy
(Zone 4) and Buck Knife (Zone 1).
First you should look at the attached deer status and harvest
statistics article. Deer abundance in Nova Scotia is primarily
determined by winter severity. If we have a series of mild or
normal winters (with a number of rains to settle the snow during
Jan/Feb/March) deer numbers will increase.
When we have a winter like that of 2000-2001, starvation rates
become very high and herd size decreases rapidly. See in Table
1, the last row (% Herd Nutritionally Stressed) and the number
for spring 2001. Overall nearly 48% of the herd starved. Fawns
were particularly hard hit (no fat reserves) with 65% starving,
followed by yearlings and adult bucks at 47%.
The reason herd size (Spring Herd Size Estimate (PGI)) has declined
to 53,000 in spring of 2002 and further yet to 42,500 in 2003,
is because the fawns and yearlings lost in spring 2001 are missing.
Had they not been lost, they would have been prime producers at
this time.
Note the decline trend in license sales. There has been a 20%
decrease since 1999. It is not because of low deer numbers (though
that may play a small role). Small game licence sales have declined
by the same amount with snowshoe hare (except Cape Breton Highlands),
ruffed grouse and pheasant numbers increasing over these years.
This is happening across North America. (Reasons for the decline
are a topic for another day.)
A complete closure of deer hunting as is often suggested, is considered
unnecessary and would send the wrong message to hunters and non
hunters alike. Hunter harvest, under modern management approaches/regulations,
is not of threat to the long term well-being of deer populations.
A complete hunt closure, even for a few years, would result in
many hunters abandoning the sport altogether.
Loss of government revenue through decline of hunter licence sales
is not a matter of concern. In fact, it is questionable that licence
revenue actually covers costs associated with surveys of game
species, enforcement, production of licences and the summary of
regulations booklet provided to hunters and all related administration.
The true value of hunting is recreation, exercise, meat on the
table, comradery, enhanced knowledge and appreciation of wildlife
and intact ecosystems, and of course indirect economic activity
associated with hunting.
For these reasons DNR tries to provide/maintain opportunity to
hunt deer.
On the matter of antlerless deer stamps, keep in mind there is
only about a 25% success rate in filling the tags. This year 7,500
stamps were issued, for an anticipated doe kill of less than 2,000.
These stamps are for the full mainland which had in the order
of 37,000 deer before fawning this spring. (This year there were
no antlerless deer permits issued for zones 6 & 7 - Cape Breton
Island.)
We have a problem with too many deer in the area of new zone 2A
and continue to receive complaints of deer problems in agricultural
areas of the mainland.
Q. Backwoods Buddy asked, "Can we start to micromanage
herds in the zones..."
A.
That would be very difficult. To be fare to hunters, zones have
to be large enough and very well defined (also legally defined)
so they are not always concerned about unknowingly crossing a
zone boundary. As well, deer are unevenly distributed and where
there is a herd in one area for a few years, there may be very
few deer in following years. A real problem we have in managing
deer and hunting, is that deer thrive in close proximity to humans.
The highest densities of deer are within or adjacent to our most
populated suburban and agricultural areas. They prefer a fragmented
landscape and feed on yard shrubs, gardens and crops, at bird
feeders and along all the edge our communities and agricultural
areas provide. These areas have more trails, paths and roads for
getting around, fewer coyotes and little hunting pressure. Though
deer numbers will fluctuate over time, I am confident that hunting
is a sustainable use of wildlife that can be enjoyed by many future
generations.
Regards,
Tony
______________________
Anthony (Tony) L. Nette
Manager, Wildlife Resources
Wildlife Division
136 Exhibition Street,
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Canada
B4N 4E5
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