[Mover2021]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to move to Nova Scotia from South-western Ontario, but with a whole province to pick from, what area(s) would one suggest? Looking for best all around areas for deer, bear, small game, waterfowl, etc. I've heard to stay away from Cape Breton area, but that still leaves a whole lot of space to choose from....lol

Any ideas?

 

[Rembolt]

Just my opinion . the Annapolis valley region would probably would offer the most game varieties .do to it large agricultural presents .

 

[3macs1]

Just my opinion . the Annapolis valley region would probably would offer the most game varieties .do to it large agricultural presents .

Agree 100% and I live on the cape.

 

[Thunderstick]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to move to Nova Scotia from South-western Ontario, but with a whole province to pick from, what area(s) would one suggest? Looking for best all around areas for deer, bear, small game, waterfowl, etc. I've heard to stay away from Cape Breton area, but that still leaves a whole lot of space to choose from....lol

Any ideas?

Annapolis county has an abundance of black bear (I mean an abundance) lots of pheasants, crouse numbers are rising, rabbits, ducks, geese, deer are scattered about. Are highest numbers for deer is main land Nova Scotia, moose inhabit parts of Cape Breton and it is a yearly draw. Two deer tags available, archery/muzzle loader and rifle. I have now lived some 25 years in Annapolis valley and been very successful hunting.

 

[MWO has left]

Bear are plentiful throughout Mainland NS.(No spring season here, just fall) Deer vary by zone. Agricultural lands such as in the Annapolis Valley and Stewiacke/Shubie/Truro areas are great for Deer, while some of our Backwoods Forested areas are lacking in Deer Numbers.. Pheasants are plentiful in those same Agricultural areas. Waterfowl as well can be found in those same areas. Grouse , AKA Partridge, are found in our mixed wooded areas as are Rabbits, AKA Hares. Their numbers are up and down based on Cylces and when Predator numbers are up/down, like Coyote. Moose is by Draw only , limited to Cape Breton.In NS. All Agricultural lands require permission to Hunt, whether they are posted or not. Parts of the South Shore also hold good Deer numbers and are also pretty good for Waterfowl Hunting. It is not a very big Province, as in Ontario for example. You could move to Halifax and still be in any of the areas i mentioned in less then an Hour and Half. Most places even less then that. Best of Luck..

 

[Mover2021]

Annapolis county has an abundance of black bear (I mean an abundance) lots of pheasants, crouse numbers are rising, rabbits, ducks, geese, deer are scattered about. Are highest numbers for deer is main land Nova Scotia, moose inhabit parts of Cape Breton and it is a yearly draw. Two deer tags available, archery/muzzle loader and rifle. I have now lived some 25 years in Annapolis valley and been very successful hunting.

Annapolis county has an abundance of black bear (I mean an abundance) lots of pheasants, crouse numbers are rising, rabbits, ducks, geese, deer are scattered about. Are highest numbers for deer is main land Nova Scotia, moose inhabit parts of Cape Breton and it is a yearly draw. Two deer tags available, archery/muzzle loader and rifle. I have now lived some 25 years in Annapolis valley and been very successful hunting.

What are your thoughts on the Pictou or Truro areas?

 

[beaverhunter]

What are your thoughts on the Pictou or Truro areas?

Truro has lots of deer, but no hunting in town limits which stretch quite a bit of a ways out, but if you get a nice spot outside town there will be a lot of deer, lots of waterfowl down that way too.

But when us Bluenosers say lots its hard to compare, parts of Ontario of flush with game and you will find the hunting here more difficult but more rewarding when you do bag something.

 

[Thunderstick]

What are your thoughts on the Pictou or Truro areas?

My brother lives down that way. That's the part of Nova Scotia that has our highest deer population. Everything else I would say close to the Valley but I would say bear this way are really plentiful. The farmer next to me takes anywheres from 10-16 bears out of his crops each year, and I will still see 10 different ones on my property. This has gone on for years and the population seems to go unchanged. Seem to be more like rabbits. Most sows seen usually have three cubs. So far this year I have nothing but bears on my cameras.

 

[Mover2021]

My brother lives down that way. That's the part of Nova Scotia that has our highest deer population. Everything else I would say close to the Valley but I would say bear this way are really plentiful. The farmer next to me takes anywheres from 10-16 bears out of his crops each year, and I will still see 10 different ones on my property. This has gone on for years and the population seems to go unchanged. Seem to be more like rabbits. Most sows seen usually have three cubs. So far this year I have nothing but bears on my cameras.

Are there any "big" bucks in the Truro-Stewiacke area? Please don't read into thinking I am a "trophy" hunter, but I am not sure of the size of the bucks there. I have harvested a few 150"+ bucks, but am not opposed to those 120" either...lol Better than eating tag soup....lol

 

[Thunderstick]

Are there any "big" bucks in the Truro-Stewiacke area? Please don't read into thinking I am a "trophy" hunter, but I am not sure of the size of the bucks there. I have harvested a few 150"+ bucks, but am not opposed to those 120" either...lol Better than eating tag soup....lol

Each year I am offered to go down that way to my brothers. I will be honest there is always tons of sign but one can sit days and not see anything it seems, just young stuff. I believe its a lot of night time activity. There also seems to be a lot of hunters in different areas especially Stewiacke. They do get some big ones but I think a lot of big deer are coming out the area Annapolis valley to Bridgewater way the past few years. Check Valley Taxidermy on FB, Bruce Peterson.

 

[Tripple D]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to move to Nova Scotia from South-western Ontario, but with a whole province to pick from, what area(s) would one suggest? Looking for best all around areas for deer, bear, small game, waterfowl, etc. I've heard to stay away from Cape Breton area, but that still leaves a whole lot of space to choose from....lol

Any ideas?

Unless you intend to purchase a few 100 acres you may have trouble finding a place to hunt throughout Truro,Brookfield Stewiacke areas. More and more land in those areas are being posted and the large majority of land in this province is privately owned. There are also a very large number of hunters in those areas.There is good opportunity for both deer and bear in the south shore area ( Bridgewater Shelburn Yarmouth Digby) and probably more “ huntable lands”. Yes we do have big bucks in NS but as everywhere else they can be very elusive to the let’s say “ inexperienced “. The last ten years or so there have been a large number of BIG racks (160 + ) come out of the eastern part of the province.

 

[labradort]

If you care for some stats rather than general impressions, there is this:

Nova Scotia Deer Harvest Information | novascotia.ca
Hunter and Trapper Harvest Statistics Index | novascotia.ca

Some areas like Kings county have very little in places to hunt due to the proximity to buildings or roads. Too much farmland, with small farms, can take away the opportunities, just as it does in southern Ontario.

 

[Mover2021]

Unless you intend to purchase a few 100 acres you may have trouble finding a place to hunt throughout Truro,Brookfield Stewiacke areas. More and more land in those areas are being posted and the large majority of land in this province is privately owned. There are also a very large number of hunters in those areas.There is good opportunity for both deer and bear in the south shore area ( Bridgewater Shelburn Yarmouth Digby) and probably more “ huntable lands”. Yes we do have big bucks in NS but as everywhere else they can be very elusive to the let’s say “ inexperienced “. The last ten years or so there have been a large number of BIG racks (160 + ) come out of the eastern part of the province.

yeah, the whole idea behind moving to NS is to get away from ppl....lol Ontario is becoming so over-populated, that the locals are looking to move away.....turning perfectly good farm/hunting land into more & more houses.....

 

[Mover2021]

If you care for some stats rather than general impressions, there is this:

Nova Scotia Deer Harvest Information | novascotia.ca
Hunter and Trapper Harvest Statistics Index | novascotia.ca

Some areas like Kings county have very little in places to hunt due to the proximity to buildings or roads. Too much farmland, with small farms, can take away the opportunities, just as it does in southern Ontario.

some good info there, thank you.

 

[beaverhunter]

yeah, the whole idea behind moving to NS is to get away from ppl....lol Ontario is becoming so over-populated, that the locals are looking to move away.....turning perfectly good farm/hunting land into more & more houses.....

more lol, so you decide moving the second most densely populated province in Canada? Population vs. Land Mass that's NS in second place behind PEI.

There is very little in the way of large swaths of land where you aren't tripping over a house/camp or road here.

Apparently we all need to cut our carbon but yet we keep growing our population through immigration and increasing it, it's a ridiculous cycle we have going on here. Removing farms and woods isn't helping either.

 

[Isaiah hisc]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to move to Nova Scotia from South-western Ontario, but with a whole province to pick from, what area(s) would one suggest? Looking for best all around areas for deer, bear, small game, waterfowl, etc. I've heard to stay away from Cape Breton area, but that still leaves a whole lot of space to choose from....lol

Any ideas?

The most deer are taking in Yarmouth and around turo

 

[Buckmark]

IMO … I would be looking at Hants county.

 

[3macs1]

4 months has passed I bet he is already here somewhere
Cheers

 

[Buckmark]

I didn’t realize the post was 4 months old. I wonder where he ended up ??

 

[3macs1]

I didn’t realize the post was 4 months old. I wonder where he ended up ??

Me either at first
God knows but if a hunter I hope not the cape