Ok folks, we all knew it was coming but now that the newly formed Eastern Ontario Deer Advisory Committee (EODAC) have spelled it out in black in white, the deer situation in Eastern Ontario may be even more serious than expected.
A major cut-back is in order!
MNR data shows that deer densities in Eastern Ontario, once as high as 12 – 14 deer/KM2, plummeted to an average of 2.5 deer/KM2 in 2009 following two treacherous winters.
Hunters are advised to get their Antlerless Validation Tag (doe tag) applications in by the June 30th deadline for the 2010 deer hunt. Not only will there be fewer doe tags available this fall, there will be no additional seals issued for the Wildlife Management Units in south eastern Ontario.
In early May, MNR biologist Scott Smithers met with the recently formed Eastern Ontario Deer Advisory Committee (EODAC) to present data, share initial recommendations and solicit feedback. The EODAC is made up of about 20 members from eastern Ontario.
The membership includes hunters, farmers, former politicians, retailers, wildlife control agents, hunter safety instructors, conservation authority staff, stewardship councillors and members with ties to the naturalist community. The purpose of the EODAC is to encourage the responsible management of deer in eastern Ontario.
“I’ve received plenty of feedback from hunters concerned about low deer numbers”, said Smithers. “Our data confirms that deer numbers have dramatically declined in eastern Ontario. We find it most meaningful to use deer densities when discussing deer population trends”, explained Smithers. “Deer density refers to the average number of deer per square km (km2) of forested habitat within a WMU. Not all WMU’s are the same size, so deer density estimates are a better way to compare one WMU with another.
When deer populations were at their peak in eastern Ontario, deer densities got as high as 12 to 14 deer/km2 in suitable habitat. The 2009 data shows that deer densities have declined to an average of 2.5 deer/km2 in the WMU’s in eastern Ontario. Our target population is from 5 to 8 deer/km2. This target comes from the province’s Cervid Ecological Framework, a provincial policy document that guides the management of deer, moose and elk in Ontario.
“The EODAC unanimously agreed with MNR’s recommendation to reduce the number of doe tags for 2010”, said Larry Smith, vice chairman of EODAC. “I hunt deer an average of sixty days each fall and I am out in the woods many days year round”, added Smith. “There is no doubt that deer numbers have dropped dramatically. We see deer as a valuable natural resource. We estimate there is over forty million dollars in revenue generated by deer each year in eastern Ontario. We certainly would like to see an increase in the deer population. There are approximately 24,000 deer hunters in the Kemptville District”.
“What I like is that the MNR has a clear, well defined population target for deer”, said Bill Franklin, a member of the EODAC. “I love to hunt deer, but I also farm 400 acres near Alexandria. I grow soybeans and corn and the last thing we need is to allow deer numbers to get too high”. I can live with a modest increase, but I expect the MNR to use its management options, such as additional seals to keep the population within its projected target”.
The MNR uses data from deer hunter post card surveys, hunt camp surveys, winter snow data and herd reproductive rate as inputs into a deer computer model. Staff will be closely monitoring the population and the results from the 2010 hunt.
WOW the last meeting I attended in port hope . I asked the head bioligist for our area what the deer carrying capasity was and he said he did not know . i also asked him what the deer population was right now and he said I dont know I found this very disturbing and now all of a sudden the people in the east have these numbers. I think it is time for a mandatory deer harvest report, for some of you that think this is crazy . I hunt in Virginia and ever deer that is harvested must be reported, and they shoot 10x more deer than we do
Of course they wouldn’t consider a tax cut though…..If less doe tags are to be drawn then what’s wrong with paying a $5.00 entry fee followed by the remainder if you draw a tag ?
I wonder if the Eastern Ontario Deer Advisory Committee (EODAC) includes Renfre County! anyone know???
Trapper yes I agree what’s wrong with paying a lower fee. IMO, the fee for a tag should be based on a cost recovery program which includes ONLY the fee to produce the issuance of the tag ……..Not a cent more.
The last two winters around Ottawa have been mild if I remember correctly. Most definitely last winter was very mild and little snow. I doubt that our winters are the cause of the low deer population, and I don’t think it’s overhunting, I would bet that it’s the crazy high coyote population that’s been taking a big bite (literally) out of the deer population – particularly the fawns and weak. Having said that, they have their place as well but perhaps more of us should be getting out to hunt coyotes too?
Actually SB, the record-setting snowfall in winter 06/07 and another harsh one in 07/08 were easily the biggest factors in our low deer numbers now..and with no Winter Emergency Whitetail Deer plan in effect, a lot of them perished!
Of course the high number of predators in our area makes a particularly brutal winter even worse..the end result is very high winter kills…and I’ve witnesses it both here in Eastern ON and Western QC.
Your point about predator control is well taken, though, we should be out hunting coyotes any chance we get!
Outdoorsguy
I agree Chessy where did all this data come from so quickly.We the hunters had foreseen a problem 3yrs ago and the MNR did not seem to care enough.Why? Because of the deer, car collisions. Now with the drop in revenue you can bet that the tags will also go up next year because with no extra tags for sale there will be no money for our MNR to do there job or so the excuse will be.Again i use the example of Quebec because there you are required to check in your kill.This survey sheet we fill out is nonsense.As i said in a previous story,if not filled out accurately can do more damage than good.Besides science is good but nothing can beat boots on the ground when it comes to wildlife. Trapper i don’t know as if an entry fee is a good idea because then we set ourselves up for an American style of animal harvest system where money talks.Besides god knows,the MNR or the government will figure out a way to make it stick if they haven’t already.
hahahahaha, you guys are too much, do you not realize there is a Liberal government in Toronto running the show?
They are about increasing tax, not decreasing it.
sad to hear this story, seems like it’s all anecdotal evidence, when a person uses anecdotal evidence with the MNR they are brushed aside, I saw this in action at the moose tag system hearings, but when it’s a committee (no slight at anyone willing to step in to do the MNR’s job) it’s taken as fact. However, anecdotally, I also see a drop in the deer populations, so a cut back in tags makes sense, this is a great way of showing how hunters manage a heard
Yes SB i agree.We have a huge coyote problem around Ottawa.Judging by some of the numbers i have heard from the coyote kill contests that were held around the area,there should be contests held permanently every year.You will notice the media were quick to jump on the contests at the start but not the final outcome regarding numbers.The only ones looking is the MNR because they see another potential cash cow if they make us all buy tags to hunt coyotes.
QUOTE: ” Trapper i don’t know as if an entry fee is a good idea because then we set ourselves up for an American style of animal harvest system where money talks.Besides god knows,the MNR or the government will figure out a way to make it stick if they haven’t already.”END QUOTE
It’s not an entry fee it a reduced fee. Eg. Let’s say a licence costs $50.00. You would pay $5.00 to enter the draw then if you were successful (or not and still wanted to hunt) you would pay the remaining $45.00
Trapper, that system is how it’s always worked for tag draws in Quebec….never been much of an issue as far as I’m concerned…they charge $7.50 I believe it is now…only prob is, they have no preferred ‘pools’ for those who’ve been unsuccessful over the years…that, they could use!
Outdoorsguy
Without accurate harvest reports, how will you ever get accurate annual harvest numbers?
Outdoorsguy
Not that I’m saying QC is better at this, but they’ve always taken pretty good post harvest info at the check stations…including a map location of your kill site…they’ve been mapping them for as long as I can remember…to establish areas of higher(or lower) hunting pressure, etc…
Outdoorsguy
HERE is a system that works this is a direct copy and paste from the Virginia dnr
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/harvestsummary.asp
Virginia 2009-2010 Deer Kill Summary
During the past deer season 256,512 deer were reported killed by hunters in Virginia. This total included 108,443 antlered bucks, 23,592 button bucks, and 124,477 does (48.5%). The fall 2009 deer kill total is nearly identical to the 256,382 deer reported killed last year. It is 14% higher than the last 10 year average of 225,550.
Deer kill levels were up across southern Virginia, increasing 7% in the Southern Piedmont and 2% in the Southern Mountains. Deer kill levels were down across northern Virginia, decreasing 7% in the Northern Mountains and 3% in the Northern Piedmont. The deer kill in Tidewater was stable.
Archers, not including crossbow hunters, killed 16,947 deer. The bow kill comprised 7% of the total deer kill. The 2009 archery deer kill was down 6% from 2008.
Crossbows resulted in a deer kill of 9,456 deer or 4% of the total deer kill. The 2009 crossbow deer kill was down 2% from 2008.
Muzzleloader hunters killed 55,900 deer. Muzzleloading comprised 22% of the total deer kill. Lastly, the muzzleloader deer kill was also down 2% from 2008.
Over 168,300 deer (66%) were checked using the Department’s telephone and Internet checking systems. This was up from 44% in 2004, 51% in 2005, 55% in 2006, 59% in 2007, and 63% in 2008.
The initial youth deer hunting day resulted in a deer kill of 1,838 deer.
White-tailed deer management in Virginia is based on the fact that deer herd density and deer herd health are best controlled by regulating female deer kill levels. Numerous season and regulation changes made over the past several years have been designed to increase the female deer kill. These changes have been very successful. Female deer kill numbers have been at record levels for eight out of the past ten years. The female deer kill of 124,477 in fall 2009 is the highest doe kill in Virginia history. Nearly all the increase in the deer kill over the past decade has been due to an increased kill of antlerless and/or female deer.
What the Department has been trying to accomplish with its deer management efforts over the past decade has been working and working well. It is expected that the high and sustained female deer kill levels of the past decade will lead to a decrease in the statewide deer herd and a decline in total deer kill numbers in the near future.
Data presented in this summary are preliminary and do not include deer taken during the late urban archery or special late antlerless only deer seasons.
ITS AMAZING HOW THEY CAN DO IT WITH THAT MANY DEER AND WE CANT WITH SO FEW
Chessy, how many times have you hunted in Virginia? I think the next time you go, I’m going to jump in the back of your truck.
An old hunting buddy of mine moved to Texas awhile back and is now in Arkansas..he says the deer numbers are mind blowing!
Outdoorsguy
two bad winters, up to seven extra tags in some areas, blackpowder week, longer bow season, sunday hunting in areas that were not open previously,farmers nuicance tags, coyote population up, black bear population up i dont think its one or two things that have brought the numbers so far down but a whole lot of them plus lack of management from MNR as far as im concerned. for some reason the only ones that saw this coming are the ones on the front lines ie hunters.
You hit the nail on the head, mcdan..perhaps we should set-up our own advisory group right here!!
Outdoorsguy
If there are really that few of deer, why don’t they not sell any tags for a few years so the population can have a chance to catch up. There are plenty of deer if, you travel somewhere else. I know that in east Texas you see them everywhere. You only have to drive down the road and you will see deer at dusk.
Jill, I think we are all wondering the same thing..are you inviting us all to east Texas, by the way?
Outdoorsguy
Does it really matter weather there is an advisory group or not.The fact is we have had a couple bad winters and an increase in predators and horrendous management on the part of the MNR. Ontario can’t be compared with some parts of the USA because you can fit, in some cases 3 states into the size of Ontario.We have florida like weather in the southwest,siberia like in the north and northeast.I don’t think we should complicate our draw system anymore than we have and thereby allow the MNR to spend even more money”””to fix it”””.Lets not help them by giving them more ideas how to screw us out of our money.Under the Harris government all the money from the licenses was supposed to be kept separate for fish and wildlife.It would seem that the entire MNR budget is coming out of this fund instead of in addition to what the province contributes on behalf of all the nature loving public.It would appear also that fish get the lions share of the money. As i have said a number of times Quebec does a much better job at managing there natural resource than Ont. does.Maybe our money could be better spent sending our MNR to Quebec to see how it’s done and then hold them accountable for results.
Paul, interesting contrasts there between ON and your typical US state, its something you wouldn’t think about…besides weather conditions and geographical size, you could also include the fact that the US has 10 times the population and more than 10 times the number of hunters we have…fortunately, deer numbers and density is also way higher in the States.
Can you imagine a state as small as Virginia with an average annual deer harvest of 250, 000 animals??
Outdoorsguy
Hey Jeff if i get a deer this fall do i have too pay HST.
Paul, I think it depends on where you buy it…and if you get it before July 1st, you might be ok!
Outdoorsguy
Paul Bent Hook I beleive if you wait until after July 1 you will have to pay HST so I guess your answer is yes!
To all you MNR bashers please explain why the deer numbers on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River have decreased as much or more than on the Ontario side. Quebec did not have extra tags available. Quebec did not give out depredation tags. Quebec controls doe allocation tags much more than Ontario. Quebec did not increase the length of any seasons.
I guess you guys would have prefered letting those deer go to waste as winter kill like Quebec did rather than letting more be utilized by hunters?
Basic biology tells us predatoer numbers increase in responce to higher prey numbers. High coyote numbers did not cause the decline in deer numbers but it does hamper their recovery.
I’ve noticed more deer this spring than the past three, also found a lot less dead deer over the past winter.
I’ve also seen a lot of bears this spring (6) no cubs yet. We shoot coyote’s at any opportunity, I would imagine
with the MNR cut backs on the tag quota the population will rebound, after all it was the introduction of doe tags
in the 80’s that started the incress in the Ontario deer population, that and the weather which can’t be compared to the US..
That’s good news Ian..we’ll probably see a lot more twin and triplet fawns around this spring too..I caught a glimpse of a newborn fawn last week…but only for a second.
Im sure by this fall, I’ll see lots of new little ones around!
Outdoorsguy
A little off topic but I’m curious, are there many black bear east of Ottawa towards Vars, Embrun way? I’ve never heard much talk of bear out that way and wasn’t sure if there are many around. I know Smith Falls area has plenty and up towards Lanark too and obviously further West and North, but what about East of Ottawa?
SB, sorry it took so long to reply!
No, your observation does seem to be correct, there are not as many bears or bear sightings in the east.
I actually have no idea why that is, but I can tell you that old blackie does seem to avoid this area.
Paul(Bent hooks) would you agree?
Outdoorsguy
Someone asked about the new EODAC Whitetail Deer committee and whether its mandate extends beyond Kemptville District.
Here is the answer to that question straight from Kerry Coleman:
“At this time the EODAC is focused on the Wildlife Managemnt Units that Kemptville District has responsibity for. Since Kemptville District is reponsible for setting quotas for WMU’s 67 (which extends into Kingston Area – Peterborough District and 63A which extends into Bancroft District) the mandate goes beyond Kemptville’s borders. The Terms of Reference states that the mandate of the EODAC is to provide feedback, advice and recommendations to the deer biologist in Kemptville District. None of the WMU’s extend into Renfrew Cty.
I am guesing some of the topics that will be discussed may be of interest to those outside Kempville. The group hopes to share as much info as possible.”
Jeff I have hunted in Virginia for years. I first hunted there in when I was 18 i am now 42 i took a few years off cause of kids. Now i go there and hunt with my kids. I have missed the last few years with my back and being at school but my daughter now goes. We hunt Bedford and Franklin county (more deer are shot in Bedford county than any other county. deer hunting in the morning striper fishing in the mid day on the beautiful lake called smith mountain lake (What about BOB was filmed on that location ) and back on the stand at night. They have a very liberal deer tag. And the best part 5 deer 3 turkeys and a bear for license for kids is only 31 bucks and that is for out of state. And as for saying that states are smaller than Ontario you could put 3 Virginias in the southern part of Ontario alone Virginia is 40 000 square miles and Ontario is 415,000 square miles so why does the best part of Ontario have huge deer populations
MNR data shows that deer densities in Eastern Ontario, once as high as 12 – 14 deer/KM2, plummeted to an average of 2.5 deer/KM2 in 2009 following two treacherous winters.
wmu 65, Not where I hunt, lots lots of does, too many still getting hit by cars. I think they are making a mistake on this one where I live, play and hunt. I have not seen any drop as they have, opposite I have seen an increase especially in does all over my local area. I don’t see as many bucks, more coyotes around.
Yeah bush24, keep in mind those numbers are from 2009 when the deer herd was at its lowest…and the 2.5 deer per KM2 is an average for all of eastern ON – some WMU’s would be higher while some would be lower…
Im sure those numbers have already bounced back since last year.
Outdoorsguy
To rick poulin yes the deer numbers have dropped and i am glad that we got to participate in the extra harvest of the deer . BUT when the HEAD mnr boioligist tells people that he does not know what the carrying capacity is and what the population is of the deer herd and he replies I do not know .. there is a issue here and from any bodies point of view a very big one. If you do not know these 2 simple questions then THEY can not do there job. and if they can not do there job then why are they there. it is Well known that deer are on a 3 year cycle when something good or bad happens it takes 3 years to see . but the boiologist laughed at all reports i presented . I think the MNR needs a lesson in modeling as that is the only true way to see where our Wildlife has been and where it is going
right on chessy ;our problem being we tend to believe what we are shown ( oh extra deer tags the pop. must be way up ……. oh no doe tags pop. must be way down……) i find hunters have put their faith in a system that does not only work its not really there at all. they(mnr) depend way to much on the leg work of others and thats not working out very well is it folks.
Chessy you are absolutely right but are blaming the wrong people. I have worked with and know many ex and current MNR biologists. They are excellent people but their hands have been tied by their political masters. They are not given the resources or the motivation to do a proper job and when they do they are thwarted by politics. The cancellation of the spring bear hunt is a prime example.
Deer depredation permits are another boondogle. The biologists and technicians in the field were against this but were mandated to put a program in place.
I am amazed the biologist you spoke to had the intellectual honesty to tell you the truth rather than try to BS his way through the question like a polotician would have.
Rick “deer depredation permits” are you talking about deer pest permits? If you are I Use them and they are needed for the farm i hunt. The deer don’t show up till late December and by Feb. the trees are destroyed the farmer has put a fence all around property at 10 feet, deer still jump fence (yes jump fence) Heck i would love for there to be a season in Jan Feb. take away my October even November one. The permit is needed for this farmer. The biologist i spoke to at first thought he was talking to a dumb A$$ redneck (with today’s internet and forums like this, NO hunter should be thought as an everyday bloke This biologist is making decisions he knows nothing about. and if they are having a council in the east to make these decisions why do we need the mnr. The mnr cut backs are ridiculous and if the mnr allows these committees to function they are slitting their own throats. I have quite a few friends in the mnr. And yes there hands are tied but they are doing nothing to untie them they go to work and do nothing and still get paid why would you fight for something to do when you can sit and do nothing, there are some that work don’t get me wrong but the vast majority sit on there hands and do squat.
Chessy I was one of the guys who tried to make a difference. I was quickly labeled as uncooperative and not a team player. All it got me was laid off! The other people where I worked got the message loud and clear. Now they do their job as told to do.
the peterbougho division is the same rick. some of them may as well not even be there . it is awful. and the government just keeps giving money to other organizations so they can do the work for them
Jeff any details who is sitting on this commitee
I applaud the formation of the EODAC. Goverment certainly can’t do it alone . Nether can the broad based OFAH. Trying to get them ( the OFAH ), to meet east of Ottawa, is like pulling teeth. I say the more groups involved, the better protected, our amazing whitetail resource will be. My hope is that the EODAC can evolve, into a more province wide group ( encompassing other WMU’s ). There are so many people / economic resources out there to help make a difference . In the meantime congrats on the EODAC initiative !! I’m going to volunteer today.
Good stuff cruiser, how far east are you?
Outdoorsguy
cruiser, tell them there is a pot of gold, or good hard cash, they’ll be there
Lets face the truth, MNR has not got a CLUE ,only a fool would blame the population drop on the weather . Also tell me what knid of sence it makes to be killing your breading stock ie does. But what would I know about it I have only been hunting over 52 years.
Gary, I would not blame the whitetail’s decline solely on the weather…but it has generally been accepted as a contributing factor to their demise in 2009…two treacherous winters in a row, combined with a high number of predators, no real winter management plan and something’s gotta give!
Does the MNR hold some responsibily….I’d say yes.
Outdoorsguy
Gary if you have been around 52 years you were here in 1970-71. What happened to our deer then happened again in 2008-09. While the MNR is clueless at least they gave us a chance to harvest/ utiulize more of the resource than Quebec or Manitoba.
Quebec and Ontario have suffered the same overall drop in deer numbers the last few years as we have and the last I checked the MNR has no say in those two provinces. So what is the common denominator? Weather!
Whether you like it or not winter weather is the greatest single factor in determining our deer numbers. Not the only one but the greatest single factor.
If this conclusion makes me a fool then a fool I am!
Quebec and Ontario have suffered the same overall drop in deer numbers the last few years as we have and the last I checked the MNR has no say in those two provinces. So what is the common denominator? Weather!
Opps ment to type “Quebec and Manitoba……..”
The 2 hard winters are the main reason for the declining deer population and as well this weather situation caused the increase in the preditor population. During those hard winters the deep snow made it easier for preditors to chase down deer. With a large deer population that meant the preditors had access to a lot more food. More food allowed the preditor population to explode (over a 2 yeasr period). The following low deer population will mean that the preditor population will also decline as less food means increased mortality. The preditor population swing will lag the deer population swing. I agree we can help by limiting doe tags now and hunting preditors.
Thanks Graham for stopping by and for your insight…
So then based on your experience, what can eastern ON and western QC expect to see as far as deer and predator numbers over the next few years?
Any advice you might give to the average hunter out there?
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
P.S. You sound like you may have worked in wildlife management over the years??
We totally agree with SB. We hunt in and around the Finch area and there a lots of coyotes here. Also quite a few deer carcasses have been found last winter half eaten no doubt by coyotes. We can hear them during the night shoot. One of the farmers was telling us he sees 3 or more running behind his property. Last winter wasn’t too bad but the winter before was a hard one. Much of the corn is still up in our area, so the deer eat well. They walk out of the bush and right into the corn…it has to be the coyotes. Not too many hunters got tags this year.
Andy and Carol…sorry it took so long to respond, I was just wondering if you’ve still seen a high number of coyotes in recent weeks?
Outdoorsguy
I have been hunting in the Burnstown Ontario area for 30 years and my boots in the bush analysis tells me the local population is down from highs in 2005 to 80 percent less in the last 2 years. Bear and coyote populations are up which I believe is part of the natural cycle and also due to large litters over the past couple of years because of the availability of winter killed deer. Weather is the biggest factor in all of this but there is another factor that has lead to a decline in kill opportunities. I find that with the huge trend toward baiting deer with corn and other edibles, deer are not following their natural bush patterns and tend to stay near those food sources day and night. Successful hunters are baiting and those of us who have always relied on hunting natural runways have a real disadvantage.
Hey skyhawk, try baiting, like I did this year, and didn’t see one deer, except on my trail cam at said bait.
you hunt your way, I’ll hunt mine, but don’t whine about others sucsesses or gloat over others failure.
I’ll bet the indians whined when we white man brought guns, and tree stands aren’t fair because deer don’t look up, and scents trick deer, and scentlok clothing gives the hunter an unfair advantage. Come on!
Iggy, I’m not whining, just noting the change.
I hear ya SH, but I honestly think that bait is just another tool, and a lot of times it’s not really effective. Sure the deer come to the bait, but every picture I got was deer coming to the bait after dark. They are a lot smarter than people give them credit for
Its funny Skyhawk should mention a change in patterns since everyone started baiting..I have noticed the change over the years since we’ve always followed known, well established runways..some of which are barely used anymore…I guess baiting may have something to do with that.
See, we put out a bit of attractant too…but only on established runways…to monitor deer with the trailcams, but most people dont bait that way, I dont think.
Iggy, you’re right about after dark thing..I have several bucks on my trailcam which only show up after dark.
Outdoorsguy
Jeff, any updates on what the MNR plan to do with tag allocations this fall?
I’ve have seen more deer this spring than I have seen in the past 5, also
seen a lot of coyotes. I’m going to try something different this fall, put out
a turkey decoy, they are like a magnet. The numbers are out for the tag
allocation for last fall. Both areas we hunt in went from 100% to 37% success.
You can apply for a tag now.
Did the MNR look into the coyote population in Ontario, a good reason why are deer numbers are way down, Other provinces have put bounties on the coyotes, its all politics in ontario dont offend anyone, except the hunters.
Thanks William, for visiting the Outdoors Guy Blog…since this post is quite old; I’ll try to point readers in the direction of your comment.
You bring up a very good point…unfortunately we (hunters/conservationists) have the Perfect Storm conspiring against us, if you will, in our attempt to manage eastern coyote numbers.
Between several levels of government and exacerbated by public opinion…the coyote numbers will continue to rise…and to answer your question William, I honestly don’t know how much the MNR looks into predator numbers. I know the hunting seasons are wide open in Eastern ON, which is one good thing at least.
I suppose management of the burgeoning coyote population falls on the hunter’s shoulders!
Outdoorsguy
I met with the MNR Minister Linda Jeffery, to discuss some of the enviornmental issues in our area. I explained to her that our limited deer population is in jeopordy and our coyote population is out of control. she stated she was not aware of the over populated coyote numbers at that time. I suggested the ministry limiting doe tags,stop the nuisance tags that are issued to farmers. I know of one farmer selling the cull tags to out of province hunters to harvest deer on his property. Now, thats what I call hunt for hire,gain or the expectation of gain, under the Ministry legislative framework. I even suggested putting a bounty on the coyote. I know of small hunting groups that culled 150 coyotes. I waited for the ministry to respond to no avail. The ministry shells out thousands of our tax dollors to famers to compensate them for their live stock that are killed by coyotes every day. The municipality pays the farmer, and the province reimburses the municipality. MNR are fully aware that the contests that hunting groups organize, do help manage our wildlife. Hunters are good stewards of our wildlife as well.
Hawkeye wrote: I met with the MNR Minister Linda Jeffery, to discuss some of the enviornmental issues in our area. I explained to her that our limited deer population is in jeopordy and our coyote population is out of control. she stated she was not aware of the over populated coyote numbers at that time.
When the MNR Minister isnt aware of a coyote problem..I take that as a bad sign! Good for you to contact her…I guess we should all be doing that.
Outdoorsguy
Where can I find data on the number of white-tailed deer killed/number of tags issued to hunters?
Any help will be much appreciated.
Just found this post since 2009 the deer population in my area has declined last year 2012 I hunted both weeks of shot gun and almost every day of bow the hole season I only seen two does three fawns and one buck
Hey Shawn, if you’d like to get involved in a much more recent Blog Post involving the deer hunt, follow this link:
http://blogs.canoe.ca/outdoorsguy/outdoors/wildlife-observation/return-of-garfield-local-buck-lives-on/
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
Deer and coyotes and bears have been living side by each forever and along side them have been hunters and the populations have only gone up in my 64 years. Until recently. Now a lot of people blame the predators I have only seen coyotes get injured or dead animals, fawns stuck in page wire fences animals that have been struck by cars or sick deer. I have watched deer walk out of a field when coyotes walk in and as soon as the coyotes leave the deer come right back out to feed. With out facts I would not be surprised to learn that our ministry may have put out some form of poison or birth control bait to reduce the deer population to appease the Insurance companies . Just a thought.
Does any one know what the percentage rate was for the antlerless deer bow season in areas 93 and 92?
This is a tremendous problem no one is watching the store there deer herd is almost nonexistent Loring dear yards are almost extinct year 2015 three deer in over 80 hunters in 14 days no one is monitoring who shoots What and The season Must and no deer hunting after November 20 when the snow comes they continue to wipe them out and no one cares just go the deer yards look for yourself it’s a shame that the government is allowed to miss manage like this I
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