Harsh winter means doe permits restricted
Winter can be very harsh on all wildlife. If they are not prepared for it or if the weather is just plain to nasty for to long it can certainly lower the population numbers. This is an article i saw from New Brunswick Canada which I wanted to share. The numbers that the DNR has stated are staggering in my opinion.
By: Rick Kratzke
20,000 deer died this year because of weather
Doe permits in some parts of New Brunswick will be limited during the next hunting season as a result of the harsh winter, the Department of Natural Resources said yesterday.
Because of the province’s long winter, which saw record snowfall in some areas and caused the province a loss of 20,000 deer, doe permits in northern New Brunswick will be limited this year.
The exact number of permits will be announced by the minister of Natural Resources within the next couple of weeks.
According to Rod Cumberland, a biologist with the department, there will be significant changes. “We will be limiting the number of antler-less permits,” Cumberland said. “There will be changes dependant on the harsh winter.”
He blames the loss on deep snow and extended periods of extreme cold, explaining deer are only able to cope with harsh winter weather for a limited amount of time. Deep snow makes it difficult for deer to find food and crusty snow conditions make deer easy prey. “They can sustain hard winters for up to 120 days,” Cumberland said. “But after that, they begin to lose fat reserves and they get weak.”
Although the decrease in deer population brings the province’s total down from 100,000 to 80,000, Cumberland said permit regulations will vary on location.
Because parts of northern New Brunswick saw the most snow, they also lost a higher percentage of deer (about 25 to 30 per cent). Other areas in southern New Brunswick only saw eight per cent losses and some even less than that.
Cumberland said there may even be an increase in doe permits issued in southern New Brunswick because of the concentrated number of deer in urban areas.
As well, Cumberland said he had a record number of calls from people complaining about deer wandering into apple orchards and onto private property.
On the bright side, while the provincial deer population is down 50 per cent from 200,000 in the 1980s, it is up from 10 years ago when the province saw a low of 50,000.
Published Thursday May 22nd, 2008 by The Times&Transcript.com