Deer, lovely deer. We all love to look at these majestic animals. I was once asked what animal I would like to be reincarnated as, it took me two seconds to respond a deer. After 60 years of enjoying them in Knowlton I still stop to look at them when one wanders into view. Deer can be flower-eating, lawn-destroying, crop-eating, accident-causing, flea/tic spreading poop machines. If I were to ask for a show of hands as to who has been injured or known someone who has been injured by deer collisions, most hands would go up.
Does breed every year, giving birth to 1 or 2 fawns in the spring, and these fawns are ready to produce more by the next fall. Birth control is not an option. Seven foot fences are expensive. Banning hunting has been tried before. The results are always the same; huge population growth, followed by habitat destruction as the land is overgrazed, and finally mass starvation and death. Hunting remains the only logical answer.
By allowing deer to be harvested, the government has respected our traditions (we are all descendants of successful hunters), allowed a resource that would otherwise be wasted to be used. The latest statistics from Quebec’s Ministère de la faune indicates that 1,000,000 kgs. of venison were harvested in 2015 alone! AND… let us not forget everyone’s favorite gripe: taxes. Sportsmen pay huge fees and taxes on everything from licences to the gear they use for the privilege of ridding us of the excess deer population.
Inviting a hunter onto your property would allow you to be part of the solution. Being a guest guarantees the hunter will ensure an ethical and legal harvest. As a bonus most hunters would share the proceeds with their host, or bring some nice wine as a thank you for the privilege.
By having a sportsman control the deer on your property you gain wildlife.
Dale Davignon
West Bolton
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