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| This small piebald doe braved deep snow to eat bread crusts discarded for birds. |
New Brunswick saw it's lowest deer harvest in nearly half a century in 2015, with the total deer kill plunging an estimated 38% compared to 2014. Final numbers will not be available until around January 1, 2016 but based on preliminary data this seems to be the ballpark figure. The province is currently assessing the remaining herd and additional restrictions may be placed on the 2016 hunt; the breadth of such measures will no doubt depend largely on the severity of the upcoming winter.
Deer populations had generally been on the rebound until 2013 following back to back severe winters in 2007 and 2008 however the protracted winter of 2014-2015 ,which saw snow in the woods in some areas into June placed an excessive strain on the herd. Hunters reported a shortage of yearling deer based on sightings and trail camera pictures. As well many adult does did not seem to be accompanied by fawns with the difficult conditions no doubt contributing to a low birth rate and /or low survival rate of fawns that were born.
There is a growing backlash against the forest industry's use of glycophosphate herbicides, commonly used to control hardwood growth in New Brunswick forests. These are cited as a contributing factor as these methods cut down on the amount of available browse for deer leading to starvation and additional stress to deer seeking food.
I'll be updating this article as soon as the final numbers are published.
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