WILL THERE BE DEER? by Ralph Bice
From Wednesday, June 7, 1978
A few dedicated deer hunters met with the Minister of Natural Resources, Frank Miller, and members of his staff, at his residence in Bracebridge on the evening of June 2nd. The gathering was four hunters and four, including Mr. Miller, from Natural Resources. This meant it was possible to do a great deal of discussing the reason deer hunting was in such a poor state and what could be done to improve it.
The first hunter said when he passed on he hoped the fish and game would be as good for his and other children as it was for him. He told of depleted lakes, less ducks and game birds but especially deer. He was one of the men who had taken the trouble to feed deer during the winter and told of one yard of deer, fifty-two in all, that had come through the bad period in good shape when they were discovered by a pack of wolves and every deer was killed. One member from the Ministry mentioned that there was some predation but the hunter who lives close said the wolves have only been a problem since the deer have disappeared from Algonquin Park. This man from the Ministry seems to be one of the many who still think we must have wolves. He cited where the deer herd is increasing, on the east side of the Park, and told us that wolves were there. On this he was corrected as one delegate had knowledge of this herd and how the game clubs are assisting in protecting the deer from poachers, the largest problem.
Two from the Ministry have been at many meetings and are perhaps the two who are most in favour of doing something for the hunters. The Minister told us that not all of his staff are in favour of hunting. Also he reminded us that if a province-wide vote was taken it would be about five to one in favour of no hunting at all. This in spite of the great amount of money collected from license sales and the money put into circulation during hunting season.
Same discussion about wolf bounties. Even with all the evidence so often it is claimed that deer are killed by domestic dogs, not wolves. One hunter produced pictures taken in 1977 when he was with a biologist working with Zone 5 of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Pictures showed deer apparently in good condition partly eaten. The report from this study has never been made public and there is no doubt that the predators were wolves.
Some discussion of the present predator control program which is costing many times more than the bounty system and not taking nearly as many wolves.
Asked about deer in Algonquin Park one biologist told of a flight to inspect known deer yards and his report is that two of the main yards show no deer at all, one only a few. This report does not show that hunters are responsible and does not show that deer get along with wolves. Mention was made of the wolf study in the Park some twenty years ago when it was shown that the wolves then in Algonquin Park were killing, along with many moose and beaver, close to 6,000 deer annually. Yet after the study was completed it was the wolves, not the deer that were protected.
The Minister suggested that his department needs help from hunters and spoke of how much help various snowmobile clubs contributed to their trails, the same with those who used trails for horseback riding. He mentioned the many registered hunting camps and felt they should help with any program that would assist in improving the deer hunting. He was told it was quite different with deer hunters. Those in registered camps had and would do anything they could but they did not feel they should pitch in to make their area a better hunting ground when after the season opened registered hunters would be outnumbered about five to one by transients. And since it was the department who took all the money it was up to the ministry to look after the deer.
Near the close one hunter spoke and said he had sat in many meetings over the last twenty years and they all had ended the same. Lots of talk but no action and the deer hunting got poorer each year. He chided the Ministry for so many misleading news releases. Mention was made of the signs on the Ministry exhibit at the Sportsman’s Show where it stated that wolves do little harm to deer as they only kill the sick and old deer. This in spite of the knowledge gained in the wolf study in the Park. Even last winter a write-up in a Toronto paper wherein the biologists told the writer that wolves do little to hurt the deer. Then another story that deer were new to Algonquin Park when it is known that they were there years before the Park was established. Too, it was claimed that reports given out from other studies were not consistent with the actual facts. All this, it would seem, was to make the public more in favour of keeping the wolves around.
Again, as in other meetings, hunters were not given much hope that there would be any improvement in the deer or hunting situation in the immediate future. But from what was said at the meeting and the more than usual interest the Department has taken the last few winters, the hunters came away with a feeling that perhaps there was still some hope for the deer hunters. Only trouble, since government bodies moves so slowly, it may be a while in coming. Let’s hope it will not be too late.
All the deer hunters in Muskoka and Parry Sound can look for this coming fall is hunting deer and moose the same week and as usual the woods will be full of transient hunters whose only thought is to get an animal.
It’s about time that hunters got more articulate and let the Minister, also their member, know what they think about the situation as it is at present. After all, those who are against hunting are quite free with their letter writing.