Red Deer Update

At the September AGM Randy McLaren, North Bay MNR gave the group an update on red deer that had escaped from a farm three years ago, in the North Bay area. He explained that although they have been trying to capture the animals, when that doesn’t work they dispatch them where possible. He noted that the animals are reproducing and while they will interbreed with elk (there is already elk DNA in red deer), they will not interbreed with moose or whitetail deer. Even though, localized to the North Bay/Matawa area, it is difficult to pinpoint exact numbers of red deer because they cover a large area of 9-10 townships.
Over the past three years approximately 20 animals have been dispatched as it is believed that cross breeding puts the elk populations at risk and red deer would also compete with whitetail for food sources.
Mr. McLaren said that they have approval to cull the animals in later winter of 2010 and they will set bait stations, and cameras and plan a hunt.
The good news is that two red deer tested in the spring for CWD and TB, tested negative.
It is hoped that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will now have more control over farmed deer, under the new Provincial Animal Health Act and the new legislation could help track escaped animals.
Although there is no red deer season and no specific license, hunters who want to hunt red deer can but, must be capable of obtaining a hunting license and adhere to all hunting regulations such as getting permission to hunt on private land. Red deer are very hard to tell from elk and although they are smaller and more like whitetail in size they look like elk with a similar rear patch. Tracks of red deer are similar to whitetail but, more like caribou with rounded tips. A hunter must be 100% sure of his target as elk are currently a protected species, so hunters are subject to considerable repercussions if caught shooting them. Escaped red deer shouldn’t be on the Ontario landscape and if sighted should be reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources.