Truro completes first controlled deer hunt; 14 animals harvested and donated to Feed Nova Scotia

Officials in Truro, N.S., say the town’s first annual controlled and managed deer hunt was a success.

The hunt ran over three weeks and a total of 14 deer were harvested. It ended in mid-February.

“Council and I are very happy with the results, as public safety was paramount to the overall program,” said Truro Mayor Bill Mills.

"These 14 deer will help to feed families across Nova Scotia, through our partnership with Feed Nova Scotia.”

The town says the hunt was carried out with the guidance, oversight and permitting from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR).

Hunting was completed on three approved sites by proficient hunters who were granted special permits from DNRR.

According to a press release from the town, a controlled managed hunt is considered the most favourable population reduction method, in terms of effectiveness, feasibility, public cost, capacity, and time to implement.

The hunt is expected to take place annually until the urban deer population can be brought to what the town says is “an acceptable and manageable level.” For the first year of the program, 20 deer were permitted to be harvested.

All deer harvested through the program were donated to Feed Nova Scotia and distributed to food banks throughout the province.

“There’s nothing more Nova Scotian than helping your neighbour when times are tough, and the controlled managed hunt in Truro has certainly done that,” said Karen Theriault, director of development and communications at Feed Nova Scotia.

“The deer meat that Feed Nova Scotia received through this program represents 1,890 servings of protein.”

All hides were donated to Millbrook First Nation, and other parts of the animal were used for provincial and national research purposes, including research on COVID-19 in white-tailed deer.

Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark, an associate professor at Dalhousie University, said in addition to the COVID-19 screening, deer were checked for parasites that can infect domestic animals and livestock.

“A critical aspect of public health is understanding the pathogens that wildlife carry; especially in an urban setting where wildlife, humans and pets share the same environment,” said Stewart-Clark.

The purpose of the town’s deer management strategy is to reduce the deer population and to benefit natural ecosystems, reduce the number of deer vehicle collisions, reduce the possible presence of deer predators, and an overall reduction of deer-human conflict.

Town officials say the most important thing residents can do to reduce the deer population is to stop feeding them.

“Leaving food outside attracts wildlife into populated areas, which can pose a risk to both humans and wildlife. Working together, we can protect the health of the area's deer population and strive to create an environment where humans and wildlife coexist," said Bob Petrie, director of wildlife at the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables.