Deer cull proposed for Kennebecasis Valley

Municipal politicians from Rothesay to Hampton say the deer population is out of control and they're looking for help from the province.

There have been several hundred collisions between deer and vehicles in the Kennebecasis Valley, said Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop, adding that homeowners are complaining that it's difficult to grow a vegetable or flower garden.

"We either have to be content to live with them or do something about it," Bishop said.

"Archery is very humane, it's very quiet. And it's very effective," said Cumberland.

Urban deer removal is very different from the typical image of a hunter with a high-powered rifle out in the middle of the woods, said Cumberland.

"Your goal is to harvest as many as you can in an area, and take them out of there to reduce the amount of damage that they're causing," he said.

Cumberland added he raised this issue years ago and made recommendations.

RothesayMayor Bill Bishop said decisions about a cull are outside town council's area of expertise.

"Whether you can use guns, bows, how far you should be from different houses, the size of the area and so on, that's all regulated through the Department of Natural Resources. It has nothing to do with the municipality," he said.

The Department of Natural Resources has proposed offering permits to property owners who want to cull the deer.

DNR has asked each community to talk to landowners and come up with an approved list of places where deer can be killed.

The details of the management plan are expected to be discussed at a meeting on Thursday morning.