April could be a make or break month for prairie deer populations.
Shawn Burke, wildlife manager with Saskatchewan Environment, said deer are coming off a difficult winter of deep snow and cold temperatures. That could mean a higher than normal death rate among stressed animals.
“If (April’s) a cold month, we could see numbers going down,” he said.
Burke noted that deer populations across the Prairies have been at all time highs due to the last two or three mild winters. The 2006-07 winter was closer to the norm.
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Deer friendly farming and ranching practices have also bolstered the herd size.
Burke called Saskatchewan’s mule deer herd strong at 40,000 head, with white-tailed deer numbers stable across the three provinces. He said good habitat and fewer hunters have resulted in larger herds in Saskatchewan. Manitoba and Alberta herd sizes are in better shape due to a larger hunting base.
“There’s just a limited number of hunters and a lot of deer,” said Burke of Saskatchewan.
The province will respond to the increased numbers by issuing more licences this year and encouraging hunters to take more than one animal, including “antlerless” ones.
“Most hunters target bucks,” he noted.
Burke said regions in the forest fringe, such as Prince Albert, Hudson Bay and Nipawin, generally see the greatest number of issues with deer each year.
This winter, deep snow caused deer to congregate in greater numbers in yard sites, raising concerns about the spread of diseases.
“A large concentration will aid in the transmission of CWD (chronic wasting disease).” he said.
