Two warm winters earlier this decade have created a mini baby boom for deer, elk and moose in Alberta and a big headache for farmers trying to keep them away from feed, says a spokesperson for the provincial sustainable resource development department.
“It’s a big problem, especially with the increased moose, deer and elk population in the province,” Darcy Whiteside said.
Some of the biggest population areas are along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and throughout northern Alberta, but populations have increased across the province, he added.
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Warmer winters in 2003 and 2004 allowed many young animals to survive and thrive. Last winter’s harsh weather took its toll, but it did little to control the adult population that has continued to thrive.
The department recommends the following preventive measures to reduce damage:
- Move bales to protected storage areas.
- Use straw bales as a protective barrier for feed.
- Fences are more effective if bales are stacked two tiers high.
- Create permanent stack yard sites.
- Store grain only in protective storage bins.
- Monitor stored feed and promptly chase deer, moose and elk from feed stores.
- Allow access for hunting.
The Alberta government helps producers pay for protective stacked and stored feed areas through the Ungulate Damage Prevention Program.
The provincial and federal governments, through Agriculture Financial Services Corp.’s wildlife damage compensation program, pay producers for spot loss damage to eligible unharvested crops by moose, deer, elk, waterfowl, upland game birds and bears.
