'Deer are moving in and taking their share': Sask. rural leaders call for action on growing wildlife populations
Saskatchewan is looking at solutions to manage the wildlife population responsible for destroying farmers’ feed.
Larry Grant, the Reeve of the RM of Val Marie, raised the issue during the annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) on Wednesday.
“They’re decimating feedstocks,” Grant said, addressing the premier and minister of environment.
“The deer are moving in and taking their share first. And what's left, they urinate on and defecate on and destroy it. We need action now to reduce these populations of elk and deer.”
Grant said the livestock industry in southwestern Saskatchewan is already grappling with drought and the feed shortage, caused by wildlife, is another blow to farmers’ bottom line.
“It’s in dire straits … we’re not going to have a livestock industry if something isn’t done,” Grant said.
In January, the Ministry of Environment said it wouldn’t give out depredation licenses to manage the problem — which would allow deer or elk to be killed if they’re causing damage or financial hardship.
But in response to Grant’s question, the province appeared to change its tune.
Premier Scott Moe said he’s going to look into “the potential of some depredation tags being made available to SARM to then ultimately be metered out to where they're needed in the province.”
Ray Orb, president of SARM, is applauding the move but calls it a short-term solution.
“We’re really in trouble. We need to figure out something,” Orb told reporters, after the premier’s address.
Orb is suggesting increasing provincial hunting limits in some areas.
“Especially mule deer because they're on a draw system. They need to have open seats in some places, like regular season, so that they have better control,” Orb said.
The 118th SARM convention ended on Thursday at Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.