The latter confirms that the imbalance is very real. If a herd should normally have a ratio of 1.5 females to males, we are seeing more and more areas which only observe one male for every five females. “We are going against, biologically, what the livestock needs,” he laments.
The pressure on males is major. “Game wants to reproduce, but its first function is to stay alive,” he says to explain the nocturnal tendencies of males who decide to move less and less during the day. “The young ones are most likely to be harvested early,” he summarizes, “and because of the unbalanced ratio, the old males die during the winter because they are exhausted.”
According to him, it is partly the regulation and what its flaws allow that lead us to this observation.
“The big, big, big problem is hunting pressure. There are far too many hunters concentrated in the same places,” he believes.
However, the deer population is not in danger. The issue is rather that less abundant and pleasant hunting can create shortness of breath among fans of the sport. According to Luc Brodeur, hunters aged between 35 and 45 are increasingly going elsewhere, and we fear the interest of the next generation of hunters. The specialist highlights that managing the deer population remains a major part of the ecosystem, particularly to protect farmers’ crops.
If the restriction of legal antler size (RTLB) gives young males a chance to grow, Luc Brodeur believes that it is a partial solution. He believes that we must continue to protect young deer and balance densities depending on the area, as well as create suitable, quality habitats for deer. The recommendation of United for Wildlife which was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment will also be published next week in the magazine Aventure Chasse Pêche, “so that everyone is aware of our proposal”.
You can follow the attached link to read the observations of a hunter from area 27, Les Éboulements.
