The overpopulation of white-tailed deer in Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville and Parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno is such that it could force authorities to kill more than 660 animals in order to preserve ecosystems. The Legault government also intends to authorize “the use of weapons or hunting gear” in Quebec’s national parks in order to regulate animal populations.
The Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) has carried out new inventories of white-tailed deer populations in Îles-de-Boucherville and Mont- Saint-Bruno during the winter of 2023.
According to data provided to Duty by the Society of Outdoor Establishments of Quebec (SEPAQ), there are 436 deer in the Parc des Îles-de-Boucherville alone, while there were 299 during the inventory carried out in 2021. The deer population that found there today is equivalent to about 40 animals per square kilometer. By way of comparison, at the height of deer abundance on Anticosti Island, there were 20 deer per square kilometer.
In Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park, MELCCFP experts have counted 353 deer, which is equivalent to a density of 25 animals per square kilometer. In its “visitor’s guide”, the SEPAQ also points out that “this overabundance has a harmful effect on the flora of the park, not to mention that this mammal can contribute to the proliferation of the blacklegged tick and, by the very fact , to the spread of Lyme disease.
The state corporation also specifies that “generally, it is accepted that the ideal density would be five deer per square kilometer”. This means that there are 381 deer too many in the Îles-de-Boucherville park and 282 in the Mont-Saint-Bruno park. If the authorities went ahead with a project to limit populations to return to a density of 5 deer per square kilometer, it would therefore be necessary to slaughter 663 deer.
However, SEPAQ does not specify the extent of the reduction in the herd that is planned. It simply indicates that it will define, together with the MELCCFP, “the desired density” for each of the two parks. “This is an unprecedented and complex operation in national parks in an urban environment that requires rigorous planning,” says one in a written response.
Authorized hunting
To be able to move forward in “fall 2023”, the state-owned company must wait for the Quebec government to modify the regulations governing the activities permitted in national parks, in order to authorize this type of operation.
On June 28, the Legault government announced in a press release that it intended to authorize “the use of weapons or hunting gear” in parks in order to limit animal populations to ensure the conservation of biodiversity. According to the schedule presented by Quebec, the regulation allowing this type of “wildlife management” should be in force by the end of the summer.
“The management of national parks is usually done in such a way as to allow natural processes to take place. However, in certain exceptional situations, it may be necessary to intervene with a lethal approach to ensure conservation in national parks, ”specifies the Legault government in its press release.
Quebec also argues that the overabundance of certain species can “generate road safety problems, property damage and the risk of transmission of diseases and parasites”.
In the case of Parc des Îles-de-Boucherville, deer in search of food went to the South Shore last winter and got stuck in a residential area of Boucherville, which represents a nuisance for residents. Deer have also drowned or been hit by cars. This overpopulation has even caused many young individuals to die of starvation in recent winters.
Nuisances
However, SEPAQ had developed a “pilot project” in the spring of 2020 to reduce the herd of the two national parks, since overpopulation has been known for several years.
This project did not come to fruition before the deer saga broke out in Michel-Chartrand Park in Longueuil. In the fall of 2020, the City planned to slaughter some sixty animals, which raised an outcry from some citizens and animal groups. The case is still not settled, and the deer population in this park continues to grow.
Director of the Department of Biology at the University of Sherbrooke, Marco Festa-Bianchet points out that the only option available to SEPAQ is to reduce the populations of the two parks. “Overpopulation is very important and it harms ecosystems, especially other species that must be protected on the territory of the parks. Since there are no predators, you have to control the livestock,” he explains.
He admits, however, the risk of “reactions from the public”, since the return to equilibrium would require the slaughter of 663 deer, or 10 times more than the number which provoked the saga of the Michel-Chartrand park. “From an ecological point of view, this is the right decision. Otherwise, we let the population grow, and deer will starve. But there are also political and social aspects in this kind of file. »
Moreover, even if we finally move forward, it will not be the end of the story. “Population checks will have to be done on a regular basis, because, if we reduce the population, individuals have a better survival rate,” argues Mr. Festa-Bianchet. Population growth can exceed 30% per year if conditions are right.