I would like to add a few…

I would like to add a few comments on the new proposed guidelines. Managing the deer populations in the Province is a difficult task given the diversity across the Province. St. Joseph Island WMU45 is somewhat unique compared with other areas across the Province because it is one of the last remaining areas that still collects harvest data from deer shot on the island. This data is collected by Sault College and supplied to our local MNRF office to help indicate deer health. This information over the years has shown impacts of severe winters with declines in harvests and also recovery rates. This type of information in my mind helps to give real data that can be used to help set realistic management objectives when linked with other severity index data etc. Over the years decreasing in funding to our field organizations has resulted in less on the ground data being collected making it more difficult to set realistic objectives. We would like to see more funding directed toward on the ground research so your management guidelines can truly be based on sound science. Mandatory reporting after the closure of the season should help to give us some realistic data as long as it relates directly to the individual WMU rather than for Provincial statistics.

We tend to manage people more than the resource and in the case of WMU45 the local residents may need to be managed and may fit under your identifying ecological considerations. During the winter public feeding is a major concern since it has drastically altered where and how deer yard up and brings deer in close proximity to each other which would create major issues if Chronic Wasting Disease should occur. I feel public awareness needs to be addressed in your guidelines of the risks that occur when deer are drawn from their natural yards to these local feeding areas. Our local yards are being altered and no longer used by deer.

Since guns are the most popular weapon used to harvest deer I would like to see a muzzle-loader season introduced in WMU 45 and 36 to fall in line with other WMU in the Province. I am attaching a letter which was submitted to our local MNRF for your consideration when making changes to future regulations.

Overall the guidelines look reasonable and a good step towards future management of our Provincial deer herds.