The news of the upcoming slaughter of overpopulated deer in Parc Michel-Chartrand in Longueuil highlights the crucial importance of proper management of wildlife species.
The Quebec Federation of Hunters and Fishermen (FédéCP) asks that hunters be better integrated in the management of game populations and that they be part of the solutions considered to prevent overpopulation, not only in the park that has been in question for a year. , but in all the peri-urban areas of the province.
Hunting is a management tool which could have prevented this type of situation and which makes users aware of conservation issues.
Imbalance
According to the report of the Table de concertation, the situation of the Michel-Chartrand park has reached such a point that only the slaughter of a large number of deer can give the ecosystem the necessary breath so that it can finally recover. regenerate. It is unfortunate to arrive at such an imbalance and at such an expensive and drastic solution when hunting is recognized as a reliable population management tool, in addition to being inexpensive and being an asset for the economy of the region.
Hunting is a way of regulating a population by removing excess specimens, so as to respect the support capacity of a habitat. By leaving enough space and food for animals, they develop normally and healthily.
In the case of deer, too many individuals are not only dangerous for their species, but for those who experience their presence. Red deer are vectors of diseases such as Lyme disease, a real plague on the rise, since they carry the blacklegged tick which carries it. They also destroy native flora and exacerbate the problems associated with the proliferation of invasive alien species.
Concretely
The FédéCP believes that hunters, supervised by measures adapted to hunting in a highly frequented environment, are part of a sustainable solution. For example, bow or crossbow hunting is appropriate in a hunting context where the shooting distance is reduced. It should be noted, however, that, with a firearm, bow or crossbow, no hunting accident between hunter and non-hunter has occurred in Quebec.
Stephanie Vadnais, Deputy Director General, Quebec Federation of Hunters and Fishermen and Wildlife Heritage
