By Bird Bouchard
A group of local hunters are hopeful to see restrictions limiting the hunt for young bucks adopted in more hunting zones across the province of Quebec.
The Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks recently published the results of the experiment with a size restriction in white-tailed deer (RTLB), which was carried out in hunting zones 6 North and 6 South, located mainly in the Estrie region.
The restrictions were evaluated for 5 years (2017 to 2021 seasons) and limited hunting to adult male deer, possessing at least three spikes larger than 2.5 centimeters on one side of the plume.
The main objective of this project was to assess the biological and socioeconomic impacts of such a restriction in Quebec. It aimed to collect scientific data in order to document the effects of this practice in order to inform future decisions related to the management of white-tailed deer. The study showed deer hunting in Zones 6 North and 6 South with the restrictions in place had no biological impact on the population of white-tailed deer in these two regions.
