Scarcity of Deer ???

[Hunter John]

Just throwing this out there - could there be some sort of unknown deer disease responsible or contributing to the scarcity?

Funny you bring that up. Jaycee mentioned the Hamilton area and I have been living and hunting in Ancaster for the last 14 years and the population is a fraction of what it was compared to just 4 years ago. About 6 years ago while on a February hike in the deer wood close to home I came across a freshly (still warm) aborted deer fetus. I took it home and placed it in a ziplock and put it in the freezer and contacted a biologist with the MNR at the university of Guelph and they wanted me to bring it in ASAP and I did.
Art Timmerman was his name and he was a nice gentleman and very happy that I contacted them and brought in the fetus. I asked that they keep me informed on what they found and he assured that he would.... Nothing but crickets, even after repeated phone calls and emails asking for an update.
I contacted a Veterinarian friend and he advised me that it is VERY rare for a deer to abort a fetus and said that a fetus would normally be re-absorbed into the deer's system if she was under stress from starvation or other factors. He suggested it could be Brucellosis , a disease that affects ungulates but he was not aware of it being found in Ontario except in a wild Bison herd in North western Ontario.
One of the main symptoms of Brucellosis is aborted fetuses and it could be transmitted to humans and I shouldn't of touched it without gloves. In humans it's called undulant fever and can be serious with no real cure but the MNR would still not respond to my requests for info. Any way I didn't contract it but still went for a blood test just to be safe.

Here are some pics from that day.

How I found it




Its a boy




Not saying it is the case but if the local deer herd was infected with brucellosis and many does aborted fawns that could be an explanation for the low numbers around the Dundas valley ,Ancaster and Hamilton areas.
Having said that , the population was way to high and is likely closer to the proper carrying capacity and this will likely make for a healthier deer herd.

[dutchhunter]

We found one just like that on a road after a doe had been hit by a car.she lived but dropped her baby on the road.looked just like the one you found

[impact]

I was watching a few grouse eating crab-apple berries this morning at 7:30 all the while reading this thread. Smiled a bit as I saw movement in the brush just across the street and in front of my driveway. Sure enough it was a doe and her just about 2 fully grown fawns strolling the neighborhood. The mild spell brought them out from wherever they were and certainly do not appear to be yarding. Nice and healthy looking.

I have seen a lot of deer this season and so have others. The population appears to be at a sustainable / normal level based on what I am seeing in this part of the province.

[fratri]

Funny you bring that up. Jaycee mentioned the Hamilton area and I have been living and hunting in Ancaster for the last 14 years and the population is a fraction of what it was compared to just 4 years ago. About 6 years ago while on a February hike in the deer wood close to home I came across a freshly (still warm) aborted deer fetus. I took it home and placed it in a ziplock and put it in the freezer and contacted a biologist with the MNR at the university of Guelph and they wanted me to bring it in ASAP and I did.
Art Timmerman was his name and he was a nice gentleman and very happy that I contacted them and brought in the fetus. I asked that they keep me informed on what they found and he assured that he would.... Nothing but crickets, even after repeated phone calls and emails asking for an update.
I contacted a Veterinarian friend and he advised me that it is VERY rare for a deer to abort a fetus and said that a fetus would normally be re-absorbed into the deer's system if she was under stress from starvation or other factors. He suggested it could be Brucellosis , a disease that affects ungulates but he was not aware of it being found in Ontario except in a wild Bison herd in North western Ontario.
One of the main symptoms of Brucellosis is aborted fetuses and it could be transmitted to humans and I shouldn't of touched it without gloves. In humans it's called undulant fever and can be serious with no real cure but the MNR would still not respond to my requests for info. Any way I didn't contract it but still went for a blood test just to be safe.

Here are some pics from that day.

How I found it




Its a boy




Not saying it is the case but if the local deer herd was infected with brucellosis and many does aborted fawns that could be an explanation for the low numbers around the Dundas valley ,Ancaster and Hamilton areas.
Having said that , the population was way to high and is likely closer to the proper carrying capacity and this will likely make for a healthier deer herd.

Wow.....Never seen one before...

[ginochipchip]

good read
my group has noticed a decline in deer up north for the rifle hunt
down south the yotes are crazy there are packs of them and they are not shy
nothing like doing a deer hunt walking in nice and early just to get bullied buy a pack of yotes
the funny thing is when i try to hunt them they never break the bush line

[Yedi]

coyotes have there place but too many is bad news.

The deer population in 92 is in great shape.
If any cuts need to take place they would be best done to the gun hunt. Leave the archery season alone...

Coyote is an invasive species in Ontario. They do NOT have their place

[jaycee]

Coyote is an invasive species in Ontario. They do NOT have their place

Well, get out there and hunt them!

[Yedi]

Well, get out there and hunt them!

I don't have the correct firearms unless i want to use my muzzle stuffer. I need to go get a nice little 223 or something

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[Dythbringer]

I don't have the correct firearms unless i want to use my muzzle stuffer. I need to go get a nice little 223 or something

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Just have your mother in law come out with you, when she asks what their names are just tell her they are all named Ward. She will nag them to death.

[Fox]

I don't have the correct firearms unless i want to use my muzzle stuffer. I need to go get a nice little 223 or something

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Do you have a shotgun? That works.