In an effort to maintain the ecological integrity of Rondeau Provincial Park, a deer cull will be held starting this week.
Following recent deer population surveys, Ontario Parks and the Delaware Nation at Moraviantown reached an agreement to conduct the herd reduction at Rondeau starting on Tuesday.
Tim Marchand, the senior park planner for Ontario Parks, says the cull is a necessary step in maintaining the integrity of the park's natural environment. He says other options, such as relocating the deer, are too costly and are rarely successful .
"My understanding of deer trapping, in terms of capture and release, is it's very traumatic for the deer to do that," he says. "In many instances when they attempt to relocate them, the stress of the relocation actually can kill them."
The Delaware Nation at Moraviantown selects qualified members in their community to conduct the cull. Those chosen will only be using rifles and will be informed of safety protocols and harvesting techniques.
Marchand says up to 65 deer will be killed during the cull, which will reduce the population to between 65-75. This will ensure the deer population remains healthy and the park's environment is not negatively impacted.
Rondeau Provincial Park will be closed to the public during the afternoons of November 10, 12, 17 and 19, and the mornings of December 8-10 while the deer cull is conducted.
The last deer herd reduction at Rondeau was completed in 2014.