Deer population on the rise in New Brunswick

First at Five: Oh Deer First at Five looks at ways to minimize the disruption and destruction caused by deer in suburban areas.

Deer roaming through town is nothing new for New Brunswickers, especially if you live in the Kennebecasis Valley.

A drive through Rothesay, Quispamsis, or Hampton will likely result in multiple deer sightings.

From 2019 to 2022, the deer population in New Brunswick more than doubled, increasing from around 73,000 to approximately 155,000. Joe Kennedy, a deer biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, says the number is continuing to climb.

“We had around a seven per cent increase last year,” says Kennedy.

“This year I expect an eight to 10 per cent because of the improved winter weather condition.”

Kennedy says deer are more mobile this time of year as they look for fresh green grass, which is sometimes found along the edges of roads. Because of this, he advises residents to take extra care when driving, especially between dusk and dawn, to avoid any incidents.

Residents should also refrain from feeding the deer, according to Kennedy. He says it encourages the animals to come back to your property, which could lead to more potential issues. He adds many towns have anti-feeding by-laws in place when it comes to feeding wildlife.

“If you encourage them to come into your property, because you are attracting them with food, your neighbours may not appreciate it as well because they will be getting into the vegetation on our neighbour’s property,” Kennedy says.

A big issue for many living in the Valley, or farther west in Saint Andrews. N.B., is the damage deer can do to personal gardens. Kennedy says the best way to solve the issue is to fence in the garden if possible.

Amy Cleveland, a horticulture technician at Cedarcrest Gardens, says residents can also use special deer repellant on their gardens or green spaces to keep the deer away.

“It actually works fairly well, but you have to be consistent with it,” says Cleveland.

“If you were to miss a week then the deer will know that you’ve missed that week and will come and chew your plants.”

The master gardener also says there are some plants deer tend not to eat. The greenhouse has created a pamphlet detailing what plants deer will avoid, which include ageratum, canna lilies, and lantanas.

“Nothing is ever deer-proof or truly deer-resistant,” Cleveland notes.

“A hungry young deer is certainly going to nibble and going to try things, and things that were certainly deer-resistant five years ago, lets say like a rhododendron, that aren’t necessarily deer resistant any more.”

A large number of deer in the area increases the chances of Lyme-carrying deer ticks.

Veterinarian Maggie Brown-Bury advises those living in areas with a larger deer population to always check themselves and their pets for ticks when returning home from walks.

“There are products you can put on your pet to help prevent ticks,” she points out.

“The deer are not going to do anything to slow down the tick population, so you just have to kind of protect yourself and protect your pets.”

The Kennebecasis Valley also has a Nuisance Deer Management Assistance Program to help control the population. The program allows area landowners who apply and are approved to receive special permits to harvest antlerless deer on their property, given there is deer related damage.

“We know that it is primarily female deer causing damage to plants and vegetation,” Kennedy says.

“By removing the breeding females from the properties it has two effects. Of curse it reduces the breeding potential in that local area, but it also scares off the young generation when you start harvesting the older female deer in the herd. The younger deer recognize that and realize there is a threat in that area and will often scare them away.”

Kennedy says the program has been successful, pointing to a reduction in permit applications in recent years.

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