Deer numbers stay high in southern New Brunswick communities

Parts of southern New Brunswick still see high deer numbers.

In some Maritime cities and towns, the pests that plague people tend to be small like mice, rats, insects or raccoons.

But in several southern New Brunswick communities, the main nuisance is much bigger: the white-tailed deer.

New Brunswick’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently completed spotlight deer surveys in a number communities including Quispamsis and Saint Andrews. The surveys are conducted each year prior to the fall hunting season and are a part of the Nuisance Deer Management Assistance Program (NDMAP).

In Quispamsis, there are roughly 10.8 deer per square kilometre within the small-town’s neighbourhoods. DNR estimates there are anywhere from 149-to-248 deer that have made people’s backyards their homes.

In 2024, DNR tallied as many as 303 deer within Quispamsis, representing a little over 13 deer per square kilometre. In 2019, the first year DNR provided deer survey data, there were an estimated 9.7 deer per square kilometre.

In the tourist town of Saint Andrews, there is estimated to be anywhere from 210-to-350 deer living in town. Per square kilometre there are roughly 19.2 deer, a 15 per cent increase from the estimated 16.7 deer per square kilometre in 2024.

In the first year of provided data, Saint Andrews spot surveys counted as many as 273 deer. The highest count came in 2023 when as many as 408 deer were spotted.

“The results do not represent exact population estimates; rather, they indicate changes in relative abundance, as obtaining precise population counts and replicating identical survey conditions year after year is not feasible,” says the department.

DNR also notes both towns have seen a gradual increase in NDMAP harvests over time. Data for the 2025 NDMAP harvest was not available at the time of publication.

“Deer are a nuisance, that’s for sure,” says Quispamsis Mayor Libby O’Hara. “I was on the road one day going to pick up some groceries and a deer jumped out in front of me, and that happens frequently.”

O’Hara says in towns like hers most residents have learned to live with the deer, but admits she has had no shortage of resident calls with deer related complaints.

Car accidents are the major concern, but deer can also damage lawns and gardens. Many who live in these communities have gardens completely fenced in to keep the deer out.

The high number of deer within urban areas also brings an increased risk of Lyme disease-carrying deer ticks. Deer commonly bed in people’s backyards and public parks where both children and pets play.

Managing director of Saint Andrews’ Kingsbrae Gardens Brad Henderson says unless you live in communities with similar problems, it’s tough to comprehend how much of a pain the animal can be.

“Basically, you can’t have hedges in Saint Andrews because they literally eat all the hedges,” says Henderson. “You can see the height of the deer when you drive around town. The greenery starts six feet off the ground on most trees. Even deer-resistant plants that you put in your yard, they are gone.”

Henderson says many people have been forced to erect fences in an attempt to keep deer away, which he admits has taken some of the welcoming charm away from the tourist town.

He notes the Kingsbrae Garden is surrounded by an eight-foot fence (tall enough so the deer cannot jump over) but the deer still manage to find there way into the garden for a snack.

“On any given night they can do hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage,” Henderson says. “They ate every hedge over the course of a winter just a couple of years ago, costing about $15,000 in damage, so it adds up.”

Both Henderson and O’Hara note the problems caused by the deer are not the animal’s fault. Henderson says many deer were born right in their backyards and the families are now in their third or fourth generation.

“The deer were here long before us and we have to live with them,” O’Hara says. “We encourage people not to feed deer and hope that the deer will sort of go out to areas where it is less populated.”

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