Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area White-tailed Deer Management Strategy Public Engagement Workshops May 31 st and June 1 st, 2011 Hosted by Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) and the Deer Management Advisory Committee (DMAC) DMAC has developed a list of issues and preliminary management options to assist in the management of both the natural lands of Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area and the deer that inhabit them. DMAC is seeking community input to assist them in the development of an Action Plan for submission to the HCA Board of Directors for consideration later in 2011. We encourage you to review the following panels and use the Survey Form to provide your feedback. Deadline for input is June 15, 2011.
Hamilton Conservation Authority Deer Management Advisory Committee (DMAC) Ancaster Horticultural Society Animal Alliance of Canada Citizens of Ancaster City of Hamilton Conservers Society of Hamilton and District Hamilton Conservation Authority Hamilton Naturalists Club Haudenosaunee Confederacy (committee resource) Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club Ministry of Natural Resources (committee resource) Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Royal Botanical Gardens Six Nations of the Grand River
Why do we need a Deer Management Plan? 1. Numerous issues related to deer in and around Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area (ICHA) have been raised by staff, neighbours and visitors over the past several years. 2. Iroquoia Heights has become an island of green surrounded by development and cut off from adjacent natural areas by highways. 3. Recent research has provided evidence of relatively high deer densities in Iroquoia Heights. 2009 aerial deer surveys in Ancaster recorded 1.21 deer / hectare Evidence of extensive vegetation damage related to deer browsing 4. Best practices from elsewhere in North America indicate that a plan that combines a number of actions and strategies, and is based on local data as well as input from the local community, is the most effective long-term solution. It is recognized that conflict cannot be eliminated, but appropriate management can be effective at preventing many conflicts from occurring and mitigating the severity of their impacts. Effective conflict resolution will take time, and a variety of approaches will be needed to address all of the issues. Strategy for Preventing and Managing Human-Deer Conflicts in Southern Ontario, OMNR 2008
Identified Concerns Human health and safety concerns Vehicle deer strike hotspots identified by residents, police (see map) Concern about deer carrying Lyme disease Damage to Iroquoia Height s vegetation and ecosystem functions Extensive damage to some species related to overbrowsing observed Concerns over potential impacts s to long-term ecosystem health and biodiversity Concerns over loss of rare species Health and sustainability of local deer population Aerial census found large overwintering deer population at IHCA in 2009 There are few safe routes for deer to enter or leave Iroquoia Heights Deer browse line Inadequate natural food sources may result in sickness, starvation, greater susceptibility to disease Supplemental feeding may disrupt deer digestive system, encourage proximity to people Some incidences of negative deer-dog interactions Damage to personal property Impacts to gardens, shrubs, lawns Damage to vehicles if involved in an incident
Preliminary Management Options being considered by DMAC OPTIONS 1.Monitor deer populations and their impacts on local natural vegetation RATIONALE Collect more local information to inform decision making 2.Explore opportunities for safe eco-passage routes around Iroquoia Heights, and traffic safety programs Facilitate local deer movements between natural areas, and minimize incidence of deer-vehicle conflicts 3. Educate local community about deer and preventing human-deer conflicts Improve understanding of appropriate practices and options (e.g., fencing, deer-repellant plants in gardens) 4.Support an anti deer feeding bylaw and enforcement program Protect deer from damage to health, false sense of food security, and domestication by humans 5. Exclude deer from ecologically sensitive parts of Iroquoia Heights, and rare species habitat Stop and reverse decline in ecosystem health and biodiversity in certain areas; comply with Endangered Species Act (2007) 6. Explore feasibility of herd reduction through nonlethal means such as female deer fertility controls Reduce local deer population to restore ecological balance and minimize human-deer conflicts 7. Develop protocol for perpetual care of IHCA deer population with Haudenosaunee Confederacy Reduce local deer population to restore ecological balance and minimize human-deer conflicts
Other Management Options Not Currently Being Considered by DMAC OPTIONS RATIONALE A. Do Nothing Allow nature to take its course B. Ministry of Natural Resources deer capture and Reduce the local deer population, at least temporarily relocation C. Ministry of Natural Resources controlled cull Reduce the local deer population D. Establishment of formal deer feeding stations May take pressure off of natural vegetation OTHER OPTIONS? WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
IHCA map / air photo Done to mount
Deer strike map Done, to mount