2011 Deer Hunting Season Opens
The 2011 deer hunting season in Nova Scotia begins Friday, Oct. 28, and ends Saturday, Dec. 3.
"Deer hunting is a popular sport, a means to obtain an inexpensive food source, and a way to help manage the wildlife population, especially in areas where there are too many deer," said Natural Resources Minister Charlie Parker.
"I encourage hunters to ensure they have the proper deer stamps on their hunting licences, to make safety a priority, and remember to wear orange clothing in the woods."
In Nova Scotia, a geographical zone system is used to manage the deer population. The zone system is used to decide how many antlerless deer from a particular zone may be taken by licensed hunters, based on the deer population in that zone. Generally, only adult male deer have antlers and females are anterless.
The province reconfigured the deer zones last year so there are now 12. Hunting licence applicants should review the zones carefully. Hunters may harvest one deer of either gender in zones 107, 105, and 102. In the remaining zones on mainland Nova Scotia a limited number of antlerless deer may be taken. No antlerless deer may be taken in Cape Breton zones.
The number of deer taken is controlled by the number of deer stamps issued to hunters with valid licences. A deer stamp on a hunting licence allows the bearer to take one deer and it stipulates which zone the deer must be taken from.
To manage a high population of deer in zone 102, a hunter is permitted to purchase a bonus deer stamp allowing for another deer to be taken from that zone only and the deer must be antlerless.
Hunting is not permitted on Sundays in Nova Scotia.
Deer meat may be donated to food banks through the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, co-ordinated by Feed Nova Scotia. Hunters may bring deer to a participating meat cutter to donate all or a portion of the meat to help families in need.
For more about hunting regulations and safety in Nova Scotia, visit www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/hunting-furharvesting.asp .