News release

Hunters Enjoy Successful Season in 1999

Natural Resources (to July 2018)

Nova Scotia hunters enjoyed another successful season as they bagged close to 16,000 deer in 1999, said Natural Resources Minister Ernest Fage.

Hunters took almost 11,000 bucks and more than 5,000 antlerless deer, or does, during the six-week season. The total represents a 22.7 per cent increase from the number taken in 1998.

There was one accidental hunting fatality and two personal injuries during the 1999 hunting season.

"Even though we had one fatality in 1999, hunters do exercise caution in the woods and our volunteer instructors provide a dedicated and valuable service to hunters," said Mr. Fage.

Since the hunter education program became mandatory in Nova Scotia in 1980, the number of accidental shootings and fatalities has dropped by 50 per cent.

Deer-management zones and hunting stamps for antlerless deer were used during the 1999 season. A total of 17,100 stamps were available in five of the seven deer-management zones.

Mr. Fage said the number of stamps for the 2000 hunting season will be announced in the spring, once the annual pellet count is finished and herd condition evaluated.

Lunenburg County again reported the highest number of deer bagged at 1,985, followed by Colchester County at 1,639. Numbers were up in all counties except Shelburne and Victoria.

About 55,000 hunters were issued deer licences for the 1999 season.

Preliminary statistics for the 1999 moose and bear seasons have also been released.

During the 12-day moose season in October, 200 licensed hunters bagged 184 moose, compared with 188 in 1998. A total of 227 bears were taken in 1999, compared with 285 in 1998.

"Scientific and sound wildlife management policies have allowed us to maintain deer, bear and moose hunting seasons for many years in Nova Scotia," said Mr. Fage. "Hunter respect and support for these policies and regulations help to ensure that our wildlife resources remain sustainable."


1999 Nova Scotia Deer Harvest Summary by County:

County 1998 1999

Lunenburg 1,485 1,985 Queens 560 617 Shelburne 561 530 Yarmouth 558 633 Digby 392 528 Annapolis 457 605 Kings 496 775 Halifax 1,071 1,230 Hants 1,114 1,401 Cumberland 1,058 1,414 Colchester 1,382 1,639 Pictou 1,158 1,377 Antigonish 469 631 Guysborough 669 713 Inverness 456 508 Victoria 125 81 Cape Breton 365 428 Richmond 434 576 Unknown 76 146


Total 12,886 15,817

Related Statistics:

1998 1999 Total License Sales 54,036 NA Hunter Success 23.8% NA Bow Harvest 218 320 Non-resident Harvest 120 134 Antlerless Deer Harvest 2,727 5,064 Antlerless Deer Permits 8,150 17,100 Antlerless Success Rate 33.46% 29.61%

1999 Harvest by Deer Management Zone (Preliminary):

Zone Antlered Antlerless Unknown Total
Deer Deer 1 1,477 411 0 1,888 2 2,795 1,451 2 4,248 3 102 0 0 102 4 4,120 2,231 1 6,352 5 770 420 1 1,191 6 962 538 4 1,504 7 82 0 0 82 Unknown 437 13 0 450


Total 10,745 5,064 8 15,817