Deer herd euthanized after stag kills farmer

A dozen deer have been euthanized after a stag apparently killed the Saint-Léonard farmer who cared for the herd.

The family of 55-year-old Donald Dube asked wildlife officials to euthanize the animals on Wednesday.

Dube kept the deer in an enclosed field behind his home in Saint-Léonard, near the Quebec border.

He was found in the fenced field on Sunday evening, after he went out to feed the deer and never returned. According to RCMP, his body had numerous piercings that appear to have been caused by deer antlers. He died of his injuries.

A neighbour told CBC News the community is grieving. Dube was well-known and liked.

Under provincial laws, it is illegal to keep wildlife in captivity without special authorization, such as in the case of a wildlife refuge or a zoo.

RCMP Sgt. Marc Violette said despite the law, backyard operations are not uncommon.

"I have worked in different corners of the province over my career and I have seen it elsewhere," he said. "It’s not that uncommon but I can’t tell you how many they are."

Jacques Bosse keeps a small herd of deer behind his home near Edmundston. He said the deer he owns today are the offspring of deer he bought in Quebec and Virginia. 

He told CBC News on Thursday that he doesn't have a permit because the provincial Department of Natural Resources told him such a permit did not exist for his animals.

The New Brunswick Wildlife Federation is against the domestication of deer and the maintenance of personal deer herds. Ron Whitehead, a wildlife specialist with the federation, said the organization is concerned that the operations will harm the province’s deer population.