Orchard owner wants right to shoot nuisance deer
Government says you can only get a licence to shoot deer in the fall, not winter
A Long Reach, N.B., orchard owner wants permission to shoot deer on his property during winter months.
Chas MacKay says he lost 80 per cent of his yield after deer ate the buds from his trees. Last winter brought a record 434.8 centimetres of snow to the region, allowing deer to reach into the higher branches
"If you look down here, it used to be dripping with apples," said MacKay, "and now there's hardly anything."
MacKay has closed his U-pick operation on weekends but will leave it open through the week until this year's thin harvest is done.
I would like permission to shoot the deer that are on my property.Chas MacKay
He now wants to take matters into his own hands. "I would like permission to shoot the deer that are on my property," said MacKay, "in my orchard, January, February and March."
The Department of Natural Resources says farmers can apply for nuisance deer hunting licences, but they can be used only during the fall hunting season, not during winter months when deer are eating the buds. The department will also partially fund deer fencing and farmers can apply for compensation for loss of business.
MacKay dismisses those programs as bureaucratic, saying it will take too long.