42 CONSERVATION OF CANADIAN WILD LIFE 



Mr. Carmen Odell of Annapolis Royal, N. S., who under- 

 took the work of introduction, has kindly furnished me 

 with the following data: The first introduction took place in 

 March, 1896, when nine deer which had been captured in 

 Charlotte County, N. B., were liberated in Yarmouth and 

 Digby Counties, N. S. Five more were liberated about 

 1910. So far as is known there has been no immigration of 

 deer into Nova Scotia from New Brunswick by way of 

 Cumberland County, N. S. Following their introduction 

 a permanent close season was maintained on deer in Nova 

 Scotia until 1916. By that time they had so increased in 

 numbers, and in some instances were not only becoming 

 somewhat tame, but were also destroying crops in certain 

 sections that a short open season of ten days was declared, 

 and about 150 deer were reported as having been legally 

 killed that year. All the game wardens report an increase 

 in numbers and none report decrease. 



In New Brunswick and Quebec the deer are generally 

 plentiful and increasing in certain sections. While in parts 

 of Ontario the deer have decreased in numbers in recent 

 years owing to the ravages of wolves, — which- have been 

 very destructive where they have been reported, — in most 

 districts the deer are plentiful, and in many places they 

 are reported to be rapidly increasing in numbers. In all 

 parts of their range wherever extensive forest fires have oc- 

 curred the numbers of deer have been reduced. 



Too much stress cannot be laid on the importance of 

 maintaining such protection as is necessary to insure a 

 plentiful supply of this excellent food animal, which is 

 specially adapted to life in regions bordering settlement. 

 Further, the value of this animal as a means of rendering 

 productive vast areas that are unsuited for agriculture, 

 such as we find throughout eastern Canada, cannot be too 

 often insisted upon. The white-tailed deer affords an im- 

 mensely important potential supply of "wild meat" that is 



