Richmond County may start collecting info on the deer population, a move that could let hunters kill more of them.

Warden Lois Landry says they have a significant problem in some areas.

“What we’re seeing when there’s too many deer is that they are all over the road. As the deer population expands, they need to eat. They’re always in search of food. So they’re coming closer and closer to our homes, and they’re not at all afraid of anything,” says Landry.

Before anyone might be able to hunt more deer, the county will choose a group to collect data on the population. Landry says they’re hoping NSCC students will take on the task. The chosen group will likely do the survey in the spring.

Then, they have to present those findings to the province along with some criticisms of the current system.

The province did introduce doe tags and bonus deer tags, which she commended them for. But she says it may not be doing enough.

“We actually have hunters who leave here and drive to places closer to Truro, because there you can hunt, and the first adult deer you see, you can shoot,” she says.

She says the amount of doe tags were also limited within their hunting zone. Some got extra tags but their freezers ended up too full, and they couldn’t hunt all that they wanted. Landry says some hunters were discouraged from even trying to go for a buck because of how many does they would see beforehand.

“What we know is that something has to be done, and we need to show [the province], with some really good data, close to the season, how badly it needs to be done. That’s really the municipality’s role.”