The New Brunswick government will launch a controlled bow hunt within the City of Saint John this fall to deal with the growing nuisance of deer within populated areas.
A public meeting is set for Wednesday evening to explain the program to residents of a Saint John neighbourhood who have been complaining about deer roaming the streets and destroying gardens.
Provincial biologist Joe Kennedy says it has been an increasing problem for the last 10 years, and a controlled bow hunt was first launched in towns east of Saint John four years ago.
Those hunts have killed 476 deer so far, but Kennedy says more deer are migrating into the communities and reproducing at a rapid rate.
Residents of nearby St. Andrews took out a full−page newspaper ad last week demanding action from the province to reduce the deer population, raising concerns about traffic accidents and the risk that deer are infested with ticks carrying Lyme disease.
The current New Brunswick deer population is estimated at 73,000.
