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The severity of the problem deer population in parts of Nova Scotia’s Municipality of Colchester is being underscored by years of pellet count data, but it remains unclear if a managed hunt will expand beyond town limits this fall.<\/p>\n
A report detailing data from 28 sites where pellet piles were observed in Bible Hill and communities near Truro was presented to Colchester council last month.<\/p>\n
Mark Pulsifer, a biologist who operates Edgewood Environmental Services, conducted the count by noting pellet piles in two-metre wide straight paths up to a kilometre long in early spring. <\/p>\n
He said the Colchester data points \u2014 the highest of which was 44 deer in a square kilometre \u2014 should be interpreted with a grain of salt. Deer habitat and problem areas were targeted in the study, which likely inflated the numbers, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may not be 40 deer per square kilometre or 20 deer per square kilometre, but it’s probably five or seven or eight, which is still significantly greater than what you’re finding outside of that area,\u201d Pulsifer said in an interview.<\/p>\n
Multi-year data<\/p>\n
Pulsifer has data for Bible Hill since 2024 and the count was expanded to include Lower Truro, Truro Heights, Salmon River, Valley and Hilden in 2025 and 2026.<\/p>\n
The Department of Natural Resources asks municipalities to generate the data when considering whether to approve a managed hunt to control population, but it’s now working on a formalized process for requests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve heard from different municipalities over the last number of years, but we are working on a process,” Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton told reporters last week.\u00a0“We’re doing consultation with the municipalities right now and we will have more to say very soon.”<\/p>\n
The Town of Truro has had a controlled hunt for years, and Colchester residents voted<\/a>\u00a0to pursue the same measure in 2024.<\/p>\n Devin Trefry, a research and policy advisor with the municipality, said the county is still awaiting the steps needed by the province to bring a fall 2026 hunt proposal to council for decision.<\/p>\n Feeding bylaws <\/p>\n