Ontario Farmer

© Copyright 2008, Sun Media Corporation

Wildlife threat tops farm concerns
OFA president Geri Kamenz is describing wildlife-related losses as a most pressing issue

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 

BY TOM VAN DUSEN, ONTARIO FARMER 

OFA president Geri Kamenz has come out gunning for provincial bureaucrats and politicians, accusing them of failing to properly manage marauding wildlife.

Speaking during the Dundas Federation of Agriculture annual general meeting held in Chesterville recently, Kamenz said bears, coyotes, deer and wild turkey are running wild in Eastern Ontario and other parts of the province and something has to be done about it.

A Spencerville-area cash cropper and hog producer, Kamenz described losses resulting from wildlife encroachment as one of the most pressing issues facing Ontario farmers today.

He estimated that millions of dollars in crop and livestock damage, along with human safety issues, make it mandatory that the provincial government becomes much more pro-active in curbing the wildlife invasion.

He said deer, wild turkeys and coyotes long ago reached nuisance proportions in Eastern Ontario, while black bear are causing havoc in some parts of this region but primarily in the north of the province.

It's come to the point, Kamenz scoffed, that rather than curtailing the bear population through the sanctioned annual hunt which was banned several years ago, provincial authorities are instead funding the teaching of vulnerable elementary students in bear-rich areas what to do if they encounter one.

It's called the Bear Wise program and it's all part of the province's commitment to conserving biodiversity, Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield has stated.

Kamenz blamed wildlife difficulties primarily on provincial programs gone awry, and - in the case of coyotes invading Ottawa suburbs and surrounding farms - on no aggressive management plan.

The upsurge of deer is due to an MNR herd rebuilding program launched several years ago; wild turkey have thrived following reintroduction in the region, once again several years ago; and black bears have been invading human territory in greater numbers since the former hunt was outlawed.

Not only do deer chow down on farm crops, they cause death and injuries to motorists in vehicle collisions which are greater in number every year in the Ottawa area than anywhere else in Ontario.

Marauding coyotes are making of with farm animals and family pets, while soaring numbers of wild turkeys have become another major hazard to crops.

While coyotes can be shot on site where use of firearms is permitted, deer, wild turkeys and bear are protected.

With one-time "nuisance permits" more readily available to farmers with deer problems, Kamenz would like to see similar permits issued routinely to deal with pesky turkeys and bears.