In 1985 the provincial deer herd was estimated at an all time high of 270,000, in 2014 the deer herd was down to 74,000, a decline of 70% in 30 years. The main cause of this decline was clear cut forestry and herbicide spraying these clear-cuts to control hardwood growth.
More small farms would increase this edge biodiversity that many animals use for browse and food, but this would never replace their habitat and winter yards that have been almost eliminated. The deer are virtually starving to death.
It is so sad to see the change in the forests of NB over the last forty years, manly due to the change in forestry practices from select harvest with men and chainsaws, to the clear-cut mechanized monoculture destruction.
Back in those days many men made a good living working in the woods and contributed to the economy of several small communities. Everyone that says that we have come along way in the science or methods of forestry is full of sh!t. Now to get into the game your talking investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in machinery and the decimation of one of our most valuable resources. These methods have taken hundreds of jobs from NBers.
The best way to see this destruction is to fly from Toronto to St. John on a clear day and look down, the same thing is now happening in our neighboring state of Maine, it will disgust you.
