By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The white-tailed deer was once so prolific in Saskatchewan that it was declared the official provincial animal, but a string of harsh winters has cut the species’ population in half.

Rob Tether, a wildlife ecologist based in Meadow Lake who works with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment’s fish and wildlife branch, confirmed the reports in an interview with The Davidson Leader last week.

“Three of the last five years, we’ve had severe winters,” said Tether, “and they’ve had a negative impact on our white-tailed deer population.”

He estimated that the population has declined by 50 per cent from long-term levels across most of the province, including the south-central region in which Davidson is situated.

While the past winter saw milder weather, he said, “it’s still going to take several mild winters for our deer population to rebound.”

Tether said the ministry does not take an actual population count, but relies on ground surveys taken in the animals’ known habitat at specific times of the year. This information is then used to determine general population trends for the species.

This is not the first time the ministry has noted a decline in the white-tailed deer population. Severe winter weather in 2006 resulted in a drop in numbers.

Going back further, Tether said that a string of harsh winters with heavy snowfall in the early 1980s also had a negative impact on the population, which took between four to six years to recover to previous levels.

Tether said the ministry has observed a similar trend in the population levels of the mule deer, although the decline has not been so severe.

A decline has also been noted in the populations of specific game bird species, including the sharp-tailed grouse and the grey partridge. Tether attributed that downturn both to the severe winters and changes in the birds’ habitats over the last decade or two.

Concerned about the white-tailed deer’s plight, the ministry has taken efforts to manage the remaining population and prevent what Tether called “over-harvesting.”

Last year, in an effort to combat the decline, the hunting season for the white-tailed deer was reduced.

In zones 22 and 23 — which cover much of the area directly between Regina and Saskatoon, with Highway 11 dividing the two zones — the season ran from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2.

Dates for this year’s hunting season will not be finalized until mid-May, Tether said, but the ministry is recommending a similarly reduced season for 2015 as well.