White-tailed Deer were first
recorded at Long Point as early as 1669 but deer had become extirpated
(locally extinct) by 1870. During the next two decades deer were
reintroduced onto the sand spit by the Long Point Company. With
few predators, deer numbers increased and by 1927 researchers from the
Royal Ontario Museum noted that the herd was threatening its own food
supply. By 1989 there were more than 500 deer on Long Point.
Poor nutrition and inbreeding resulted in Long Point's deer being some
of the smallest deer on the continent. In 1989-90, the Canadian
Wildlife Service organized a cull of 490 animals,
further culls
occurred in 1994 and 2003 . Today, Long Point's deer
herd numbers less than 100 animals.
Following the deer hunt,
vegetation began to recover. For the first time in over a century,
seedlings and saplings are now established. The recovery of Long
Point is being monitored annually by Long
Point Bird Observatory , through special vegetation and
breeding bird surveys supported by the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Download
the 2003 Report (Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)
Download
the 2002 Report (Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)
