TOWN OF TRURO COMPLETES MOST SUCCESSFUL URBAN MANAGED DEER HUNT TO DATE
Truro, NS – December 19, 2025 – As part of the Town of Truro’s Deer Management Strategy, the Town has completed its 2025 Controlled Managed Urban Deer Hunt, marking the most productive year since the program began.
The 2025 hunt ran from the end of September through mid-December and resulted in a total of 88 deer harvested within the Town of Truro, representing the highest annual harvest achieved through the program to date.
The Controlled Managed Urban Deer Hunt is carried out annually with the guidance, oversight, and permitting of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Hunting is completed on approved sites by proficient hunters who are granted special permits by the Province. As outlined in the Town’s Deer Management Strategy, a controlled managed hunt remains the most effective population reduction method in terms of effectiveness, feasibility, public cost, capacity, and time to implement.
In 2025, the Town was granted provincial permission for a new, more urban hunt site. While this site operated under very strict conditions, the additional site proved highly successful, with 35 deer harvested from this single location.
Of the 88 deer harvested in total,
73 deer were harvested through the Town of Truro’s authorized hunters, and
15 deer were harvested by Millbrook First Nation’s hunters.
Of the deer harvested through Millbrook First Nation, four deer were harvested by youth, and two deer were harvested by Elders as part of Millbrook’s land-based learning program, highlighting the continued importance of cultural knowledge transfer and community-based harvesting practices.
The Town’s Controlled Managed Hunt continues to operate as a strong partnership program with Millbrook First Nation, a collaboration that has expanded and strengthened each year. As in previous years, the program emphasizes respectful use of the animal and minimal waste. Meat harvested through the Town’s portion of the program is donated through Feed Nova Scotia’s Hunters Helping the Hungry program, while meat harvested by Millbrook supports community members through local distribution initiatives. Hides and other animal parts are also utilized for educational and research purposes in partnership with DNR and Dalhousie University’s Agricultural Campus.
The purpose of the Town’s Deer Management Strategy is to reduce deer population numbers within Truro for the benefit of natural ecosystems, protection of residential landscapes, reduction of deer-vehicle collisions, public health considerations, and the overall reduction of human–deer conflict. While residents will continue to live alongside deer long-term, population management remains a critical tool in maintaining balance within Truro. The Town continues to remind residents that feeding deer is the single most impactful action that undermines deer management efforts.
The Town of Truro wishes to thank all partners involved in the 2025 Controlled Managed Urban Deer Hunt, including the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Millbrook First Nation, Feed Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University, the Town’s Hunt Coordinators and other authorized hunters, and community partners who contributed to the success of the program.
For more information on the Town of Truro’s Deer Management Strategy, please visit:
www.truro.ca/urban-deer-management.html
For more information, please contact:
Alison Grant
Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Communications
Town of Truro
(902) 893-1424
