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The Haudenosaunee deer harvest is set to begin next week in two designated areas of the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) says.
The harvest, which runs from Nov. 2 to Dec. 3, is being conducted under an agreement between the HCA and the Haudenosaunee Wildlife and Habitat Committee. The agreement is in place until 2027.
Up to 60 deer can be harvested across both areas combined. It will take place Mondays through Thursdays on HCA-owned lands.
The two designated areas include the Headwaters Trail area between Paddy Greene Road and Martin Road, and an area west of Weir’s Lane and south of the railway, near Governors Road. The second area has no public access or trail system.
The HCA says the designated areas will be closed during harvesting. Trail signage will be installed and nearby residents will be notified.
Hamilton police, municipal law enforcement and Ministry of Natural Resources enforcement staff have also been consulted about public safety and the closures.
“Deer harvesting has been a long-standing tradition of the Haudenosaunee, dating back thousands of years and serving an essential role in their way of life,” the HCA wrote in a news release.
The HCA says the Nanfan Treaty, also known as the Treaty at Albany of 1701, recognizes the Haudenosaunee’s right to hunt and fish in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area.
In 2011, Ontario’s Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs recognized and supported the treaty, encouraging continued collaboration between the Haudenosaunee and the conservation authority.
That same year, the HCA’s board approved a protocol establishing how deer harvesting could take place on authority-owned lands.
