Depredation Tag Program
Res #: 6-23A
Number: 6
Year: 2023
Midterm: No
Expired: No
Responses Received: Yes
Departments: Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment
WHEREAS increased deer and elk populations and decreased hunting pressures results in farmers and ranchers being
negatively impacted by large herds of wildlife depleting their winter feed supplies, crop in storage bags and piles,
fences, infrastructure, and grazed pastures.
WHEREAS finding additional feed and supplements is becoming difficult to replace due to damage sustained by the
large deer and elk herds consuming the winter feed rations.
WHEREAS many laws and regulations exist to protect wildlife, but very few avenues or programs are available to
producers to allow them to protect their winter feed supplies.
WHEREAS from 2017 to 2021 there were 15,521 claims.
WHEREAS the Provincial Crop Insurance number of claims for big game wildlife also continue to increase each year.
BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the provincial government to reintroduce the depredation tag program to
Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers who are being impacted by wildlife damaging and depleting winter feed
supplies.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SARM lobby the provincial government to work with Crop Insurance on obtaining the
information for high claim areas.
Responses From: Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment
June 20, 2023
The Ministry of Environment is responsible for managing game populations and works diligently to balance public concerns with the understanding that wild game are a resource belonging to all Saskatchewan residents, Our primary management strategy to regulate populations is through licensed hunting, using a science-based approach to set annual hunting quotas. We do this by using the best available information, including hunter harvest surveys, aerial surveys, ground-based surveys, prevalence of chronic wasting disease, SGI collision reports, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation {SCIC) claims and field reports. Hunting quotas are reviewed annually and adjusted as needed to maintain sustainable populations.
The ministry currently reviews claim information from SCIC on an annual basis and considers it when setting hunting seasons. We will look for additional opportunities to identify areas of high concern with SCIC.
Wildlife management objectives are set to balance broad public interests, including those of Indigenous and Metis hunters exercising harvesting rights, hunter interests, and landowner tolerance, while ensuring the sustainability of wildlife populations.
The ministry is looking forward to further collaboration with SARM and (SCI() on how additional harvest opportunities may complement SCIC’s existing Wildlife Damage Prevention and Compensation program, as well as prevention efforts landowners can take to reduce wildlife damage. This working partnership is on-going, in the coming months the ministry will set up discussions with SARM and SCIC on these matters. We are committed to finding a balance between public interests in wildlife and ensuring sustainable wildlife populations into the future.
The Honourable Dana Skoropad – Minister of Environment, Government of Saskatchewan
