Two provincial ministries are deflecting responsibility over a deer hunting controversy at the Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area.
Minister of Natural Resources Donna Cansfield said a case involving First Nations treaty rights falls under the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.
On the other end, Greg Flood, a spokesperson for that ministry, says the MNR is "the lead government voice" on the Iroquoia Heights matter.
Meanwhile, residents continue to visit the Ancaster site, even after several locals witnessed men in camouflage and armed with bows carrying a deer carcass out of the urban conservation site last week.
The area has been closed since Nov. 6 because of safety concerns related to hunting.
When asked whether enough is being done to ensure public safety, Ted McMeekin, MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, said more facts need to be gathered.
"At this point, we're at an investigative state. People should raise (concerns) with authorities."
But an Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters expert says the issue could have been avoided if authorities sanctioned a Six Nations deer hunting program.
"You have to look at the area, but in many (sites) near urban areas, hunting is ... the most efficient and, frankly, one of the only ways to deal with high deer numbers," said Ed Reid, who is a wildlife biologist. "And it can be done with absolute safety, provided it's controlled and well-planned."
Several provincial parks have managed their deer populations by organizing hunting programs with First Nations, Reid said, adding Rondeau Provincial Park has been doing this for several years and Navy Island on the Niagara River started doing it last year.
"We work closely with First Nations sometimes when we have an overpopulation of deer," says Cansfield, adding this is the first case she's seen where treaty hunting rights were claimed in an highly urban area.
Bow hunters have a "very limited range" while deer overpopulation threatens public safety, said Reid, adding Ontario averages three to five human fatalities due to wildlife-car collisions each year.
In January, the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the MNR did an aerial census over a 10-kilometre radius of the city to count deer and found 102 deer in Iroquoia Heights. Ideally, there should be 12.
HCA general manager Steve Miazga said the authority is waiting for a ministry report before acting on the deer problem.
He said there are a number of possible solutions -- such as selective removal and a deer cull -- but there will be public discussion.
Ministry biologists can give the authority information, Cansfield said, but deer management falls under the HCA. As the landowner, HCA is also responsible for public safety, she said.