The number of collisions involving white-tailed deer on roadways is significant (30,000 deer were struck on roadways from 2012 to 2017).

Do not feed deer. Roadside feeding sites are a source of complaints from citizens who watch helplessly as their hedges, ornamentals and crops are overgrazed.

While this practice may seem perfectly legitimate, the food typically offered to deer via artificial feeding is inadequate when ingested in large quantities and is likely to cause health problems or even death in some deer. In addition to attracting deer away from their traditional range and altering their behaviour, this practice encourages several deer to eat “from the same plate,” which increases the risk of spreading disease and parasites. The Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs strongly discourages this practice in its deer management plan.

The City of Saint-Lazare occasionally receives calls from citizens who have seen coyotes on their property or in their neighbourhood. There is no question that these animals are coyotes and not wolves, mainly because, until we see evidence to the contrary, we know that the wolf was driven out of the area quite some time ago.

Coyotes are rather easy to recognize. Generally smaller than wolves, male coyotes weigh between 10 and 23 kg and are 1.2 to 1.5 metres long (including the tail), while females are slightly smaller. The coyote has large pointed and erect ears, a black and tapered nose and yellow eyes. Its shaded fur is generally gray and brown on the back, lighter on the throat, belly and underside of the tail and slightly yellowish on the legs and ears. It also has a bushy tail that stays low when it moves, which distinguishes it from the wolf. Coyotes are agile animals that can run up to 64 km/h and their territory can cover an area of 40 to 50 km².

Coyotes are usually solitary animals, but it is not uncommon to see them in either all-male or all-female groups. These groups are not as structured as wolf packs, but are rather opportunistic and transient in nature. Coyotes are also far from being picky about their food. Although they prefer small rodents, they will eat just about anything, including roadkill, fruits, insects and even cat food.

It is therefore possible to occasionally see a coyote in the area, most likely attracted by food. Wooded areas and fields, such as the areas on the western side of Côte Saint-Charles, are among the more suitable places for these animals. We therefore ask that you remain vigilant when faced with these wild animals which, we would like to remind you, are meant to remain wild. Never try to tame a coyote by offering it food. Instead, chase them off your property by making noise to scare them away.

A few tips:

• Do not approach wildlife;
• Do not try to tame wildlife;
• Do not feed wildlife, including deer, cats and racoons;
• Do not leave food or garbage outdoors;
• If you feed birds, make sure you regularly pick up any seed that has fallen on the ground;
• Pick up fruit that falls off your fruit trees;
• Chase wildlife away from your property by making noise to scare them away;
• Keep your yard neat and properly maintained to avoid creating hiding places for small rodents;
• Remain vigilant at all times.

Wild turkeys, a species that was once extinct in Canada, are now making a significant comeback in our region. Identifying a wild turkey is fairly simple, mainly because there is no other bird like it... except for farm turkeys of course!

It’s easy to spot their blue-purple head and lack of feathers. Their body is covered with a green-bronze plumage and their legs are pinkish-purple. Anyone who has seen a domestic turkey will be able to easily identify a wild turkey.

In Saint-Lazare, wild turkeys have been seen in Vallée-Chaline, on Chemin Saint-Louis, on Rue du Huard and even in the parking lot of the Octo garage on Route de la Cité-des-Jeunes! These birds prefer a variety of habitats such as fields, wastelands and woodlands so it is not surprising that they are found in areas of the town where there is a lot of farmland.

Turkeys feed on nuts, insects, spiders, slugs, berries, clover and acorns and can travel up to three kilometres per hour to satisfy their hunger. Their territory varies between 400 and 2,000 acres. Many citizens have reported seeing them pecking on their property. These people are likely to see them all winter long since wild turkeys do not hibernate or migrate.

Over-hunting caused the wild turkey to disappear from the Canadian landscape in the early 20th century. Efforts to reintroduce the bird were undertaken in Canada and the United States. The efforts were successful and the turkeys we find in Saint-Lazare are likely the result of these efforts.

The fisher is part of the native fauna of our region. Although not considered a threatened species here, NatureServe rates the threat to the fisher as very alarming.

The fisher is a brown-furred mammal with gold or silver stripes on the top of its head. It is a member of the mustelid family like the mink or ermine and measures 80 to 112 centimetres from head to tail as an adult. The babies, on average three per litter, are usually born in March or April.

The fisher can be found throughout most of Canada and the northern United States. The home range of an adult male is about 20 km². In the southern part of Québec, the home range for a male is about 9.2 km² and 5.4 km² for a female. A solitary animal, the fisher lives mainly in mature forests where bodies of water are accessible. It avoids open areas. Although essentially nocturnal, it can sometimes be active during the day.

The fisher feeds mainly on birds and small mammals, especially rodents and porcupines. It can also feed on reptiles, roadkill or fruits. It hunts all year round.

The loss and fragmentation of fisher habitat can sometimes lead them to seek food in urban areas. Humans and fishers can live together, provided that you respect these animals and take simple precautions to minimize interactions. To avoid attracting fishers (and all other wild animals) near residences:

• Restrict access to garbage and pet food.
• In the evening and at night, it is important to keep your pets indoors.

Fishers are an important part of our native wildlife. The Ministère de la Faune, de la Flore et des Parcs (MDDEFP and MRN) reminds us that they are not a threat to humans in any way. Native wildlife species, such as the fisher, are given priority protection in order to preserve a balance that is essential to the maintenance of biodiversity. Domestic animals roaming freely in the wild tend to disrupt this balance. It is therefore essential that citizens act responsibly by keeping their pets indoors, especially at night.

Have a woodpecker on your house? The best solution is to scare it off as soon as possible. Male woodpeckers attempt to make as much noise as possible in order to attract females and establish their territory. A house’s siding creates a better sound than a dead tree.

Try one or more of the following tactics:

• Install a decoy of a bird of prey such as an owl or buzzard.
• Once the bird starts pecking, make some noise. Hit the side of the house, scream, clap and, above all, be as persistent as he is.
• Hang reflective strips or aluminum pie plates near the hole. The strips or plates must be able to move in the wind to be effective. You can use a rope to hang these on the house, close to the hole.
• Dampen the noise by filling the hole.
• Temporarily cover the hole using wire mesh.
• Once the situation is resolved, repair the hole to avoid attracting other woodpeckers.
  
  

Dead animals (domestic or wild)

Citizens can contact Public Works to inform them of the presence of a dead animal of any size, domestic or wild, located on public property or a public road. The City will collect and dispose of the carcass.

Injured domestic animals

Citizens can contact animal control to inform them of the presence of an injured domestic animal. Animal control will take the animal to the vet.

Injured wild animals

Citizens can contact a wildlife officer to report an injured wild animal.

The City cannot intervene if the animal is on private property. If citizens see a dead animal on their own property, they can contact animal control to have the animal removed at their own expense. Fees vary according to the animal’s size and weight. For more information, contact the animal controller.

Small animals (squirrel, skunk, etc.)

Fees vary between $25 and $100.

Large game (deer, buck, moose, stag)

Fees are calculated by pound. A stag, for example, could cost up to $1.50 a pound.