Responsible for traffic accidents and also known to cause widespread damage to crops and natural flora, the white-tailed deer has been proposed by the ‘Finnish Association for Nature Conservation’ to be added to the list of harmful invasive species by 2030. Imported from North America in the 1930s, the white-tailed deer has become a valued target of hunters: there are currently 109.000 individuals in Finland, mostly in southern and south-west areas. If white-tailed deer were to be designated as an invasive species, no hunting license or firearms test would be required and hunting of the animals could take place year round, including during the mating season. However, the ‘Finnish Hunters’ Association’ does not support the proposal, as the white-tailed deer is already a valuable game animal, and the current stock management system already requires hunting clubs to regulate the stock of deer. Read more: Yle.fi
