Deer cull key issue at Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting

by Anonymous on 28 Sep 2011

Oh, deer, what can the matter be?

It’s an explosive issue, as deer suddenly have lost their fear of humans and have been attacking pets and even people in rural B.C.

Cranbrook is the first B.C. community to receive provincial approval to cull problem deer in its downtown area, and Kimberley and other B.C. towns are lining up for the right to curb a huge increase in the deer population.

It’s an emotional issue, and one that civic officials from across the province will tackle this week at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver.

Kimberley officials are trying a three-pronged strategy — they’ve applied to cull up to 100 problem deer, but are weighing two other options.

They’re looking at relocating the deer out of town, and also bringing in border collies to keep the nuisance deer out of the community during the two dangerous periods of the year for deer: spring fawning season, when mothers aggressively defend their young, and fall rutting season, when amped-up males will sometimes charge unexpectedly.