1101 replies to this topic

[Greg]

There’s an animal rights group out of Vancouver, called “Lifeforce” that is organizing a boycott of the Capital Regional District if this goes through. They’ve had an online petition up since Feb 6 and have over 200 people signed up! That’s right folks, over 200 people (the majority of them from Europe, Australia, and South America) who will not be buying any goods or services from the South Island! Yikes! That’s gonna hurt in the morning.

We can reduce deer infestation and hippie infestation with one simple decision?

/jk

[Phil McAvity]

^

Or we can stop killing the deer's natural predators and building in their food supply areas (unlikely to happen).

So you think encouraging more of the deer's natural predators like bears and cougars in suburbia will solve the problem?

Aastra, I read it again and I still don't get your point about separating the two domains so feel free to explain. Or anyone else for that matter.

I don't understand why we don't just kill them and eat them. Seems the most logical and environmentally friendly thing to do.

It may be the most logical but I have no interest in pulling the trigger nor be responsible in any way for their mass slaughter.

[klukkluk]

Or install fences around urban areas.

[klukkluk]

I don't understand why we don't just kill them and eat them.
Seems the most logical and environmentally friendly thing to do.

Totally agree with this.
There are enough people that can us some good protein.

[aastra]

One of the longstanding principles of urban civilization was the separation of the human domain from the wild domain. In the last 40 years or so we seem to have decided that the domains need not be separated after all...

I don't know where you got the idea that clashes between man and beast only arose in the last 40 years or so but i'm pretty sure that tension has existed as long as we've shared the planet.

I didn't get the idea from anywhere. That's why I said it was one of the longstanding principles of urban civilization to create separation between the human domain and wild domain, to avoid those tensions that you mention. It's much easier to relax when you can be reasonably sure that a pack of lions isn't hanging out a few yards from your front door. But very recently (probably thanks in large part to the way animals are depicted in modern popular culture) we've decided to revisit this. Maybe it's not such a big deal after all to have large wild animals and even large wild predators walking around on city streets.

[gumgum]

It may be the most logical but I have no interest in pulling the trigger nor be responsible in any way for their mass slaughter.

There are plenty that would.

That does bring up a good question though. If we were to use the local deer for food, how would we do it? We couldn't exactly open up hunting season in these urban areas. And I can't think of a effective and safe way of catching them and then killing them.
How could all the deer roaming around the city easily become the food on our plates?

I am serious about this btw. I have been thinking a lot about increasing our local food supply/ security. I have wondered if it would be worthwhile opening up vegetable plots in urban parks such as Beacon hill, etc. ( And no I'm not talking about removing any current There seems to be plenty of room for it. If everyone tended a small garden plot of fruits and vegetable, it would create more of a culture local food production, it would increase our food supply, reduce carbon emissions,
I have recently installed several raised beds for food in my back and front yard and intend on installing more.
We are a population of 7 billion. I think we need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to how we are going to feed ourselves in the future.

You'd never have a deer problem in poorer countries, btw.

[LJ]

Can't scientists genetically modify deer to have a voracious appetite for ivy, dandelions and scotch broom?

Deer actually like scotch broom, unfortunately they don't digest the seeds so that new plants are "pooping" up all over.

[UrbanRail]

You'd never have a deer problem in poorer countries, btw.

Probably because they either dont have any, or they were all killed off.

[UrbanRail]

Can't scientists genetically modify deer to have a voracious appetite for ivy, dandelions and scotch broom?

Dandelions are not a weed, its a herb and was used for generations for medicinal tea. Some moron decided to call it a weed and for decades dangerous herbicides have been used to destroy it.

[Phil McAvity]

I didn't get the idea from anywhere. That's why I said it was one of the longstanding principles of urban civilization to create separation between the human domain and wild domain, to avoid those tensions that you mention. It's much easier to relax when you can be reasonably sure that a pack of lions isn't hanging out a few yards from your front door. But very recently (probably thanks in large part to the way animals are depicted in modern popular culture) we've decided to revisit this. Maybe it's not such a big deal after all to have large wild animals and even large wild predators walking around on city streets.

I still don't know what you're talking about because whenever I go outside I never encounter large predators and it's extremely rare that others do either. So you encounter packs of lions when you go outside? I'm quite sure this is your idea actually and it's utterly nonsensical.

[Dimitrios]

Dandelions are not a weed, its a herb and was used for generations for medicinal tea. Some moron decided to call it a weed and for decades dangerous herbicides have been used to destroy it.

Dandelions are native to Eurasia, and they are now naturalized to North America. They spread prolifically, are generally considered undesirable in garden landscapes, and are not native in our natural ecosystems.

That makes them a weed.

Of course they have medicinal uses, and are also tasty (nice spinachy alternative). But they're still a weed, along with broom, ivy, himalayan blackberry, etc.

[Langford Rat]

A “weed” is not defined by what species it belongs to or where it came from. It is defined as a weed by where it is. Any plant that is fast-growing and reproduces aggressively is a weed if it is growing where you don’t want it to. California poppies, columbine, and lupins aren’t weeds when they are growing in my neighbour’s butterfly garden but when they re-seed themselves and start springing up all over my lawn…now they are. Same as alder trees and, just in the spirit of keeping this thread on point,….same with the damned deer.

[Dimitrios]

Well, botanically-speaking, weeds tend to be non-native and invasive species.

The deer are native so aren't really in the same class of weediness. Nor are they undesirable in small numbers. Whatever, eh?

[davek]

If more deer were killed outside of the urban area, would city deer be likely to move back to the country because of increased food availability combined with reduced interaction with humans?

[UrbanRail]

Dandelions are native to Eurasia, and they are now naturalized to North America. They spread prolifically, are generally considered undesirable in garden landscapes, and are not native in our natural ecosystems.

That makes them a weed.

Of course they have medicinal uses, and are also tasty (nice spinachy alternative). But they're still a weed, along with broom, ivy, himalayan blackberry, etc.

Does this mean that humans would be categorized as a weed? =) Since we originally came from Africa and spread all over the planet in the last 3 millions years.

I realize they arent native to the island, technically neither are humans.

[gumgum]

Probably because they either dont have any, or they were all killed off.

Exactly my point. There would be no question about what to do with them.

[Bingo]

CRD inviting applicants for citizens' panel on deer

http://www.cfax1070....news&Itemid=155

[Coreyburger]

Saanich's 2012 Citizen Survey has plenty of mentions of deer: http://saanich.ca/se...itizen2012.html

[cakeman]

So you think encouraging more of the deer's natural predators like bears and cougars in suburbia will solve the problem?

Finally an idea I can get behind..

I can think of few downsides to this.. school budgets will improve as we'll be able to do away with phys ed classes.. the smart kids will take out their earphones on the walk to school and have a chance to run from the predators.. the less intelligent ones.. well.. class sizes will decrease.. that'll make teachers happy..

People will learn a little more respect for nature.. as they'll be able to watch it play out from behind the relative safety of their front windows..

Your neighbor just lets his dog out to run around and crap on your lawn? Not for long..

cakes..

[Bingo]

How to avoid tick bites this summer season

http://www.agf.gov.b...rot/ticksbc.htm

According to the RI Department of Health, there are two other species of ticks that carry Lyme disease: One is I. Pacificus, or the Western Black-Legged Tick which, and is VERY similar to I. Scapularis, the Black-Legged Tick (Deer Tick). The Western Black-Legged Tick is found primarily in the Pacific US and British Columbia.

(Photo enlarged)

http://www.oes.org/h...rent_ticks.html

Lyme Disease
http://www.phac-aspc...lyme-fs-eng.php