1101 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Is there anyone out there who still thinks it's beautiful/natural for large wild animals to be roaming city streets?

...a district report shows that the number of deer fatalities in Oak Bay is on the rise.

There were three deaths in 2007, eight in 2010, 14 in 2011 and 23 last year. There have been 11 reported deaths so far in 2013.

Most of the deer were hit by cars, and either died instantly or were euthanized by police. But a number of deer died in gruesome ways, the report said. One was impaled on a fence, another fell through a swimming pool cover and drowned. A third crashed through the ice on a frozen fish pond.

From "Oak Bay Faces Deer Dilemma" at TimesColonist.com

[Bingo]

The article mentions the deer repellent Bobbex, which reminded me of the John Wayne Bobbitt incident.

http://en.wikipedia...._Lorena_Bobbitt

[VicHockeyFan]

Oak Bay is hoping to start killing its deer in 2014.

http://www.cfax1070....oved-by-council

(how much you want to bet it doesn't happen?)

I expect some type of "don't hurt the deer" city-wide group to emerge by the end of this year, if there isn't one already.

EDIT: Oh ya, there is one... http://www.deersafev....com/home/index

[lanforod]

Oak Bay is hoping to start killing its deer in 2014.

http://www.cfax1070....oved-by-council

(how much you want to bet it doesn't happen?)

I expect some type of "don't hurt the deer" city-wide group to emerge by the end of this year, if there isn't one already.

EDIT: Oh ya, there is one... http://www.deersafev....com/home/index

Something needs to happen. I'm seeing at least one per day on my 15 minute commute. Some day I'm gonna hit one.

[wisevictoria]

Happy to see Oak Bay looks to be moving forward with the deer cull. From what I see, I don't know if 25 will make any difference, but time will tell.

Some of the TC commenters seem bewildered by the $500 / deer cost. To put this in perspective, a deer was hit by Henderson Golf Course over the weekend. The car that hit it was damaged. Some time taken out of the owner's day, plus the hassle and cost of getting it fixed. Three Oak Bay PD cars and officers responded, and were on scene for some time. I didn't see who came to pick it up, but someone (or a few people) must have come with a truck to do this. The deer meat, antlers, pelt etc... all went to waste, whereas with the planned cull this will go to First Nations.

Even ignoring the nuisance issues of deer poop, gardens being eaten, installing expensive fencing ... to me, the $500 cost seems like good value.

http://www.timescolo...isance-1.695869

[VicHockeyFan]

Happy to see Oak Bay looks to be moving forward with the deer cull. From what I see, I don't know if 25 will make any difference, but time will tell.

Ya, what's the point of stopping at 25? If there is a deer in Oak Bay, it ought to be trapped and killed, period.

[rjag]

I live in the Henderson part of oak bay and there are at least 12 to 18 resident deer just in our neighbourhood, I imagine the cull will focus on south oak bay where the mayor lives!
And anyway as the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum so I imagine word will get out to the Saanich deer and they'll move over!
In other words this is a regional issue and as usual the region can't decide on the time of day never mind this!

[Sparky]

We drove through Gordon Head over by the water a few weeks ago. On two occasions we saw a large buck an a doe sitting on the front lawn of two houses. They seemed to be just enjoying the afternoon without a care in the world.

Out on the peninsula, they are a lot more wary.

[VicHockeyFan]

And anyway as the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum so I imagine word will get out to the Saanich deer and they'll move over!

Most Oak Bay deer that read this forum, read the TC or regularly attend OB council meetings will likely move to Saanich, I'd think.

[aastra]

There’s also a public safety issue, said Mayor Nils Jensen, because more deer are getting struck by vehicles. Last year, 23 deer carcasses were retrieved from roadsides by public works crews. There have been 34 so far this year.

Check out this comment:

Newsflash!! This is what happens when we develop into already decreasing wildlife habitat.

[VicHockeyFan]

Newsflash!! This is what happens when we develop into already decreasing wildlife habitat.

Ya, this is a very BS statement. Look at Vancouver Island, it's maybe got dense settlement on .02% of it. Nobody is suggesting a cull in the Highlands or Malahat or Metchosin. We are talking freaking Oak Bay!



This is all about deer being born in the city, and not having any reason to leave (ie. no cougars to get away from, plenty of food). The article says that most females only move 1 square km. in their lifetime.

This is the right thing to do for public safety.

[aastra]

From a recent National Post article:

Only five years ago, Oak Bay passed an entire year without discovering a single deer carcass within its borders. In 2012, by contrast, city staff hauled 23 dead deer out of Oak Bay, with another 11 corpses racked up in early 2013.

http://news.national...-bay-deer-cull/

As the more recent article says, it's up to 34 now this year.

[aastra]

In other words, the deer aren't losing habitat, they're gaining habitat... inside urban areas. And the living is much easier in yards and gardens than it is in the wild. It's happening all over Canada and the US.

[Bob Fugger]

Some of the TC commenters seem bewildered by the $500 / deer cost. To put this in perspective, a deer was hit by Henderson Golf Course over the weekend.

I must have missed something. Just how exactly does a golf course hit a deer?

[aastra]

Have you ever played there? It beats the crap out of me every time.

[Jason-L]

I must have missed something. Just how exactly does a golf course hit a deer?

by
1. near to or next to: a home by a lake.
2. over the surface of, through the medium of, along, or using as a route: He came by the highway. She arrived by air.
3. on, as a means of conveyance: They arrived by ship.
4. to and beyond the vicinity of; past: He went by the church.
5. within the extent or period of; during: by day; by night.

While you're going for the joke (Haha), the first definition that pops up is pretty clear.

Culling 25 deer isn't going to make a huge impact on the population of deer in Oak Bay, but it's a start. One of the unintended side-effects of taking all the rabbits out of UVic was turning the campus into prime grazing grounds for deer. And the campus is adjacent to Oak Bay, so I'm sure there's bleed over.

[jonny]

One of the unintended side-effects of taking all the rabbits out of UVic was turning the campus into prime grazing grounds for deer. And the campus is adjacent to Oak Bay, so I'm sure there's bleed over.

Don't want to seem like an annoying nit-picker, but half of UVic is actually in Oak Bay.

[Dimitrios]

Ya, what's the point of stopping at 25? If there is a deer in Oak Bay, it ought to be trapped and killed, period.

Eh, I don't know if I'd go that far. There is plenty of value to urban ecology. Having wildlife in the city is good for wildlife and good for people. But deer that have no predators, and therefore no incentive to move or do anything but multiply, is not good.

[James Bay walker]

Oak Bay is hoping to start killing its deer in 2014.


I expect some type of "don't hurt the deer" city-wide group to emerge by the end of this year, if there isn't one already.

Well, they got rid of the UVic bunnies, didn't they? Sounds like the deer are next. Pondering why First Nations would get first dibs on culled deer. Why can't the carcasses be put up for auction amongst our restaurants or the public at large? Though I'm not picturing many residents having that sort of freezer space to spare.

(your link):

a witness to one trapped deer telephoned a member of the BC Deer Protection Coalition to describe the suffering of the deer and the sounds she made while thrashing in the trap. The contractor appeared after 45 minutes, had harsh words with the witness, and left. An hour later the witness, still standing in a neighbour's yard, watched the contractor return and saw the deer bolt gunned. She was still struggling as she was dragged to the contractor's pickup truck.

They'd get lots of public sympathy to pressure the politicians if they filmed such activity (so, how come they're not hanging out at or checking these deer traps with just such a purpose in mind?). Today's camcorders can 'catch the action' nicely from 100 yards away what with their 70x zoom lenses & a tripod (though, the pitiful sounds of the trapped animal and resounding CLUNK of the bolt gun, would be useful elements of a video).

I say: make it someone else's problem (give the deer bus tickets out of town).

jbw

[Mike K.]

I nearly smoked a dear the other day ...in Vic West. Pretty scary stuff considering a vehicle pile-up could ensue and people could get injured.

To the people crying about loss of habitat causing deer to migrate to the cities, for God's sake zero in on Victoria on this website and then compare our urban growth to that of any other Canadian city. As VHF says, the urban footprint of this island is absolutely minuscule compared to uninhabited land.