The City of Cranbrook is going to conduct another cull of urban deer in the upcoming year, upping the number to 50 animals.

City council April 23 agreed to a recommendation made by the Urban Deer Management Advisory Committee (UDMAC) to stage another clover trap cull, citing an increase in deer in the city despite the 20 animals killed in the fall of 2011.

Prior to getting provincial government approval to conduct the first urban deer cull in the province, a count of mule and white-tail deer in the city in 2010 showed 111 animals.

The UDMAC and city volunteers conducted another count March 31, within the city, covering nine zones. This time 121 were counted in the nine zones, between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. Of that number, 74 were mule deer and 47 white-tail. In 2010, only 10 of the 111 deer counted were white-tail. Additionally, 11 elk were counted inside city limits on March 31.

Data from the count was compiled by Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources wildlife biologist Irene Teske.

“The committee notes that the population numbers overall are still low in the City of Cranbrook, compared to other communities experiencing their own issues with urban deer. The committee also indicated that they believe the population counts, both in 2010 and 2012 are not capturing the total number of deer within the municipal boundary,” states the UDMAC report/recommendation.

Council voted five to two to agree to the committee recommendation, with Mayor Wayne Stetski and Coun. Sharon Cross voting against it.

Stetski said he would have liked “or translocation” to be included in the motion to cull 50 deer, with some consideration of transplanting animals as opposed to killing them.

UDMAC committee member Coun. Bob Whetham said relocation of deer is “the most socially acceptable” means of dealing with urban deer problems but is also “the most expensive and most cruel way to cull.”

His own research, including discussions with wildlife biologists and from attending an urban wildlife conference, show that a deer’s nervous system is impacted from translocation, to the point that it loses its flight response and they easily fall prey to predators.

Additionally, he said, urban deer will “go back to what they are familiar with” and either head back to the city or migrate to the nearest community. He also noted that the city had not heard from any groups or wildlife agencies on taking on a relocation pilot program.

Whetham said the committee considered the growing public opposition to urban deer culls.

Cranbrook, the first out of the block, received almost no opposition to its cull. Up next to use the 10 clover traps provided by the provincial government, was the City of Kimberley and its 100 animal cull, which began to receive opposition from the Humane Treatment of Urban Wildlife Committee. The city met its target mark.

That same committee addressed District of Invermere council just prior to it launching the third East Kootenay municipal cull, also with a permit for 100 deer. Adding to and then drowning out the Humane Treatment of Urban Wildlife Committee was an Invermere-based group, the Invermere Deer Protection Agency, that took the district to court, gaining a B.C. Supreme Court injunction to briefly delay the cull.

When the district undertook its two-week cull Feb. 24, only 19 animals were killed. The court matter remains unresolved.

“Invermere had a particularly difficult time,” Whetham said, adding the city should meet with officials from Kimberley and Invermere to see if there are better ways to proceed. He added that a couple of the traps may have to be repaired after being vandalized during the Invermere cull.

Agreeing with the second Cranbrook cull were councilors Whetham, Angus Davis, Denise Pallesen, Diana J Scott and Gerry Warner.

“Translocation is actually more cruel, in the end,” Scott noted, adding she agreed with speaking to Kimberley and Invermere officials. The public also needs to be as well-informed as possible, she cautioned.

Urban deer are not just a problem in the region, Scott told council, explaining that after attending the recent Union of Kootenay-Boundary Local Government annual general meeting in Trail, “municipalities are getting more frustrated each year.” She mentioned a recent incident in Princeton where a 20-year-old man was “stomped” by a deer. “If it can happen to an adult, it can happen to a child,” she said.

Davis said he supports the cull because “these deer do damage to property.” People spend a great amount of time and money to keep their yards beautiful and the deer are a problem to them, he said, adding there is also the safety aspect.

“We’re doing the right thing,” he said.

The city is budgeting $15,000 for the proposed cull, though it could cost more “depending on number of deer to be culled, contractor rate, costs to process meat and approved cull methodology,” noted the UDMAC report to council.

Mayor Stetski pointed out that the 2011 cull cost $519 per deer taken and questioned how the city could conduct a larger cull for only $15,000

“We may have to re-visit that,” admitted Whetham.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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