Deny DOI a deer cull permit
BCDPS urges Minister Donaldson
INVERMERE, BC, Aug. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - On August 24, 2017 the BC Deer Protection Society (BCDPS) submitted a letter to Minister Donaldson urging him to deny the District of Invermere (DOI) a deer cull permit beginning in December 2017 and to withhold funding for any lethal deer management.
The recommendation is based on the DOI's failure to comply with Ministry criteria required for a deer cull permit.
"In the past two years, the DOI has killed deer almost exclusively in public works yard," said Charles Lamphier, resident of Invermere. "The DOI claims to place clover traps in zones that have aggressive deer and human safety related issues. This is not the case." DOI Records of Wildlife Hunted, Trapped or Killed for 2016 and 2017 show that of the 26 deer killed, all but two were trapped in DOI's public works yard. Area 7 where the works yard is located and Area 2 had the lowest deer count of any of the seven survey units.
"The Ministry's permitting system requires a detailed description of the culling, including rationale, location, objectives, methods, benefits, success, evaluation and monitoring," Lamphier continues. "Yet, there is no rationale in the Urban Deer 2017 Annual Report about why the majority of the trapping occurred in the works yard."
"We also examined the DOI's by-law monthly reports," said Barry MacKay, Canadian representative, Born Free and BCDPS spokesperson. "In 32 months, there were only 3 recorded complaints about live deer. The reports gave no indication that the deer were causing community concern. These numbers hardly justify yearly culls and expenditure of thousands of tax dollars."
"Examination of the CO records shows that the number of complaints of 'aggressive deer' increased after the cull began, not before," said Liz White, Director, Animal Alliance of Canada and BCDPS spokesperson. "Between 2005 and 2011, prior to the cull, complaints ranged from 0 to 4 each year. They increased between 2012 to 2014. In 10 years, no deer were killed by the COs for aggressive behavior."
"What is really troubling is that many deer killed by the DOI were not target animals," White continued. "Examination of the DOI's 2017 kill figures show that 24% of the deer were juveniles who would not be aggressive and therefore not a safety issue."
SOURCE Animal Alliance of Canada
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