Unless the deer go away, Oak Bay politicians are going to be asked about them.

B次元官网网址淭he real question is, are the deer there in the first place?B次元官网网址� Andrew Weaver wondered when prompted about the issue during a year-end interview with the Oak Bay B次元官网网址. B次元官网网址淲e have to start going back to the loss of their natural habitat. Perhaps we should be looking at wildlife management on a broader scale, because we havenB次元官网网址檛 always had deer in our towns.B次元官网网址�

Weaver praises the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 plan to attempt a contraception regiment. Even though it wont get rid of the deer, the hope is it will level out the current population in Oak Bay.

B次元官网网址淚f you go and cull in Oak Bay, youB次元官网网址檙e actually going to create a worse problem than you had going in. If youB次元官网网址檙e going to do something region-wide, thatB次元官网网址檚 one thing,B次元官网网址� Weaver said. B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e just going to cull deer in Oak Bay, whatB次元官网网址檚 going to happen is those deer in Victoria-Queenswood are going to say B次元官网网址榠tB次元官网网址檚 crowded here, lets go on into Oak Bay,B次元官网网址� and you actually get a bigger problem emerge than you had.B次元官网网址�

Look Back:

He also did work to help secure funding for the sterilization program, and that although itB次元官网网址檚 just in beta, heB次元官网网址檚 confident it will work better than a cull.

B次元官网网址淵ou wont have new baby deer, youB次元官网网址檒l just have aging, in place, older deer. And that will stabilize the population, and not have the young ones that typically get hit by cars coming in.B次元官网网址�

Nobody knows exactly how many deer reside in Oak Bay. The hope is through the contraception program a clearer population picture will emerge. However, some numbers are available B次元官网网址� like the amount of deer carcasses left behind.

When Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch was campaigning in the fall, he provided the number found by public works. The amount of carcasses rose from eight to 2010, to 48 in 2017. For the last three years there have been more than 40 carcasses picked up annually.

Besides the threat to cars, residents have had scary encounters with deer over the past year.

Look Back:

Just one month ago, police reported a call involving children being chased by deer B次元官网网址� but Weaver said deer still arenB次元官网网址檛 the scariest animals for children to bump into in Oak Bay.

B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 start dealing with some dogs first,B次元官网网址� Weaver said. B次元官网网址淭his idea that somehow deer are a problem for scaring kids B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檓 not even willing to entertain that in light of the fact you just have to go and walk aground any public park and look at how many scary dogs are off leash B次元官网网址� running and bounding up thinking theyB次元官网网址檙e just joyous to the child, and jumping on the little child. That is scary.B次元官网网址�

jesse.laufer@oakbaynews.com
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