Friday, April 19, 2013

e-Know Article on BCDPC release

BCDPC slams government for denying city hazing permit

Posted: April 19, 2013




kimurbdeer
Members of the BC Deer Protection Coalition (BCDPC) are disappointed that the Liberal government has denied the City of Kimberley a permit to allow the hazing of deer out of town.

“This is very disappointing news,” said Sherry Shrieves-Adams, a resident of Kimberley, and co-chair, Humane Treatment of Urban Wildlife and spokesperson for the BCDPC. “The whole idea of hazing is to change deer behaviour by moving them out of town and making it uncomfortable to stay in town.  It is a viable alternative to culling.  The current government downloads the responsibility for managing deer to our community and then ties our hands when we want to try different approaches.”

“As someone who has just lived through a cull in my community, I can attest to the importance of alternative approaches,” said Colleen Bailey, chair of Humane Treatment of Urban Wildlife and spokesperson for the BCDPC.  “Unlike our council (City of Cranbrook) who met and voted in secret to proceed with a cull, Kimberley council has proceeded in an open and transparent manner and has implemented a number of very important human/deer conflict prevention measures. Hazing was part of a multi-pronged approach and now that has been taken away from the city.  We are going to make this a campaign issue and to fight for changes that will allow municipalities to access a full range of non-lethal approaches to resolving human deer conflicts in their communities.”

Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada leader and BCDPC member Liz White added, “The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations denied the permit because of the Wildlife Act’s Permit Regulations. We disagree. We assert that both the Act and the Regulations allow the Liberal government to issue a permit to the City of Kimberley for the purpose of hazing deer.  In fact we put it in writing to Kimberley City Council on April 5.  Ministers Steve Thompson and Terry Lake should intervene before the election writ is dropped and issue the permit immediately. This issue will not go away during the election.”

Devin Kazakoff, Invermere Deer Protection Society and BCDPC member said the upcoming election is a chance to be heard. “Our intention is to keep the political pressure up on both the Liberals and the NDP. It is important that both parties understand that this is a highly political issue and is not going away.”

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

BCDPC Slams Liberal Government for Hazing Denial



For Immediate Release
BC Deer Protection Coalition slams
Liberal government for denying the City
of Kimberley a permit to haze deer out of town

April 9, 2013: Members of the BC Deer Protection Coalition (BCDPC) have learned that the Liberal government has denied the City of Kimberley a permit to allow the hazing of deer out of town.

This is very disappointing news” said Sherry Shrieves-Adams resident of Kimberley, Co-Chair, Humane Treatment of Urban Wildlife and spokesperson for the BC Deer Protection Coalition (BCDPC). “The whole idea of hazing is to change deer behaviour by moving them out of town and making it uncomfortable to stay in town. It is a viable alternative to culling. The current government downloads the responsibility for managing deer to our community and then ties our hands when we want to try different approaches.”

As someone who has just lived through a cull in my community, I can attest to the importance of alternative approaches,” said Colleen Bailey, Chair, Humane Treatment of Urban Wildlife and spokesperson for the BCDPC. “Unlike our Council who met and voted in secret to proceed with a cull, Kimberley Council has proceeded in an open and transparent manner and has implemented a number of very important human/deer conflict prevention measures. Hazing was part of a multi-pronged approach and now that has been taken away from the City. We are going to make this a campaign issue and to fight for changes that will allow municipalities to access a full range of non-lethal approaches to resolving human deer conflicts in their communities.”

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations denied the permit because of the Wildlife Act’s Permit Regulations” said Liz White, Leader of Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada and a spokesperson for the BCDPC. “We disagree. We assert that both the Act and the Regulations allow the Liberal government to issue a permit to the City of Kimberley for the purpose of hazing deer. In fact we put it in writing to Kimberley City Council on April 5th. Ministers Steve Thompson and Terry Lake should intervene before the election writ is dropped and issue the permit immediately. This issue will not go away during the election.”

Our intention is to keep the political pressure up on both the Liberals and the NDP,” said Devin Kazakoff, Invermere Deer Protection Society and spokesperson for the BCDPC. “It is important that both parties understand that this is a highly political issue and is not going away.”

Contact: Colleen Bailey       Sherry Shrieves-Adams
Devin Kazakoff                   Liz White


The following information was sent by letter to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operation, the Minister or Environment and Kimberley City Council:

The Wildlife Act and the Wildlife Act Permit Regulations provide the mechanism to issue a permit for hazing. We have provided the pertinent sections of the Act and Regulations below.

  • Wildlife Act:

Section 108 (2) (z) of the Wildlife Act – Regulations by Lieutenant Governor in Council states:

108(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations referred to in section 41 of the Interpretation Act.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:
(z) prohibiting or regulating the causing or allowing of a dog to hunt or pursue wildlife.

  • Wildlife Act Permit Regulations:

Section 2 of the Wildlife Act Permit Regulations sets out authorizations by permit:

2. A regional manager may issue a permit in accordance with this regulation on the terms and for the period he or she specifies

(c) authorizing a person to hunt, trap or kill wildlife during the open or closed season for the following purposes:
(i)  scientific purposes;
(ii)  educational purposes;
  1. if the regional manager considers it necessary for the proper management of the wildlife resource;
  2. on behalf of the government, to destroy wildlife that is dangerous to public safety;
  1. on behalf of the government, to destroy wildlife that is so badly injured that prolonging the animal's life would result in the animal suffering unduly,

NOTE: Section 2(c) authorizes a person to “hunt, trap or kill wildlife during both open and closed seasons”, so killing is not required. Cougar hunting often involves the chase only. The animal is not killed. So such activities are already recognized and accepted in the Wildlife Act. Therefore it should be acceptable to “hunt” deer for the purposes of hazing as “necessary for the proper management of the wildlife resource.” 

Friday, April 5, 2013

Adverse Conditioning with Trained Dogs


Kimberley, B.C., councillors mull non-lethal method of controlling pesky deer

The Canadian Press 

April 2, 2013
CPT118092262_high.jpg
This photo provided by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources taken Dec. 6, 2008 shows a buck mule deer sniffing the air at Nash Wash Wildlife Management Area, Utah. While one southeastern B.C. city is pressing ahead with plans to cull aggressive mule deer, another city in the same region has decided that scaring the creatures could be equally effective. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Brent Stettler

KIMBERLEY, B.C. - While one southeastern B.C. city is pressing ahead with plans to cull aggressive mule deer, another city in the same region has decided that scaring the creatures could be equally effective.
Kimberley council has voted to apply for a 48-hour experimental hazing permit, in hopes of frightening habituated deer out of the city limits.
Kimberley's urban deer committee has already spoken to a professional deer hazer who has worked in Banff and Jasper, Alta., effectively ridding problem deer from populated areas of the national parks.
Experts say deer hazing can be an appropriate, non-lethal way of moving deer out of specific areas, although several methods, such as pyrotechnics or propane cannons, must be used interchangeably because deer quickly become accustomed to a single technique.
There have been numerous reports of people or pets being chased or kicked by habituated deer in several southern and southeastern B.C. cities, especially when females are protecting their fawns.
Councillors in Cranbrook, B.C., about 30 kilometres south of Kimberley, voted in February to cull up to 30 mule deer, although city officials won't reveal when the creatures will be destroyed. (CHBZ)
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