Four municipalities and two aboriginal groups want a cull "pilot project"

Greater Victoria municipalities sign up for deer-reduction pilot program

Times Colonist
July 24, 2013

 

 

A buck makes himself at home in Fairfield on July 12, 2013.  Photograph by: BRUCE STOTESBURY, Times Colonist 

Four municipalities — Oak Bay, View Royal, Central Saanich, North Saanich — and two Saanich Peninsula aboriginal groups are interested in participating in a deer-reduction pilot project, the Capital Regional District environmental services committee heard Wednesday.

Charitable organizations have asked to be considered as potential recipients of deer meat, committee members heard in a report from staff.

A mock-up of a brochure drew sharp criticism from Metchosin Mayor John Ranns, who expressed frustration over the inclusion of mule deer on the publication.

“We don’t even have mule deer on the Island,” he said.

“The CRD has been looking pretty stupid lately, and this doesn’t help.”

But Central Saanich Mayor Alastair Bryson, a veterinarian, said the black-tailed deer on the Island are a sub-species of the mule deer.

“There is no error as far as I can see, but there is the potential for confusion,” Bryson said.
The brochure says sage brush is a source of food for mule deer.

“The mule deer have a different diet because they live in a different area,” Ranns said.

“This is a public document and people are going to be looking at it and saying what kind of dummies are we, putting this kind of stuff out?

“I’m just suggesting that it’s time we stopped looking like dummies around here.”

Staff said the text and images on the brochure were provided by the B.C. Environment Ministry and the brochure would be revamped to reduce confusion.