tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830498066155619112024-03-13T09:00:00.602-07:00DeerSafe Victoriadeersafevictoria@yahoo.caLegislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-50059398039962052762020-05-29T19:17:00.001-07:002020-06-13T07:44:35.899-07:00Provincial Veterinarian Decides These Orphans Can Be in the Movies<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Orphaned Fawns Rescued in Roberts Creek</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;">Sophie Woodrooffe, Coast Reporter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;">MAY 29, 2020 06:00 AM</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQLG1OE-uzMn7YBbAJiMm5JqjU5H9UxxsIphD_U4AXeYHOoH97BCZ7Buohzhbtspn97L5n5GJUs-JzE7Xp6ck3Z0pLP3hlfUvZlXV5bA7gpRj7maPQmFPUuYJRcNnfxeMsDq5kZRegX8/s1600/fawns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="804" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQLG1OE-uzMn7YBbAJiMm5JqjU5H9UxxsIphD_U4AXeYHOoH97BCZ7Buohzhbtspn97L5n5GJUs-JzE7Xp6ck3Z0pLP3hlfUvZlXV5bA7gpRj7maPQmFPUuYJRcNnfxeMsDq5kZRegX8/s400/fawns.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , serif; font-size: 12px;">Two orphaned fawns were rescued from a waterfront property in Roberts Creek on May 20.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Two
fawns have been rescued from a waterfront property in Roberts Creek
after a cougar killed their mother.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
doe and stag had been living on the property for some time, and the
resident noticed the fawns were born the week of May 11. A
cougar killed the doe the morning of May 19.</span></span><br />
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“<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We
responded and found the two little fawns in the bush, hiding as they
do,” said Sgt. Dean Miller of the Conservation Officer Service
(COS).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s
normal for does to leave their fawns for up to 12 hours while
foraging elsewhere. “Of course we knew what happened to the doe, so
we captured them and contacted a regional biologist,” said
Miller.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This
isn’t the first cougar conflict in Roberts Creek this spring.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
cougar also killed a dog last month near the heart of Roberts Creek
along Beach Avenue.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">At
the time, the COS advised the public to take extra precautions. But
because of the increased frequency of sightings and the fact that the
cougar was being seen far from the forest, the COS brought hounds
into the community to locate what they believed was a large male cat.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Separate
people observed the cougar in the area on two occasions the morning
of May 20.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
cougar was not located by the hounds, but because conservation
officers removed the deer corpse and took away the fawns, they expect
the cougar to move on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
“<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That
area is a corridor for wildlife and a sample of the food chain. You
do have the prey species eating non-native plant species and then the
predators follow,” Miller said.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As
for the fawns, they will spend their life with Beyond Bears, a
specialized animal training company based in Abbotsford.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Owner
Mark Dumas said the fawns will be trained for film and television.
The company’s credits include Cold Pursuit with actor Liam Neeson
and Seventh Son with Jeff Bridges.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
“<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You
build an incredible bond with these animals,” Dumas said.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">May
to June is fawning season, and Miller said it’s normal for fawns to
be observed alone without an adult deer.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Province of British Columbia currently only permits one accredited wildlife rehabilitation centres to rewild orphan fawns. Deer cannot be kept on private property or given to wildlife rehabilitation centres without a permit, yet these two were permitted to go to an individual who will keep them until a movie production company would </span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">(possibly) </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">like to use them. With current CGI technology animals in film are increasingly uneeded.<br /><br />This is all you will see on the Beyond Bears website:</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0F_5SvnDhl-bETApx9gFR_wW9qoZYdWWKZPay3C0GDE7U715ALeZf1FIhAhzy40UStKlRFzIBAzTGUfjc3RK5JzM6_uL0kOPZef4Rxt2fm2tHX2XOy362UVCzkUjlmUVWzz0_z-Wqm0w/s1600/Beyond+Bears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="920" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0F_5SvnDhl-bETApx9gFR_wW9qoZYdWWKZPay3C0GDE7U715ALeZf1FIhAhzy40UStKlRFzIBAzTGUfjc3RK5JzM6_uL0kOPZef4Rxt2fm2tHX2XOy362UVCzkUjlmUVWzz0_z-Wqm0w/s320/Beyond+Bears.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>What made the provincial veterinarian agree (on the advice of a "regional biologist" yet to be named) to send these two fawns to an Abbotsford back yard where they will lanquish</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b> in hopes that a Hollywood production might need them? That's right, they've been sent to <span style="background-color: white;">Mark Dumas' back yard.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><b>BC wildlife is in grave danger from the very people most British Columbians believe act in their best interest.<br /><br />UPDATE: the fawns have been removed from Mark Dumas' possession and have been sent to Critter Care wildlife rescue in Abbotsford. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-50165789945964501202019-08-02T12:05:00.001-07:002019-08-02T12:05:26.875-07:00Deer Shot with Crossbow in City Limits <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09_SdanAf8CRxmOeVemvn5I6nPGTSA0scAITjj_3dmpv6g9uxJIO62Xqam9tl1XT24L2ayVnRjju5J9GpWFBlL4RTp_lc0Eh7uMB-XsP6dwrxWG7_tWOjyFpsTg54RPW7VxkmWjhLh5w/s1600/CTV+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="620" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09_SdanAf8CRxmOeVemvn5I6nPGTSA0scAITjj_3dmpv6g9uxJIO62Xqam9tl1XT24L2ayVnRjju5J9GpWFBlL4RTp_lc0Eh7uMB-XsP6dwrxWG7_tWOjyFpsTg54RPW7VxkmWjhLh5w/s640/CTV+image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">A
buck found injured by a crossbow bolt had to be put down in an
Esquimalt neighbourhood Friday morning, police said. Aug. 2, 2019.
(CTV Vancouver Island)</span> </span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif;">CTV
Vancouver Island </span></div>
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<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published
Friday, August 2, 2019 10:14AM PDT </span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">A
buck found shot by a crossbow while wandering in an Esquimalt
neighbourhood has been put down by police.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Police
were called to the area of Bryden Court Friday morning after
neighbours spotted the buck, which they said commonly frequents the
area, with a bolt lodged in its rear left leg.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-variant: normal;">Officers
from Victoria police's Esquimalt division responded and used a patrol
rifle to put down the deer and end its suffering.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-variant: normal;">Neighbours
were contacted by police before the rifle was fired to warn them</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">The
deer was being picked up by city work crews at around 10 a.m.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Neighbours
said they were upset and concerned that someone would intentionally
fire a crossbow at the animal.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">They
were also worried that someone would be as reckless as to fire a
crossbow in the city.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="border: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.2in; orphans: 2; padding: 0in; widows: 2;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">CTV
News has reached out to Victoria police for more information.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-13734228334313704502018-10-17T18:52:00.002-07:002018-10-17T18:52:50.752-07:00The Loudest Voices Carry Guns and Snares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Temper tantrums and bad behaviour steer wildlife management in
British Columbia.</i></div>
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In February 2018 my
friend and colleague Jordan Reichert posted my Victoria Animal News
story “A One-Man Bounty on Wolves in BC,” to his public page. In
that article I revealed a plan by a BC hunter, Steve Isdahl, to cull
wolves across our province. Not just a few wolves, but as many as he
could incite fellow hunters to kill in all eight M.Us.</div>
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Upset that his plan
was made public, Steve Isdahl took to social media to say “If you
have in any way attacked a person concerned for our wildlife you are
about to be humiliated up one end of you and out the other –
easily.”</div>
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What that meant for
the only male “anti” that he could identify was this silly meme.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx5zc1JFXmvfLS0aM_a0NA21WwvoJs2EIgg87M_9RtURlxGkLROVJGoHNy8ZTALxlIQJq5o-P-EfIiaDzwNbJhUwuLie2hbnHo8-w6l0S2b4aj04ptXj2LlY208w4iX2n6TNpjSDnJrg/s1600/Jordan+by+isdahl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="960" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx5zc1JFXmvfLS0aM_a0NA21WwvoJs2EIgg87M_9RtURlxGkLROVJGoHNy8ZTALxlIQJq5o-P-EfIiaDzwNbJhUwuLie2hbnHo8-w6l0S2b4aj04ptXj2LlY208w4iX2n6TNpjSDnJrg/s200/Jordan+by+isdahl.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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He had something
else in mind for me, and for a fellow female advocate who had written
an article in support of changes to wildlife management that was
published by the Vancouver Sun. Something more personal, and I’m
very sure he hoped, more “threatening” than a meme. This photo
arrived in the mail at my home with no return address. My colleague
received the same photo at her place of work, also with no return
address.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkDes-MPUyaoQdhdDaLEFzW9H6sKoD21cwrTpKKVDkl53m6ju_xEM8E35aCPDDKj0wI2WYSL1grht9OgIzjDpDtVheGtleJzARTzmPVt6kVPF5-nnCdjb5s0KCv3fqUQ1tLvBtUm_J9E/s1600/Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkDes-MPUyaoQdhdDaLEFzW9H6sKoD21cwrTpKKVDkl53m6ju_xEM8E35aCPDDKj0wI2WYSL1grht9OgIzjDpDtVheGtleJzARTzmPVt6kVPF5-nnCdjb5s0KCv3fqUQ1tLvBtUm_J9E/s320/Pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I believe it was
expected that I would tuck tail and stay silent when I received that
photo. Women, after all, should know their place. So should wolves.
Was the lack of a return address meant to confuse me about who sent
it? The effusive use of smiley faces on social media carries over
into hard copy however. I have no reason to believe my assumption is
incorrect.</div>
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On August 28, 2018
Isdahl posted to social media that he was going to make “antis”
too scared to oppose him.</div>
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In a video uploaded
to Youtube on July 18, 2018 he called “Predator Explosion” Isdahl
advises hunters that cougars, black bears, grizzlies, coyotes, lynx
and bobcats are all competition to the game they’re after, stating
that they “must take those predators out when you get the chance.” </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK_dtzgkyPQShU1p-Un2oKhaIV3xDi7R-im5khzVGCh9yv4NgElu_Hc6xJA-XF8asStKDKg0KJtUk2y0_YHWC8_liTS9LBB9jlqaAy4qvBNq2vrG-JMopls9slDB9HQjBmkJQZGXRR-s/s1600/our+game.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="542" height="57" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK_dtzgkyPQShU1p-Un2oKhaIV3xDi7R-im5khzVGCh9yv4NgElu_Hc6xJA-XF8asStKDKg0KJtUk2y0_YHWC8_liTS9LBB9jlqaAy4qvBNq2vrG-JMopls9slDB9HQjBmkJQZGXRR-s/s320/our+game.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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British Columbia’s
wildlife deserve a management strategy that will include science and
conservation that considers trophic cascades and social structures,
not the emotional knee-jerk reaction by sport hunters that is
currently in place. They deserve a management strategy that will
respect predators and prey species for their vital contributions to
sensitive environments, and will give them all the space they need to
recover their own equilibrium from the toxic bombardment of industry
and hunting pressures.</div>
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There is more to the
story of predator culls in BC than individuals throwing temper
tantrums, however. Last month news broke that the provincial
government has expanded hunting of bighorn sheep, a species of
concern, in the Cariboo at the same time they have contracted a cull
of wolves and coyotes in the neighbouring region.</div>
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How can citizens
make decisions on wildlife populations and take control of them? The
Ministries responsible for BC wildlife are still hunter-centric in
both policy and operations. Who is responsible for regulations and
changes to them, such as extended hunting seasons? It’s difficult
to be in doubt that the fox is guarding the henhouse when regulations
regarding chasing cougars with hounds for the exercise of dogs is
expanded. With the current attitude towards wildlife any hunter with
an ax to grind about any predator can set a snare or a leghold trap
anywhere – and they are.</div>
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<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-13355722937617155762018-05-05T22:27:00.000-07:002018-05-06T12:13:06.729-07:00Creative Signage Gets Attention on Highway to Sooke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkHPjVqI8gsRYON6-zTMfUkvIrHNM1Kr7yLo3mjiauWT6IbJpj1GRitAT-AgS0VOohoDQl9PA0P67yn4Cnt6mhlvfw_3fybXWJL5ofRdbG-bwDH3tWKCgLgPiMe0seBIIZ7jQXaEyq5c/s1600/Deer+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="714" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkHPjVqI8gsRYON6-zTMfUkvIrHNM1Kr7yLo3mjiauWT6IbJpj1GRitAT-AgS0VOohoDQl9PA0P67yn4Cnt6mhlvfw_3fybXWJL5ofRdbG-bwDH3tWKCgLgPiMe0seBIIZ7jQXaEyq5c/s400/Deer+sign.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The Ministry of Transportation recently worked with DeerSafe member Dana Livingstone to create an eye-catching sign on Highway 14 to Sooke. The electronic signs are used to warn drivers of seasonal road hazards, and this was one of the most timely messages to convey to the driving public.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Dana Livingstone, an East Sooke resident, has long been concerned about the deer that are regularly hit on the highway. She was inspired to approach the Ministry of Transportation when she observed a doe with a badly broken back leg bravely nurse her fawn for weeks before disappearing, having given him the best chance at life that she could.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Wildlife collisions have been identified as a concern for drivers. At this time of year when one deer is spotted at the side of the road or highway others will be close behind; the fawns. Municipal </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">“leaping deer” signs are small and often overlooked, rarely mitigating vehicle/deer collisions as they are left up all year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The potential for these electronic road hazard signs to warn drivers at peak seasons for wildlife movement cannot be overstated. Drivers across the province would benefit from these timely signs, as they could be updated for species that are relevant to particular regions.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Thank you to the Ministry, and to Dana Livingstone for the idea and the hard work to make this happen. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-44286600716215223562018-04-10T18:21:00.002-07:002018-04-10T18:21:57.858-07:00Contraceptive vaccine planned for Oak Bay deer<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: rgb(255 , 255 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt;">Cindy E Harnett/Times Colonist</span><span style="background: rgb(255 , 255 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: rgb(255 , 255 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt;">April 10, 2018</span><span style="background: rgb(255 , 255 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFRU8TUyMdrjXe8vtDH8MHlEpnxpc-GVNzfrMA4HabtD5fYT-t3gIcBA6W1bu4hyphenhyphen7J9pYJeGML4g3KZ-WD4niytcG9L-QxrIsqg5apCAfwoEO1_1wiKm6t5dHDAGzAuU1xooz6sY8orU/s1600/tagged-deer-jpg+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="804" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFRU8TUyMdrjXe8vtDH8MHlEpnxpc-GVNzfrMA4HabtD5fYT-t3gIcBA6W1bu4hyphenhyphen7J9pYJeGML4g3KZ-WD4niytcG9L-QxrIsqg5apCAfwoEO1_1wiKm6t5dHDAGzAuU1xooz6sY8orU/s400/tagged-deer-jpg+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Twenty does, including this one, were radio-collared in Oak Bay last month.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Photograph By </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">SUBMITTED</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Administration of a contraceptive vaccine is being planned to manage deer in Oak Bay after 20 does were radio-collared last month.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Data from the collared does and 40 motion-sensor infrared cameras set up along trails in Oak Bay will be reviewed before the vaccine can be administered.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The program is “ground-breaking” and the first time in B.C. and Canada that the immunocontraceptive vaccine, Zonastat-D, would be used in a small, contained urban setting to manage deer, said Steve Huxter, of the non-profit Victoria-based Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society (UWSS).</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">If a permit from the province is granted, the birth-control drug would be administered to a number of female indigenous Columbian black-tailed deer as early as August, said Huxter, who is the project manager.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;">Oak Bay has adopted a $40,000 program, jointly funded by the municipality and the province, to control the deer population using immunocontraception.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">About 40 deer are found dead in Oak Bay each year, mostly hit by vehicles or entangled or impaled on fences.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“That’s not a humane way to reduce our deer population,” said Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Conflict with humans and small domestic animals is also a concern.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">A cull in Oak Bay in 2015 saw 11 deer killed in two weeks. Jensen calls it a “relative success,” but it created a rift in the community and sparked protests by the B.C. SPCA and animal-rights activists.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">That led to adoption of the current program, of which the first phase was conducted from Feb. 18 to March 23 by the UWSS’s wildlife veterinarian, a biologist and team of volunteers.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">They sedated the 20 does and fitted them with GPS collars weighing less than one pound and with colour-coded tags for future identification. The process, including recovery and release, took a maximum of 30 minutes, according to the society.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Five young bucks were inadvertently captured and then ear tagged, but were not fitted with GPS collars. Forty motion-sensor cameras were installed to photograph the animals as they wander.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">This first phase of the program is expected to provide baseline data on the ecology of urban deer, movement patterns, density, and population size.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">They don’t have a population count yet, but Oak Bay’s mayor said he knows for certain “there’s too many deer in Oak Bay.”</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">A decade ago, there were years when just one or two were found dead in the municipality, said Jensen. For the past five to six years, about 40 have been found dead each year. There’s been a “rapid escalation” over the last six years, he said.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“It’s encouraging to see the first phase was completed successfully and now the second phase will hopefully be underway in the next six to 12 months.”</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">In the second phase, does will be given the drug Zonastat-D. It blocks fertilization by triggering production of antibodies that bind to the protein envelope surrounding the egg.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">It’s “very very safe,” said Huxter.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The does will either be captured and the drug injected by hand or the deer will be shot with a contraceptive dart that will administer the drug and mark the spot for identification. “It’s a lot faster, more efficient and cost effective to use a darting rifle,” said Huxter.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">An issue with the drug is that it’s only effective for 12 to 22 months, said Huxter.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">UWSS includes scientists, wildlife veterinarians, biologists, graduate students, animal behaviourists and community volunteers. It is working with a laboratory in the hopes of developing a vaccine that is effective for five to seven years, he said.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The vaccine would not be harmful to a human or predator if the deer were consumed, said Huxter.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">If successful, UWSS hopes the program will serve as an effective, community-supported template for urban deer management around North America.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-42959990058218068672018-02-01T17:43:00.002-08:002018-02-01T17:43:32.250-08:00Kimberley wants access to residents’ properties for deer translocation<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Cranbrook, BC, Canada / The Drive FM</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="mailto:jeff.johnson@jpbg.ca"><span class="15" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #b80707; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Jeff Johnson</span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">January 31, 2018 10:50 am</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The City of Kimberley is seeking permission from residents to move forward with its deer translocation project.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Staff are asking property owners if they will allow biologists onto their properties to tranquilize and remove mule deer.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">City Councillor Darryl Oakley believes residents will be supportive and appreciate the alternative initiative.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">He says many people have approached him and commented they appreciate the animals don’t suffer.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Leading the initiative, Oakley insists mule deer translocate very well and aren’t armed in horse trailers.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">However, the Councillor admits residents have every right not to allow biologists onto their property.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Kimberley expects to remove up to 50 ungulates by tranqualizing and trucking them to winter range outside of city limits.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Mayor Don McCormick has said several times Council will no longer pursue lethal deer culls as a management option.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The Province has committed to provide matching funds of up to $25,000 for February’s initiative.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="p" style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 18.4000pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; text-indent: 0.0000pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Oakley says staff and experts will target high density areas based off information gathered from complaints from residents and the City’s deer count.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">He says it would be a huge help from residents if they were to allow the team into these areas.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-11987154510778771752017-12-18T19:12:00.001-08:002017-12-18T19:12:06.348-08:00B.C. government ends grizzly bear hunt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUAykkJHPFiivwYiYtmDXfh3G0yCEiNJYTRacCzDVl9WyjZ6JOoMD3bL5FRigib8u0uxLYRjaK_LXjuKfzhW9rZ4tFvGmNsP3V4WOxJu4THcxBy_QWVMM7XpII1P4sv0j_gN8Rt2Tits/s1600/BC+gov+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUAykkJHPFiivwYiYtmDXfh3G0yCEiNJYTRacCzDVl9WyjZ6JOoMD3bL5FRigib8u0uxLYRjaK_LXjuKfzhW9rZ4tFvGmNsP3V4WOxJu4THcxBy_QWVMM7XpII1P4sv0j_gN8Rt2Tits/s320/BC+gov+image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The British Columbia government is bringing an end to the hunting of grizzly bears throughout the province, Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, announced today.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“Through consultations this past fall, we have listened to what British Columbians have to say on this issue and it is abundantly clear that the grizzly hunt is not in line with their values,” Donaldson said. “Our government continues to support hunting in this province and recognizes our hunting heritage is of great importance to many British Columbians.”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The spring grizzly bear hunt was scheduled to open on April 1, 2018, but the ban on hunting for resident and non-resident hunters takes effect immediately.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“Our government is committed to improving wildlife management in B.C., and today’s announcement, along with a focused grizzly bear management plan, are the first steps in protecting one of our most iconic species,” Heyman said. “We also want to promote the healthy grizzly bear viewing economy in B.C. and give everyone the tremendous opportunity to see these incredible animals in their natural habitat.”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“After years of work on this file, my colleagues and I are absolutely overjoyed this decision has finally been made,” said </span><span style="color: #1a5a96; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Adam Olsen, Green MLA for Saanich North and the Islands</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">. “The results of the consultation were clear and government has listened. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">In August 2017, government announced that, effective Nov. 30, 2017, it would end trophy hunting of grizzly bears and stop all hunting of grizzly bears in the Great Bear Rainforest. Government also announced it would launch a consultation process on regulations to support a sustenance hunt, while ending the trophy hunt.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Through the consultation process with First Nations, stakeholder groups and the public, 78% of respondents recommended the hunt be stopped entirely.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">First Nations will still be able to harvest grizzly bears pursuant to Aboriginal rights for food, social, or ceremonial purposes, or treaty rights. </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">There are an estimated 15,000 grizzly bears in British Columbia. </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Provincial government staff will be implementing recommendations from the recent Auditor General report on grizzly bear management. The government will also be moving forward with a broader consultation process on a renewed wildlife management strategy for the province in the new year.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-75868100550970107132017-12-08T11:21:00.002-08:002017-12-08T11:21:36.499-08:00Salt Spring Island Deer: Killing to Conserve <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskvDqmzF2yv564TjJLvNoPltsV28hv4bqfoF7wyhzWy-LoALOZHeiNFSmoSeeOzm_c9pnaM4hD8ZhLyJk-4n9mfGD7Guu6GOs6vQC8-ML5hTYFViD6yY33T8YVXM1magrWf3MjczZHg0/s1600/Credit+Mark+Schneider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="960" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskvDqmzF2yv564TjJLvNoPltsV28hv4bqfoF7wyhzWy-LoALOZHeiNFSmoSeeOzm_c9pnaM4hD8ZhLyJk-4n9mfGD7Guu6GOs6vQC8-ML5hTYFViD6yY33T8YVXM1magrWf3MjczZHg0/s320/Credit+Mark+Schneider.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Photo credit: Mark Schneider</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Salt Spring Island is the most densely populated island in the Capital Regional District. The Salt Spring Island Conservancy was formed to protect, restore, enhance and maintain wildlife habitats and ecosystems on their seven nature reserves. Seven hundred acres of conservancy land represent 1% of Salt Spring Island</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">’s land. These pockets of fiercely defended areas are an admirable attempt to keep housing development, animal agriculture and other business enterprises at bay.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReP867r8ijyRaW6QCCvQg_lZMyMgLSCKIf6YNNCSXJmvv6wYw8SwaYanlNh4Xj9qZ1VKz9N2yVAXYJcEEtSCMSu_kgYJoIAKUe5DDkiNdh6ttAbFWmuOp4_FhvdF9j9GN3xD6YYeXF-g/s1600/Alvin+Indiridson+Nature+Reserve.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="689" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReP867r8ijyRaW6QCCvQg_lZMyMgLSCKIf6YNNCSXJmvv6wYw8SwaYanlNh4Xj9qZ1VKz9N2yVAXYJcEEtSCMSu_kgYJoIAKUe5DDkiNdh6ttAbFWmuOp4_FhvdF9j9GN3xD6YYeXF-g/s320/Alvin+Indiridson+Nature+Reserve.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><i>1 of 7 nature reserves on Salt Spring Island</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">On November 4, 2017 the conservancy opened the Alvin Indiridson Nature Reserve to a local deer cull. This wasn</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">’t the first time. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The conservancy has declared indigenous black tailed deer a nuisance on their nature reserves. They have invited the local rod and gun club to kill deer on their lands annually since 2010. This year a notice was posted around the island by an unknown party. It served to highlight a completely unmanaged, unscientific deer cull.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 0.0000pt; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">On September 24, 2016 a letter to the Times Colonist by an island resident was critical of the conservancy’s deer cull, stating “The open invitation that has been extended to members of our local gun club on their website to kill animals for sport on conservancy property says: ‘A great arrangement - let’s take advantage of it.’ Personally, I doubt that the conservancy backers or the deer believe this is a “great arrangement.” - John Callas</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">A scientific count of deer on the island has never been conducted. A survey of residents’ attitudes regarding deer has never taken place.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation featured Salt Spring Island Conservancy in an article on their blog called </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">“Natural Allies.” They asked the conservancy what prompted them to get together with the Rod and Gun club, and this was the answer: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">“[Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation]</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">! In response to this need for capacity, HCTF provided funding to cover staffing costs during the acquisition of the 320 acre Hope Hill Property, which is now known as the Alvin Indridson Nature reserve. In acknowledgement of the fact that HCTF funds come from hunting & angling licence fees, we made the commitment to allow hunting on the property. This was new ground for us. I am really excited about it because of the potential benefit that hunting could have on the Island’s deer situation. There is mounting evidence that an overabundance of deer can have a significant impact on everything from endangered plants to songbird populations, so for us to have a reserve where deer hunting is allowed is almost an ecological imperative.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">“</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">However, it soon became apparent that we didn’t have the expertise within the Conservancy to manage a hunting reserve, and (naturally) we thought of the local Rod & Gun club.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">“</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Robin Annschild, Conservation Director of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, takes aim beside John Foley, President of the SSI Rod & Gun Club</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">” - Natural Allies blog post, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The conservancy has failed to research the very real consequences of culling deer. Compensatory rebound is a well-documented population dynamic that occurs when herd density is temporarily reduced through hunting. Removing large numbers of deer will produce a increase in the number of fawns born, with does reproducing at a younger age. Studies have proven that after a hunt surviving females produced enough offspring to not only replace those killed, but enough to actually increase the size of the herd. When a vacancy is created by a cull deer from surrounding areas will move into the area.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">They have also failed to survey their donors regarding the morality of killing indigenous wildlife on a nature reserve. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">The conservancy states on their website: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">“If, as author J.B. MacKinnon says, we now live in a 10% world - where humans have altered the ecology of about 90% of the planet - we think it’s sensible to set aside a good portion of the island for places where nature comes first, and where human beings bow to nature and alter their actions accordingly.” </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">By ignoring the science on the culling of deer the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, who hold in trust 1% of the land on the island, has committed the rest of Salt Spring Island to a permanent problem. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">Kelly Carson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">for Victoria Animal News</span></div>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-15220505784556747512017-10-23T23:23:00.001-07:002019-03-30T10:13:00.479-07:00Breaking News: Expert Believes Cull of Deer is Necessary<h1 style="background: rgb(255,255,255); margin-bottom: 9.7500pt; margin-left: 0.0000pt; margin-right: 0.0000pt; margin-top: 0.0000pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: 0.0000pt;">
<b><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Forest Ecologist Calls For Deer Cull</span></b><b><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 18pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">By Frants Attorp</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="15" style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Special to the Driftwood</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The proliferation of deer on the Gulf Islands gained widespread media attention earlier this month when Oak Bay Police Chief Andy Brinton collided with a deer whilst cycling on Salt Spring. Brinton suffered several broken bones but is reportedly going to make a full recovery. The high-profile accident raised the question of whether Salt Spring, like Oak Bay, should consider a deer cull.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Everyone knows what a financial and social disaster Oak Bay’s 2015 deer cull was. I strongly advise the author to read “An Independent Review of BC’s Urban Deer Management,” McCrory, Paquet and Parr 2017 *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The link to the study is in this article by Animal Alliance of Canada: <a href="https://www.animalalliance.ca/campaigns/other-campaigns/deer-in-british-columbia/">https://www.animalalliance.ca/campaigns/other-campaigns/deer-in-british-columbia/</a></span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">One person interviewed extensively was Dr. Tara Martin, a UBC expert in forest ecology who was born and raised on Salt Spring. She believes the deer problem in the Gulf Islands has reached a crisis level and must be addressed as a priority.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">According to Martin, there are at least six times as many deer on Salt Spring as is healthy for local ecosystems. “</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">When settlers arrived 150 years ago, there were no more than 1,000 black-tailed deer on the island,” she said. “Today, that number has increased to over 6,000.”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Another stunning statistic thrown out by someone claiming scientific integrity, with no pretense at </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">corroboration for the claim. * </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The population explosion is attributed largely to a loss of traditional hunting by Coast Salish First Nations, and insufficient hunting since. Another contributing factor is the eradication of top predators, cougars and wolves. “There is no longer any top down control to keep the deer population in check,” said Martin.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* That technical term top down requires an </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">explanation</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"> by the </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">expert in forest ecology</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Deer overpopulation has been devastating for the local ecology. “Our forests may look beautiful, but </span><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">t</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">hey are vastly different than before and in a state of steady decline,</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">” explained Martin. She points out that marvellous wildflowers such as the chocolate lily, the fawn lily and camas, which used to carpet vast areas, have all but disappeared. Also susceptible to over-browsing are shrubs such as Saskatoon berry, huckleberry and red currant. Even arbutus, cedar and Garry oak seedlings are not spared.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Clearing land for homes and businesses, roads and infrastructure has had a devastating effect on the local ecology on Salt Spring Island. Ferry traffic, visitors hiking to every pristine destination, raising of livestock has had a devastating effect. Personal gardens planted with invasive species, pesticides to keep the aphids off the roses, herbicides to keep the </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">dandelions out of the lawns has had a devastating effect. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Deer browsing of the understory is changing the composition and structure of our forests, and this in turn is having a disastrous effect on birds that use that habitat for foraging and nesting. Songbirds such as fox sparrow, winter wren and Wilson’s warbler are becoming increasingly rare. “We are witnessing a cascading ecological collapse due to over-browsing,” said Martin.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Fencing works. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">There is also the impact on humans to consider. According to Martin, </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">there is an average of one ICBC claim per week on Salt Spring due to vehicles colliding with deer. </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Some accidents are minor fender benders while others are more serious, involving personal injury.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* There are 52 weeks in a year. Is Tara Martin referring to a particular date range? 2012 - 2015? Or perhaps 2014 - 2017? These are statistics that can be easily followed up with, if only she could provide us with a date range. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">So what is the solution? Martin believes the first obstacle to overcome is the </span><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Bambi syndrome</span><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">”</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"> which causes some people to value the lives of deer over all other plant and animal species.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* “Bambi syndrome.” Now there’s a term we haven’t heard since 2012, when some Kootenay councilors thought they were being really clever. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“We have a responsibility to maintain habitat for all species, not just deer,” said Martin. “Yes, deer are beautiful animals, but when there are too many they are tremendously </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">destructive and can drive other species to extinction.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* I can’t touch this comment without bashing my own species [the ‘Unique Super Predator’ Darimont, Fox, Reimchen and Bryan, 2015], so we’ll just have to wait for Tara Martin to clarify her claim. *</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">More specifically, Martin wants to see hunting regulations changed to allow a greater bag limit.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Has Tara Martin asked Salt Spring Island residents how they would feel about people with guns and bows running around their community? I didn’t think so. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“Two bucks per person is not enough,” she asserts. “And there’s no way to manage the population if hunters aren’t allowed to take females.” She believes hunting is the only cost-effective method of control. Other measures, such as sterilization, are </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">hugely stressful for the animals, extremely costly and often ineffective.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Sterilization is a surgical procedure that has not been a part of deer management conversations in any province in Canada. </span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Tara Martin is apparently unaware that a pilot project for immunocontraception is currently being conducted in Oak Bay. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">According to Martin, at least a third of the island could be suitable for hunting. This includes First Nations’ land, parks, ecological reserves, forestry lands and other large, private holdings. She would like to see a coordinated effort involving </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">First Nations, BC Parks, the CRD, conservation officers, farmers and local hunters.</span><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“This is a problem we can solve, with tremendous benefits for all.”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Fencing works. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Martin would also like to see a change in attitude towards top predators: “There are currently two cougars and a black bear on the island. Let’s allow them to do their job rather than trying to eradicate them. This may involve some changes to how we manage our livestock, such as putting them in at night and having a guard dog, </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">but it is possible.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* It’s highly unlikely that island residents are going to give top predators the run of the island. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">She adds that culling deer will actually make the deer population stronger. A colleague of hers has found high levels of ticks and liver fluke parasite in deer on Salt Spring, which is attributed to their high densities. </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">He has also confirmed that the liver fluke is spreading to livestock. </span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Low levels of the parasite have little effect on animal health, but extreme levels can kill the host animal. Humans, however, are not affected by ingesting the parasite.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* It’s only a matter of time before she cites Lyme Disease as a concern. So far she’s followed all the rules for the vilification of wildlife. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">And what about those pesky rabbits?</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* And since we have our guns out, why don’t we just blast away at another species that annoys some of us? *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“They are not native to the island and should therefore be trapped or hunted at every opportunity. They finish up what the deer don’t eat and are contributing to the destruction. Both deer and rabbit are a great source of organic free-range protein. How about serving venison burgers at the Fall Fair?”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Or how about we follow another cliche and feed them to the poor? *</span></b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">As evidence that deer control works, Martin points to several small areas on the island that have been fenced off and, as a result, are rebounding to their former glory.</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* Yes, folks, fencing works. We’ve been telling you this for years. *</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“We have everything to gain by managing the deer population,” she said. “Not only will we reduce the risk to motorists, but also restore our native ecosystems with an abundance of wildflowers and songbirds and at the same time improve the health of the deer population.”</span><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">* So, the welfare of the deer is really at the heart of this article.*</span></b><b><span style="color: #585858; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-47075640295914181622017-10-06T19:17:00.001-07:002017-10-06T19:17:03.580-07:0038 SIGNATORS SAY GRIZZLY ‘MEAT’ HUNT IS A TROPHY HUNT IN DISGUISE<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';">BCTV, October 6, 2017</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0000pt; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-spacerun: 'yes';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="16" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Thirty-eight environmental and animal welfare organizations, along with wildlife-based businesses and prominent activists, have signed an Open Letter to the BC Government</span><b><span class="16" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">opposing the continuation of grizzly bear hunting for meat. “The BC government is planning to end trophy hunting of grizzly bears, but will allow them to be hunted for meat across most of the province, except for part of the Great Bear Rainforest,” says Ian McAllister of Pacific Wild. “We are asking for a complete ban on hunting grizzly bears all over BC.”</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The Open Letter says there has never been significant hunting of grizzly bears for meat in BC. “Previously grizzly bears were classified by BC Fish & Wildlife with non-game animals such as wolverines, wolves and cougars,” says Alan Burger of BC Nature. “Hunters were specifically allowed under law to leave the meat on the ground and take only the trophy parts. Many British Columbians are appalled that the government has now invented a grizzly bear meat hunt.”</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“People don’t travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres, pay tens of thousands of dollars, and risk their lives shooting at grizzly bears to put meat on the table,” the Open Letter states. “They largely do it only for trophies and sport. Even if they have to leave the head, hide and claws behind, they take away trophy videos, photographs and bragging rights. The bears will still be killed for sport”.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The Open Letter disputes the BC government’s claim that hunting grizzly bears is sustainable. “Grizzly bears are a species at risk,” says Wayne McCrory, a bear biologist and Valhalla Wilderness Society director. “For years independent scientists have warned the government that BC may have far fewer grizzly bears than we think”.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“We have thriving grizzly bear viewing and photography businesses in the Interior, just like on the coast,” says famed Kootenay wildlife photographer, Jim Lawrence. “People are thrilled to see these magnificent animals alive and in photographs.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“Stop the Grizzly Killing Society receives comments from many hundreds of people,” says Trish Boyum, who has campaigned tirelessly to protect grizzlies. “It is clear that British Columbians want a total ban on killing grizzly bears across BC, except where they would be hunted by some First Nations People for sustenance and ceremonial purposes.”</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">“Collectively, our organizations, which represent the majority of British Columbians, urge the BC government not to authorize any further grizzly bear hunting until it has done a full review of public input and the soon-to-be released Auditor General’s report. This is a very critical conservation issue in our province and we have an opportunity to do it right.,” says Dr. Sara Dubois, Chief Scientific Officer of the BC SPCA.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">38 Signators:</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Animal Advocates of BC</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Animal Alliance of Canada</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Animal Justice</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Animal Protection Party</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Applied Conservation GIS</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• BC Nature</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• BC SPCA</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Bears Matter</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Canadians for Bears</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Clayoquot Action</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Craighead Institute</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• David Suzuki Foundation</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• DeerSafe Victoria</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• First Nations Environmental Network</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Friends of the Lardeau River</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Friends of Nemaiah Valley</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• George Rammell Grizzly bear activist</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Great Bear Chalet</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Humane Society International/Canada</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Justice for B.C. Grizzlies</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Kootenay Reflections Photography</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Kwiakah First Nation</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• West Coast Wild Art Co.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Lifeforce Foundation</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Ocean Adventures Charter Co.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Ocean Light II Adventures</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Pacific Wild</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Purcell Alliance for Wilderness</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Save the Cedar League</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Steve Williamson Photography</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Stop the Grizzly Killing Society</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• The Furbearers</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Tourists Against Trophy Hunting</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Valhalla Wilderness Society</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Wildlife Defence League</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Wolf Awareness Incorporated</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">• Zoocheck Canada</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="16" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">OPEN LETTER TO THE BC GOVERNMENT OPPOSING</span></b><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><b><span class="16" style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">THE CONTINUATION OF HUNTING GRIZZLY BEARS FOR MEAT</span></b><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">We, the undersigned environmental and animal welfare organzations, and wildlife-based businesses, are pleased that the current BC government is committed to end the trophy hunt of grizzly bears. However we strongly oppose the government’s plans to allow continued grizzly bear hunting, under the pretext of hunting for meat, except for a jointly-regulated First Nations ceremonial/sustenance hunt. Part of the Great Bear Rainforest would have a total ban on hunting, but that’s only a very small part of grizzly bear habitat in BC. We oppose the meat hunt for the following reasons:</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">1. Grizzly bears are a species at risk. They are blue-listed in BC, and threatened by poaching, human conflicts, habitat destruction and hunting. They have disappeared from 18% of their range in BC. (1) Out of 56 grizzly bear subpopulations in BC, 9 are classified as “threatened” by British Columbia.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">2. We expect to see much trophy hunting continued under the guise of “meat” hunting. In the past, virtually all grizzly bear hunting has been trophy hunting, except for First Nations ceremonial / sustenance hunting (which we do not oppose). Many hunters find the meat unpalatable. Grizzly bears were previously included by BC Fish & Wildlife with non-game animals such as wolverines, wolves and cougars. In the past, BC hunting regulations have had a provision allowing hunters to leave the meat on the ground and take only the trophy parts. People do not travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres, pay tens of thousands of dollars, and risk their lives shooting at grizzly bears to put meat on the table. The proposed new regulations for meat hunting will simply disguise trophy hunting as meat hunting. Even if the head, hide and claws are left on the ground, or given to a conservation officer, the hunter will take away trophy videos, photographs and bragging rights. The bears will still be killed for sport.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">The BC government is considering various options to distinguish trophy hunting from meat hunting, but they only increase our conviction that this division is unenforceable. For many years BC has been unable to control substantial poaching of bears, how will it account for every trophy part of every bear shot by hunters?</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">3. The government has claimed the grizzly hunt is sustainable. However, independent biologists have been saying for years that this is not true. We do not even know with certainty how many grizzly bears there are in BC, or how many can be killed without reducing the population. Peer-reviewed studies by scientists have found numerous cases of too many bears being killed (by all causes), even according to the government’s own population numbers. Studies have proven that hunters often kill too many female bears. The European Union investigated BC’s grizzly bear hunt, ruled it environmentally unsustainable, and banned the import of trophies.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">4. Closing the meat hunt in a limited area will concentrate hunting in other areas. While the government proposes to stop all grizzly bear hunting in a 230,000-hectare area of the Great Bear Rainforest, this is only a small part of grizzly bear habitat across BC. Grizzly bear hunting in this area will simply move to other coastal and interior areas of the province.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">In addition, the undersigned object to the following aspects of the public consultation process for the new grizzly bear hunting regulations.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">1. The process only considers how to manage the meat hunt, not whether there should even be a meat hunt. Participants are forced to accept the meat hunt as fait accompli.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">2. Poor public access to information. Only those who sign confidentiality agreements can have access to some important information. Only those willing to sign the confidentiality agreements can be “stakeholders”, which receive priority consultation. The government has not released a complete list of stakeholders. The process was not advertised until recently, when it had already been running about a month, unbeknownst to many undersigned organizations. The confidentiality agreements represent muzzling of public organizations and suppressing information.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">In June of this year, 23 organizations concerned with the welfare of wildlife sent a letter to the BC government that stated: “The wildlife of the province belongs to all British Columbians, and has by law been held by the government in trust.” The letter came about because the provincial government had been giving hunting organizations and related businesses priority access to consultation on matters related to wildlife, resulting in glaring policy bias.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Today the undersigned organizations and businesses are seeking increased recognition by the government that BC wildlife belongs to all Canadians, who have an equal stake in how it is managed, and an equal right to relevant information. We expect proportionate representation in all provincial wildlife matters. BC has over 1,500 species at risk. Recognizing the worldwide biodiversity crisis, the management of our wildlife must shift away from maximizing how many animals hunters can kill, to the practice of conservation biology to ensure the survival of species at risk.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">We hold that the upcoming Auditor General’s report on the grizzly bear hunt — which was due to be released in September — is critical information for all parties to have before making decisions on this issue. Rushing to change the hunting regulations before the report is released wastes the tax dollars that have been spent to better inform decision-making. We urge the BC government not to authorize any further grizzly bear hunting until it has done a full review of public input and the soon-to-be released Auditor General’s report.</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Sincerely,</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">References</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">1. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Grizzly Bear of Canada, </span><a href="https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=A32186C4-1&offset=9"><u><span class="15" style="color: #24890d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=A32186C4-1&offset=9</span></u></a><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">2. Artelle, K. A., Anderson, S. C., Cooper, A. B., Paquet, P. C., Reynolds, J. D., Darimont, C. T., “Confronting Uncertainty in Wildlife Management: Performance of Grizzly Bear Management,” PLOS ONE, Nov. 2013, Vol. 8, </span><a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0078041&type=printable"><u><span class="15" style="color: #24890d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0078041&type=printable</span></u></a><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;">=</span><span style="color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-17543651176999103352017-07-24T21:10:00.000-07:002017-07-27T14:57:52.840-07:00Why Deer Lovers Should Defend Bears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Jim Lawrence</td></tr>
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We have a new provincial government in power. The NDP campaigned on the promise that they would ban the grizzly trophy hunt, and we want to see that promise kept.<br />
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Many of us know that the hunting lobby has worked closely with the former BC Liberals for sixteen years, and that they've utilized their friends in high places to erode animal protections, increasing hunting "opportunities" in our Province. Some of us know the close relations between high profile Kootenay hunters and MLAs of the day, and the financial benefits that came their way, and not just in the guide outfitting industry. But I'll get to that in a minute. </div>
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When the Dogwood Initiative exposed that a $60,000 cheque had been sent to the Guide Outfitters of BC from the trophy hunting organization Safari Club International to boost the BC Liberal campaign, the extent of the corruption came as a surprise. It shouldn't have. </div>
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In September 2011 the CBC ran an article [Kootenay to Cull Urban Deer] that Cranbrook, Invermere and Kimberley were going to cull their urban deer using a method from Helena, Montana. The method was unheard of in British Columbia. Deer would be caught in baited traps (called clover traps) during the night, and some time in the early morning hours two contractors would collapse the trap onto the deer, throw their body weight on the animals and attempt to hit them in their heads with a bolt gun that was designed for slaughtering animals in abattoirs. </div>
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The cities of Cranbrook and Kimberley had created deer committees some months before this announcement. On them were two high profile game hunters; Carmen Purdy and Ron Kerr. Both Purdy and Kerr quit the committee to travel to Helena, Montana to learn first-hand how the method was conducted. At the same time, the BC Liberals provided $15,000 to fund the "ground-breaking program" [CBC Nov 2011, These Nets Stop Deer, Not Pucks]. Ten traps were built, two bolt guns and a plastic sled were purchased.</div>
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The contracts in the first year were awarded to local hunters, which included Carmen Purdy. Purdy was culling in Elkford in 2014, where he set traps during daylight hours and an 8-year-old boy saw the cull happen. Ron Kerr applied to cull Oak Bay deer in 2015, receiving $16,000 to kill 11 deer. He was the only applicant.</div>
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Grand Forks and Invermere secured standing permits to trap/bolt gun their urban deer over five year and three year periods respectively.</div>
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The hunting lobby had created for itself a nice little cottage industry, and it came at the expense of peace of mind for most urban dwellers. Appeals to the province for more humane deer management were met with the statement that culling was the only permitted method to control urban deer.</div>
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Our province is long overdue for a science-based, compassionate approach to wildlife management. One that isn't driven solely by the emotional assertion that hunters have the right to kill animals for their pleasure and recreation. Or pin money. British Columbian wildlife also belongs to the majority of non-consumptive residents.</div>
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There is finally hope that British Columbia has a government that will listen to the majority.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen Purdy receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from then MLA Bill Bennett</td></tr>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-86434644345004160252017-07-23T10:03:00.002-07:002017-07-23T10:03:36.945-07:00Victoria to seek outside funding for deer control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFz1FPcQ1FdxBUzuU5CCaUuMnafJchNBTHBWtN38WSr59AewU-mG5-LXB4yrKK379bnuWiK_Ehz2QlhqTMjseEU2nRksJ0OTzu49YFzz0PqS9ajPT17E_29bbG3BXGa2rCktaupWCQE3I/s1600/vka-deer07987-jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="804" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFz1FPcQ1FdxBUzuU5CCaUuMnafJchNBTHBWtN38WSr59AewU-mG5-LXB4yrKK379bnuWiK_Ehz2QlhqTMjseEU2nRksJ0OTzu49YFzz0PqS9ajPT17E_29bbG3BXGa2rCktaupWCQE3I/s320/vka-deer07987-jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Victoria will call on both the province and the Capital Regional District to take a more active role in deer management in the city.</div>
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Councillors agreed Thursday to have the mayor write to the premier and to the CRD about the issue. However, they stopped short of allocating any funding in next year’s budget to deer management.</div>
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Instead, they directed staff to search for funding opportunities through the province or the CRD to work with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society to undertake deer-population counts and perhaps have staff do opinion surveys and keep track of the impact of deer. If no external funding can be found, they are to report back to council.</div>
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Coun. Charlayne Thornton Joe, who proposed the motion, said the deer issue has to be looked at with a provincial or regional lens.</div>
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“I still feel we need to be looking at this larger than municipality to municipality,” Thornton Joe said.</div>
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Culling “really doesn’t work [because] when the population is reduced, other deer will come in to replace the deer that have been culled,” she said.</div>
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“So if they’re only doing in it one municipality, unless we teach the deer to read, and say ‘no deer allowed in Victoria,’ no municipality is going to be able to catch up.”</div>
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Before any deer-management program such as contraception or culling is even considered, the first thing that has to be done is determine the extent of the problem, what neighbourhoods are most affected and the extent of the impact, she said.</div>
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“So do we have 30 deer in Fairfield or do we have five deer and everybody is seeing the same deer all the same time?” Thornton-Joe said. “Apparently deer are pretty good at keeping usual routes, and groups like the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society are well educated and counting what trails those routes may be.”</div>
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While there is anecdotal evidence that conflicts with deer are on the increase, the extent of the deer situation in the city is really an unknown, city clerk Chris Coates told councillors.</div>
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Coun. Marianne Alto said deer are primarily a provincial responsibility. “But I do think that, ultimately, we’ve set a precedent in a number of areas about looking at what the city can do to have some kind of an impact on the local effect of larger problems,” she said.</div>
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“This is not going away. I’m not at all convinced on what the way forward is, so I do support this from the perspective of finding out what the baseline is.”</div>
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Mayor Lisa Helps supported undertaking the work, but said it shouldn’t be funded through property-tax dollars.</div>
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“We only get eight cents of every tax dollar and I don’t think we should be spending property-tax dollars [on the deer initiative]. I do think we will be able to find funding either through this new government or some other means,” Helps said.</div>
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Victoria’s appeal to the CRD might not go far. In 2015 CRD directors agreed the region should take only a limited role in deer management.</div>
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Oak Bay has been a local leader in trying to deal with deer. In a controversial move, Oak Bay conducted a cull in 2015 that cost $270,000 and saw 11 deer killed over a two-week period.</div>
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This year, Oak Bay was awarded a $20,000 grant that it plans to match to radio-collar up to 20 deer and install motion-activated video cameras on trails frequented by deer. The program will be undertaken in partnership with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society.</div>
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Esquimalt conducted a survey last year to gather residents’ views regarding deer and is planning a population count of the animals next year.</div>
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bcleverly </div>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-49045421011295482352017-06-25T16:12:00.004-07:002017-06-25T16:12:50.585-07:00Victoria city council mulls foray into deer management<div class="ancillary" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">Bill Cleverley</span> / Times Colonist</div>
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JUNE 25, 2017 06:00 AM</div>
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Victoria councillors will decide next month whether the city should get involved in the contentious issue of deer management.</div>
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Anecdotal evidence of a growing urban deer population in the capital region includes an increased number of reports of car crashes involving deer.</div>
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Saanich police warned residents walking dogs to take caution after people were chased by deer aggressively protecting their fawns. Sightings of deer brazenly grazing their way through residential neighbourhoods are common.</div>
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But Victoria city staff say it’s difficult to determine the true extent of the deer situation.</div>
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A report to be considered by council in July notes that the city receives occasional complaints from residents. It also says the city has “tools” it could use to determine the extent of the problem in order to develop appropriate solutions.</div>
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These tools include population counts, public opinion surveys, public education campaigns, and community advisory committees.</div>
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Coun. Chris Coleman says the city will have to wrestle with the deer issue. “I think there are increasing interactions between a growing population of deer, or at least a perceived-to-be growing population of deer, … and a whole bunch of people.”</div>
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Three years ago, Coleman conducted a phone survey of 649 Victoria households on a variety of issues, including urban deer and the possibility of a cull.</div>
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“I had about a 35 per cent response rate,” he said. “On the deer issue, 69.2 of the respondents said we should have a deer management plan even if it includes a cull. Something like 23 per cent said not on your Nelly, and 7.4 per cent were antiseptic on the issue or had no opinion.”</div>
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Seventy per cent of people who responded to an Oak Bay survey last year said the municipality has an over-population of deer, and said they would likely support a tax increase to reduce it.</div>
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An attempted cull in Oak Bay in 2015 saw 11 deer killed in two weeks, but created a rift in the community and sparked protests by the B.C. SPCA and animal-rights activists.</div>
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Oak Bay’s latest effort at deer management involves a $40,000 project to outfit 20 deer with GPS tracking collars, and to install 40 motion sensor cameras to photograph the animals as they wander its trails. The program, funded jointly by the municipality and the province, is the first phase of a plan to reduce the number of deer through the use of birth-control drugs.</div>
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Coleman agrees with a Capital Regional District report two years ago that said Greater Victoria municipalities will have to work together if they want a deer management program to work.</div>
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“We’re going to have to get on with it. That won’t make people happy,” he said.</div>
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<a href="mailto:bcleverley@timescolonist.com" style="color: black; opacity: 1; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease;"><span style="font-size: small;">bcleverley@timescolonist.com</span></a></div>
Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-46454930276974182032017-05-12T15:30:00.000-07:002017-05-12T15:32:11.871-07:00NDP Candidate Gerry Taft nailed for defamation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgoKSlrNWXsQdJbgpEIkt_ORmPgwGF2HsxxA0sf7MD9cwOa3udtafHf3glJCX9CUEo4bWJgZ8gLJ9Tp8pz0-gt6WOgobUEKFsLmglXgv61bQUdpsYCw4kxOnOUg04yxOL2GTEFQD-lCI/s1600/kazakoff-vs-taft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgoKSlrNWXsQdJbgpEIkt_ORmPgwGF2HsxxA0sf7MD9cwOa3udtafHf3glJCX9CUEo4bWJgZ8gLJ9Tp8pz0-gt6WOgobUEKFsLmglXgv61bQUdpsYCw4kxOnOUg04yxOL2GTEFQD-lCI/s400/kazakoff-vs-taft.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Supreme Court of BC Justice GC Weatherill has awarded Devin Kazakoff $75,000 in damages plus special costs in his defamation lawsuit against Invermere Mayor and BC NDP candidate Gerry Taft.<br />
<br />
“The circumstances of the lawsuit have been very difficult for me,” Kazakoff said in a brief statement after he learned of Justice Weatherill’s 51-page decision.<br />
<br />
“While I am obviously pleased lo have had my reputation vindicated by such an award and by the Court’s thorough reasons for judgment, I am also pleased to have this behind me now.”<br />
<br />
Kazakoff, an Invermere resident, sued Taft for defamatory comments that Taft had made last year on the East Kootenay News Online Weekly website regarding a very controversial and divisive deer cull in Invermere.<br />
<br />
In the readers’ comment section of a story about the controversy Taft wrote:<br />
“Signed by the same Devon [sic] Kazzakof [sic] who was convicted of tampering with and destroying deer traps in Kimberley. I wouldn’t be so quick to believe convicted felons who have extreme positions on animal rights issues and who do not respect the decisions of democratically elected local governments doing what the majority of their constituents want.”<br />
Gerry Taft January 13, 2016, at 6:29 pm<br />
<br />
However, at no time had Kazakoff been convicted of a crime. He was arrested for vandalizing deer traps in Kimberley and charged with mischief. Here’s how this was described on pages 8 and 9 of Justice Weatherill’s decision:<br />
<br />
“On March 30, 2015, the plaintiff pled guilty in Provincial Court to a single count of mischief under $5,000 in connection with the Kimberley incident. On April 1, 2015, he was sentenced and given a 30-day conditional discharge by the Honourable Judge R. Webb. The 30-day probationary condition imposed on the plaintiff was that he pay restitution of $735.50 to the City of Kimberley, $1,000 (joint and several with his accomplice) to the Ministry, and a victim fine surcharge of $1,040. The plaintiff paid all of those amounts the following day. Accordingly, his discharge became absolute on May 1, 2015 and, as a result, he does not have a criminal record.”<br />
<br />
According to the judgment Taft explained his reaction this way:<br />
<br />
“The defendant conceded on cross-examination that he only “skimmed” the e-know article at home while eating dinner and published his post a “minute or two later” based upon his “vague memory” of the plaintiff’s court proceeding nine months earlier. He further testified that, at the time of his post, he either had not known or had forgotten that the plaintiff had received a conditional discharge. His post was based simply on his recollection that the plaintiff “had been caught and had pled guilty to a crime and had been convicted”. He admitted on cross-examination that he had no idea as to the charge the plaintiff had pleaded guilty to.”<br />
<br />
Justice Weatherill had some harsh things to say about Taft.<br />
<br />
In the analysis portion of his decision, pages 27-30, he said he found Kazakoff to be genuine, honest and forthcoming manner. “I have no hesitation accepting his testimony in its entirety,” he wrote.<br />
<br />
However, he had little good to say about Taft.<br />
<br />
“[106] I find that I am unable to give the defendant’s evidence the same approbation. On non-controversial matters, he testified in a straightforward and forthright manner. However, when his conduct regarding the central issues in this action came to be examined, he became confrontational, argumentative, and often launched into campaign-style monologues in an effort to validate his actions. It was apparent that he viewed many of the questions put to him on cross-examination as an affront to his integrity.<br />
<br />
“[107] I found the defendant’s evidence regarding his state of mind towards the plaintiff as well as his understanding of and motivation for the contents of his January 13, 2016 post to be overly rehearsed and disingenuous.<br />
<br />
“[108] I do not accept as credible the defendant’s evidence regarding what he knew of the plaintiff’s April 2015 court proceeding at the time of his January 13, 2016 post. The defendant testified that he was certain he knew that the plaintiff had pleaded guilty but was uncertain as to whether he had heard what the sentence was. Yet, the defendant was intimately involved in the deer cull issue from the beginning. It was and had been the subject of significant debate for over three years at the time of the plaintiff’s court proceedings. The defendant’s evidence that he was too overwhelmed by work and sleep deprivation to have been interested in the outcome of those proceedings defies credulity. The wide-spread media coverage regarding the plaintiff having received a conditional discharge would not have escaped the defendant who was the spokesperson for the cull side of the debate and who had been so intimately involved in the issue. I find that the defendant was well aware of the outcome of the plaintiff’s court proceedings in April 2015, and was upset at the result which he perceived was far too lenient. He twice stated during his cross-examination that “many crimes in Canada don’t have a severe enough penalty”.<br />
<br />
“[109] Moreover, I do not accept the defendant’s evidence as to his motivation for the January 13, 2016 post. The defendant’s purported sense of obligation as someone involved in the deer cull debate to enlighten the readers of the e-know article about the dangers of accepting as true what had been written in the Press Release and what was depicted in the Video simply does not pass scrutiny. The defendant admitted he had not seen the Video and that there was nothing inaccurate about the Press Release. Why would the defendant feel the need to caution the viewer about an article that was demonstrably true and a video that he had not seen? If the defendant’s motivation was truly to alert e-know’s readers to the other side of the deer cull debate as he claims, he would not have written the words he did.<br />
<br />
“[110] I find that the e-know article was viewed by the defendant as an opportunity to vent his pent-up frustration at the plaintiff, who he perceived as a “criminal” and whose opposition to “the decisions of democratically elected local governments doing what the majority of their constituents want” had gone unpunished.<br />
<br />
“[111] The defendant’s demeanour changed noticeably during his evidence regarding his having been unaware of the plaintiff’s January 14, 2016 Facebook message to him demanding an apology. He went to some length in an attempt to explain how difficult it was for him to find messages on his Facebook account from people who were not one of his Facebook “friends” because those messages are located in his Facebook message box designated “Other”. Given his long-time active use of Facebook, I do not accept as credible his incomprehensible and confused obfuscation in this regard. The oft quoted phrase from Hamlet came to mind while I listened to him: “the Lady doth protest too much, methinks”.<br />
<br />
“[112] Moreover, it defies common sense that a social media-savvy politician like the defendant would have had no interest in reading messages received from “Other”.<br />
<br />
“[113] The defendant testified that “if there’s something I wish to say, I say it”. I find that he did precisely that—he intended to attack the plaintiff’s character and integrity and chose his words deliberately.<br />
<br />
“[114] The question is: were those words defamatory of the plaintiff?”<br />
<br />
This decision will almost certainly have an impact on the election in Columbia River-Revelstoke. The big question is how much damage will it do to Taft?<br />
<br />
When contacted for comment Taft said he was disappointed by the ruling.<br />
<br />
“I offered an early apology concerning this matter,” he said in an e-mail to The Revelstoke Current.<br />
<br />
“I am disappointed by the judgement and disagree with much of it. I will be consulting with my lawyer about filing an appeal. For now, I am focussed on the election campaign and the issues that matter to the people of Columbia River Revelstoke.”<br />
<br />
However, Doug Clovechok, his BC Liberal opponent in the election campaign says this raises serious questions about Taft’s judgment and character.<br />
<br />
“The conviction is very clear,” he said. “And this guy wants to be our elected MLA? I think you need better judgment than that. The people of Columbia River-Revelstoke deserve an MLA with the highest integrity, someone they can trust. And I’m working hard every single day to earn their support on May 9th.”<br />
<br />
Voters go to the polls on May 9.<br />
<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-16214843953573370262017-03-23T20:24:00.003-07:002017-03-23T20:24:48.719-07:00New Independent Wildlife Group to Take Over BC Government Operations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdndoEKHJu48yNfnVyrE_vTj9fNCuqkYaDEhLNU-Vbq0uSZ-0U8Qamuoi8xdYDmo1AlQ_EiJrwsa_c7tdwsM0ZQkxksPBputqjfAWIhO2OCPceDvy7imoyJVMCRjoGCodSt9h1-dkMVfg/s1600/Bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdndoEKHJu48yNfnVyrE_vTj9fNCuqkYaDEhLNU-Vbq0uSZ-0U8Qamuoi8xdYDmo1AlQ_EiJrwsa_c7tdwsM0ZQkxksPBputqjfAWIhO2OCPceDvy7imoyJVMCRjoGCodSt9h1-dkMVfg/s320/Bennett.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017 12:04pm<br /><br />Kootenay-East MLA Bill Bennett says this is a massive step forward in wildlife management.<br />
<br />Making the announcement Wednesday morning, Bennett says local hunting, conservation, and wildlife groups will establish the framework for a new independent group.<br />
<br />They would essentially be responsible for managing animal populations in BC, which Bennett argues would be able to do the job much more effectively than the government.<br />
<br />"Government is afraid to manage wolves, for example, or afraid to mange grizzly bears in some cases because of the politics of that. Hopefully, an agency that is separate from government can make decisions that are in the best long-term interest of wildlife and just forget about the politics and do what is best for the animals."<br />
<br />More than a dozen local and regional wildlife officials attended Bennett's announcement, which was met with universally-high praise.<br />
<br />"I think it'll put more positive aspect into managing wildlife and getting away from the precautionary principles and get back to real numbers and managing wildlife the way it should be," says Past President of the BC Wildlife Federation Dave White.<br />
<br />White argues that the local wildlife groups simply have a deeper understanding of the local issues affecting animal populations, and therefore know what needs to be done to resolve them.<br />
<br />Few details are known about the makeup of this new group at this time, but Bennett says it will be funded with an initial $5 million from the government, with the $9-10 million from annual hunting license renewals making up the rest.<br />
<br />It will also be open to funds from outside groups that have an interest in wildlife.<br />
<br />"This is a funding model that needs to happen," says East Kootenay Wildlife Association President Jeff Berdusco. "Everybody needs to come to the table for the common goal of increasing wildlife populations across the province, not just in the East Kootenay. This is a necessary first step."<br />
<br />Following May's provincial election, the various local, regional, and provincial wildlife associations will meet to discuss what exactly the group would look like and how it would function.<br />
<br />Bennett hopes to launch the new agency sometime this fall.<br />
<br />- David Opinko<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-61752780807203383992017-03-17T14:27:00.001-07:002017-03-17T14:27:42.280-07:00Oak Bay scores provincial funds to count deer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAs-TvnfR6HYa5hl17jxb7_4bd8SAW5122epA6cAv_n4IHJBPybcPeiadehXnHELUhP8ClyKTFIZi53mVHurFg49O5m5uRm_eNPzebH83tB9VnTGaJp4IsQHrfT2aXCizxw9oMWuPyrQ/s1600/Oak+Bay+Deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAs-TvnfR6HYa5hl17jxb7_4bd8SAW5122epA6cAv_n4IHJBPybcPeiadehXnHELUhP8ClyKTFIZi53mVHurFg49O5m5uRm_eNPzebH83tB9VnTGaJp4IsQHrfT2aXCizxw9oMWuPyrQ/s320/Oak+Bay+Deer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will issue Oak Bay $20,000 through its urban deer cost-share program, for the district to partner with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society on a deer plan for the community.<br />— image credit: Christine van Reeuwyk/Oak Bay News<br />
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<br />
Oak Bay plans to embark on its deer plan as soon as the collars
arrive which could take six weeks, according to the project manager.<br />
“The first thing we need to do is capture 20 deer – bucks and
does – and fit them with the GPS recording equipment,” said Steve
Huxter, of the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society.<br />
They ordered the collars as soon as funding through the Ministry
of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations funding came
through March 16. Oak Bay will get $20,000 urban deer cost-share
program, funding projects that focus on deer culls and research into
other population control methods.<br />
“I’m very pleased with the province providing the funds to
assist the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society to lead a unique
approach to managing the deer population and also trying to
understand the behaviour of deer in our urban environment,” said
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen. “We’re certainly hopeful any resulting
management strategies will respond to the concerns we’ve heard from
residents that there is an overpopulation of deer in our
neighbourhoods.”<br />
In <a href="http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/406572496.html?mobile=true" target="_blank">December,
</a>Oak Bay and UWSS learned Invermere, Grand Forks, Elkford and
Cranbrook were approved for funding, while the ministry worked with
Oak Bay to refine its proposal.<br />
“We were able to satisfy all the questions they had,” Huxter
said. “All the tweaks are in the research phase to make sure all we
do satisfies their requirements for good science-based evidence.”<br />
With the matching $20,000 from the municipality, UWSS will
implement the first phase of its deer management project – to radio
collar up to 20 deer and place motion-activated cameras on trails
frequented by deer. Information collected would give the municipality
a better understanding of deer densities, range, population dynamics
and dispersal rates and inform future management decisions.<br />
“We’re three months down the road from where we first started
so that does set things back a bit. We’ve got the equipment being
ordered all our plans in place,” Huxter said.<br />
Alongside the six-week wait for collars, UWSS and Oak Bay must
apply to capture and tag the province’s deer.<br />
Collaring deer is first – “We need to start gathering that
information first and foremost,” Huxter said. Then the plan is to
place motion-activated cameras on known deer trails.<br />
“We thought we could send out teams of people and identify them,
but looking over the area there are so many places the deer can hide.
What we’re going to do is have 40 cameras set up,” Huxter said.
Four cameras within each square kilometre, would snap images of deer
_ identified by tags or other natural identifying markers.<br />
“That will give us information about their movement. We have a
statistician who will be taking all this data … it well tell us
much more about what the population density looks like,” Huxter
said. The project is based on significant support from Camosun
College and the University of Victoria.<br />
“We really want to get the community engaged in this process as
well,” Huxter said. “In some areas we will be asking residents if
we can place a camera on their property.”<br />
The UWSS website, <a href="http://www.deerplanoakbay.ca/" target="_blank">deerplanoakbay.ca</a>,
is under renovation to accept sighting information, something they
already do on their Facebook page.<br />
“We want to make sure that everybody in Oak Bay knows exactly
what’s going on so they’re not caught off guard,” Huxter said.
“We’re only going to be doing this for two to three months.”<br />
Oak Bay offers an abundance of vegetation and no natural predators
contributing to a perceived rise of the black-tailed deer population.
Since 2012, deer mortalities within Oak Bay have averaged at 35 to 45
per year.<br />
“What we’ve heard in our citizen survey and what i continually
hear throughout the community the vast majority of our residents feel
there are too many deer in a very small area. We’ve got to remember
Oak Bay is only 10 square kilometres,” Jensen said.<br />
The information would be used to develop an understanding of
population size, density and movement patterns of black-tailed deer
in Oak Bay and help the municipality develop an evidence-based,
systematic, long-term urban deer management program as well as
provide a science-based standard for effective urban deer population
control.<br />
A potential next phase of the UWSS plan <a href="http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/402786406.html" target="_blank">previously
outlined</a> includes immuno-contraceptives, administered to female
deer.<br />
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
by Christine van Reeuwyk -
Oak Bay News</div>
</li>
<li>Oak Bay posted Mar 16, 2017 at 4:00 PM<br />
</li>
</ul>
Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-74316125529025438972017-02-12T13:51:00.000-08:002017-06-17T22:39:23.963-07:00It's True – Victoria has received hardly any deer complaints<b>Through a Freedom of Information Request, DeerSafe Victoria has received all letters of complaint regarding urban deer that were sent to the municipality of Victoria between 2012 and 2016. The following is a summary.</b><br />
<u>2012</u><br />
<ul>
<li>One garden complaint.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<u>2013</u><br />
<ul>
<li>No complaints.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<u>2014</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Four letters; two regarding traffic safety, one fearing for the safety of children, one regarding a neighbour feeding deer</li>
</ul>
<br />
<u>2015</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Two garden complaints.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>A Times Colonist article (All Eyes on Kootenay Deer Relocation Program, July 19, 2016) quoted Mayor Helps as stating that she hardly gets any complaints about deer. That comment prompted four letters and two phone calls. </b><br />
<br />
<u>2016</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Four letters; three garden complaints (referencing the Mayor's comment in the Times Colonist) and one fearing for the safety of children.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Two phone calls logged; one garden complaint and one listing concerns about Lyme Disease, cougars and traffic incidents.</li>
</ul>
<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-28711410458556264542017-01-09T20:23:00.000-08:002017-01-09T20:23:06.399-08:00Urban deer a problem, councillors say, but it’s not Victoria’s to solve<br />
Bill Cleverley / Times Colonist<br />January 7, 2017 12:01 AM<br />
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<br /><i><br />Victoria city councillors say wildlife is a provincial responsibility — not a municipal one. Photograph By BRUCE STOTESBURY, Times Colonist </i><br /><br />Victoria councillors acknowledge that urban deer might be becoming an issue in the city — but they don’t want to be the ones who deal with it.<br /><br />Councillors agreed this week to have staff report back on the efforts by the provincial government, neighbouring municipalities and the Capital Regional District on urban deer management and to determine the magnitude of the issue.<br />
<br />But they stopped short of having them offer any solutions to deal with deer, agreeing that wildlife is a provincial responsibility — not a municipal one.<br />
<br />“If we’re not going to take on this job, why would we suggest solutions?” said Coun. Margaret Lucas.<br />
<br />“I think this is our issue, but the solution is not ours. I think we have to be very, very careful that we don’t take on a provincial issue. We don’t have the money. Staff don’t have the expertise.”<br />
<br />Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe brought up the topic during a review of the strategic plan.<br />
<br />“I’m noticing and I’m hearing that there are deer in the City of Victoria and we’re getting concerns from our citizens that something needs to be done,” Thornton-Joe told councillors.<br />
<br />“I’m not saying the City of Victoria has to do it nor fund it, but I don’t think we can just turn a blind eye that the issue does exist.”<br />
<br />Other councillors agreed, but weren’t willing to take the lead on something that they said the province should be handling.<br />
<br />“I just don’t want the City of Victoria to get at the front of the deer loop and be the only one taking action,” Coun. Jeremy Loveday said.<br />
<br />“I do think that if action is being taken — and I happen to think that something needs to be done — it does need to be done regionally. You’ve seen by efforts in other municipalities that it doesn’t work if you go it alone.”<br />
<br />Mayor Lisa Helps said she would be happy to get a report.<br />
<br />“I’m not happy to spend one cent on deer management. It is a provincial responsibility. Wildlife is a provincial responsibility. It always has been [and] until something changes it will be,” she said.<br />
<br />“I don’t think we need to ask our staff to start looking at solutions. But if we can make a strong case to the province — Oak Bay has a strong case [and] Esquimalt will be doing some of this work, from what I understand — then collectively we can go to the province and say: ‘We’ve done the research and let’s work together on solutions.’ ”<br />
<br />Resident frustrations with urban deer are percolating throughout the region, but communities are divided on what actions to take.<br />
<br />In a move that divided the community and sparked protests, Oak Bay in 2015 conducted a cull, trapping and killing 11 deer.<br />
<br />Late last year, Oak Bay asked the province to match funds up to $20,000, allowing the municipality to partner with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society to run a deer-contraception program.<br />
<br />The province turned down the request, saying it wanted more research done.<br />A recent survey of Esquimalt residents found a majority are willing to pay higher taxes to fund a deer-management program.Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-66840702268258119472016-12-12T22:08:00.002-08:002016-12-12T22:09:48.919-08:00Provincial dollars a big win for municipalities, says NDP candidate, Invermere mayor3 Interior B.C. communities get provincial funding for urban deer culls<br />
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<br />
<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Provincial dollars a big win for municipalities,
says Invermere mayor</span></h3>
By Matt Meuse, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-news-online-news-staff-list-1.1294364">CBC
News</a> Posted: Dec 11, 2016 5:00 PM PT<br />
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Three B.C.
municpalities will recieve provincial funding to manage their urban
deer populations. (JL1967/Flickr)
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
The province is putting up more than $56,000 for urban deer
management in Interior B.C. — an important jurisdictional victory
for municipalities, according to the mayor of Invermere.<br />
Invermere is getting $10,200 to help cull its urban deer
population. Grand Forks is getting $16,000 and Elkford is getting
$10,000.<br />
Cranbrook is getting nearly $20,000 for a pilot relocation
program.<br />
Gerry Taft, mayor of Invermere, says the money is a win for cities
because it's an acknowledgement from the province about its
responsibility for the deer.<br />
"We always need permission from the province [to cull or
relocate deer]," Taft said. "We always felt that the
province should be at the table as the funders, that they should be
helping to fund these solutions."<br />
<h2 class="western">
Relocation programs tested</h2>
Taft said the funding is on a per-deer basis, with the province
doling out $200 per deer. He says that covers most of the cost of the
cull, but not all of it.<br />
Invermere has been culling its urban deer population since 2011.
Taft says the city's strategy has changed significantly since then;
the initial goal was to reduce the population as much as possible,
but the city now takes a more strategic approach, culling a smaller
number but focusing on especially problematic areas.<br />
The city has also experimented with relocation programs, tagging
and moving 13 deer out of the city in 2016.<br />
Taft says the results were mixed. The deer took to the relocation
better than expected, but several have already ended up back in town.<br />
"They were moved over 50 kilometres away from Invermere into
the backcountry, [but] at least four of those deer have returned to
Invermere," he said.<br />
<h2 class="western">
Humans to blame</h2>
Wild animal culls are always contentious issues, and Taft says
Invermere is no exception.<br />
He said the relocation program shows some promise as an
alternative to culling, but the costs might be prohibitive if so many
of the deer return to the city anyway.<br />
But Taft says problems with urban deer are, at their core, just as
much about humans as about the deer themselves.<br />
To that end, Taft hopes the cull will have the secondary effect of
making people realize that their own actions are putting deer at risk
— things like feeding deer or leaving garbage unsecured.<br />
"It's about what humans are doing and the behaviour of humans
that are attracting deer and allowing them to thrive and stay in
these urban environments," he said.<br />
<i>With files from CBC Radio One's <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radiowest">Radio
West</a>.</i><br />
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<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-92173287584289141922016-12-10T11:21:00.002-08:002016-12-10T14:20:14.639-08:00Birth control plan for Oak Bay deer hits snagProvince balks at funding untested contraceptive scheme to reduce deer population<br />
By Deborah Wilson, CBC News Posted: Dec 09, 2016 7:10 PM PT<br />
<br />
<br />
A plan to put deer on birth control in the Victoria suburb of Oak Bay has hit a snag.<br />
<br />
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen says the B.C. government is calling for more study before it will consider sharing the cost for the plan.<br />
<br />
Last month, Oak Bay Council asked for $20,000 from the province.<br />
<br />
Communities elsewhere in the province have received provincial funding for deer culls.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1LvFjCOvsW3YwXAdUROI8eq1xuigivYS9n0mP40qstCQXKYtMwXmL9SiEhf8ekbMzg_wS1wJ4bGys831MmxcfKeOgBf7eyUB0W3OCh2r1EEzN34mIlgcqLQIpFh-_1bQC7hIwJQax_U/s1600/buck-in-victoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1LvFjCOvsW3YwXAdUROI8eq1xuigivYS9n0mP40qstCQXKYtMwXmL9SiEhf8ekbMzg_wS1wJ4bGys831MmxcfKeOgBf7eyUB0W3OCh2r1EEzN34mIlgcqLQIpFh-_1bQC7hIwJQax_U/s320/buck-in-victoria.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
"We appear to be the only community in British Columbia at this point that are looking at a non-lethal alternative to cull for deer management," Jensen said.<br />
"Should Oak Bay go forward with a successful fertility control program it can become a model for the rest of the province."<br />
<br />
In 2015, Oak Bay tried a deer cull to reduce the deer population. The regional deer management pilot project killed 11 deer but drew strong opposition from the B.C. SPCA and other animal rights groups.<br />
<br />
<b>Contraceptive injection proposed</b><br />
<br />
The current plan is to partner with a local stewardship group to trap and inject female deer with an immunocontraceptive serum.<br />
<br />
Provincial staff say only one contraceptive drug has ever been used in B.C.and it's not currently in production, so a safe alternative needs to be identified for black-tailed deer.<br />
<br />
Other details that need to be worked out include specifics on methods to capture the deer and administer the drug.<br />
<br />
Jensen said Oak Bay plan should get conditional approval as a pilot project.<br />
<br />
"These urban deer are owned by the province," Jensen said. "They really have shown a reluctance in the last few years to really do something about it."<br />
To be effective, Jensen said the deer fertility-control program must start three or four months before mating season in September and October.<br />
<br />
If financial support from the province is not forthcoming, he said, the fertility-control project won't proceed.<br />
<br />
<b>Culls, relocation approved elsewhere</b><br />
<br />
"We'd have to go back to the drawing board for council," he said.<br />
"Our proceeding to this point was conditional on a joint province-local government initiative."<br />
<br />
Grand Forks, Invermere and Elford have received provincial funds for deer culls. Cranbrook will also receive funds to study relocation.<br />
<br />
Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-3098473409844954972016-11-16T20:50:00.002-08:002016-11-16T20:50:28.858-08:00Oak Bay to be a partner in deer contraception planBill Cleverley / Times Colonist <br />November 16, 2016 06:00 AM<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xdVA43SqPVgw0LNl546gTzZ2KNm6bLJits7sQfxIt8iYvhvMH87nnUf9Y4jUYardmc7baV0LP-ew1uWsNtiDogVdQ058-EtdoNa8z4ATvgVJgzQhWQ62jbyQUueofrEf09TgihBTO4o/s1600/Buck+at+the+Yew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xdVA43SqPVgw0LNl546gTzZ2KNm6bLJits7sQfxIt8iYvhvMH87nnUf9Y4jUYardmc7baV0LP-ew1uWsNtiDogVdQ058-EtdoNa8z4ATvgVJgzQhWQ62jbyQUueofrEf09TgihBTO4o/s320/Buck+at+the+Yew.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Friday:
A young buck stops for a quick snack as he makes his rounds on
Rockland Avenue. Photograph By BRUCE STOTESBURY, Times Colonist </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oak Bay plans to partner with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship
Society to run a deer contraception program in the municipality.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">“The hope of the program is that it will reduce the herd in Oak
Bay,” Mayor Nils Jensen said Tuesday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Oak Bay council has agreed to apply to the province for matching
funds up to $20,000 to contract with the society to “implement a
deer-reduction plan using fertility control.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">“We’re very pleased [with the decision],” said society
president Kristy Kilpatrick.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">She said details are being formulated so it is too early to say
how many deer might be targeted for vaccination.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">“I think the most important aspect of the motion [Monday] night
was that we are now able to undertake a deer management program under
the provincial definition of a research project, and that this is
potentially going to provide another tool for communities who engage
in urban deer reduction to do it in a humane, non-lethal way,”
Kilpatrick said in an email.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">The deadline for the application is Nov. 22.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">The last-minute motion for the deer plan was brought forward by
Coun. Tara Ney.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Created in 2015, the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society includes
current and former educators, retired biologists, civil servants and
working professionals. It has been lobbying for a science-based
alternative to killing deer and favours controlling deer numbers
through the use of SpayVac, a contraceptive vaccine.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">A survey of Oak Bay residents found that deer were top of mind for
many Oak Bay residents. “We saw the results of the survey were
quite clear that people felt that there was an overpopulation of deer
in Oak Bay,” Jensen said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Typically, through a deer contraception program deer would be
trapped in a modified clover trap. The does would be tagged,
inoculated and released.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">In 2015 Oak Bay sparked a wave of protests when it conducted a
deer cull. Only 11 deer were killed over a 16-day period.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Jensen said when it was examining its options for deer control two
years ago it was told by the province that contraceptive control was
not an option and would not be approved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">“We were also told that there was no serum available in Canada
at that time. So we didn’t have that as an option for consideration
at that time,” Jensen said. “My position all along is we need to
reduce the herd. Full stop.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">“Again, that was something we saw in the results of the survey
and if this is successful then it will meet that objective,” he
said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">The matter will be back before councillors Monday to finalize
details, Jensen said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Jensen said there’s no question the number of deer is on the
rise. Eight years ago, vehicle collisions involving deer were rare in
Oak Bay. This year the municipality is on track to haul away 50 deer
carcasses, he said.</span><br />
</span>
<br />
Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-28598552774523885422016-10-07T21:22:00.002-07:002016-10-08T08:19:18.614-07:00'They shot them all'<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }</style>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>The waters of
wildlife management and protection are so muddy even provincial
employees and directors don't know where responsibilities lie in
decision-making processes. Email them about responsibilities and/or
accountability and you will be as confused as they are. Add wildlife
as agricultural animals to the confusion, and you see a recipe for
disaster.</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>On Thursday, October
6, 2016 twenty seven deer were gunned down on a deer farm in Vernon,
BC. The wildlife veterinarian for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations ordered the killings, saying “As far as
the animals are concerned, the case is closed.” Ms Schwantje “who
works with a number of government ministries” is a
consultant with the Ministry of Agriculture when that ministry has no
clear guidelines.</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Wildlife as
agricultural animals are in a dangerous position while Ministeries
shuffle responsibility. The result on October 6 was the mass
slaughter of 27 animals by gunfire.
</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBGzm7sZi0P4G7M8vK5lAQwms-W1jcVvZsGEAgV7Fq7nDfgkpgMxNpJsCprZ0xeUseZkn4h0CqnPWD379IMPJKqy4b9HnszBu63OvBRA0yHE2DFakrWTqQW-GHZVQTqc2bgQ9nPTeCXE/s1600/TEMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBGzm7sZi0P4G7M8vK5lAQwms-W1jcVvZsGEAgV7Fq7nDfgkpgMxNpJsCprZ0xeUseZkn4h0CqnPWD379IMPJKqy4b9HnszBu63OvBRA0yHE2DFakrWTqQW-GHZVQTqc2bgQ9nPTeCXE/s400/TEMP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.castanet.net/reporter/Kate-Bouey">Kate
Bouey</a> - Oct 7, 2016 / 9:15 am
</div>
</div>
<br />
An Enderby farmer is blasting the “heavy handedness” of
government for shooting dead almost all of the deer on his property,
Thursday. A ministry veterinarian confirmed the action.<br />
“It was a circus here,” said Richard Yntema of Valley Wide
Meats, who owns Rivers Bend fallow deer farm. “What they did was
total cruelty.<br />
“They thought they could use tranquillizer guns, but they got
tired and they blasted away. I lost track after 75 rounds were
fired."<br />
Yntema said the officials included members of the B.C.
Conservation Officers Service and the ministries of Environment and
Forests, Lands and Natural Resources.<br />
The farmer admitted he had failed to comply with regulatory issues
under the Game Farm Act.<br />
Yntema said he believes the main issue has been old trees falling
on fences that allowed some deer to escape onto neighbouring
properties.<br />
“Certain ministries allowed my neighbours to shoot them at will.
I don't know which ministries,” Yntema said.<br />
He points directly at officials from the Ministry of Forests,
Lands and Natural Resources for Thursday's slaughter.<br />
“They ran out of ammunition and then asked the Conservation
Officers Service if they could use theirs,” Yntema said.<br />
“It was basically a police lockdown. They harrassed my customers
and put a checkpoint on my driveway.<br />
“They drove over my crops, damaged fences and some pipes. I'm
told I can file a claim for compensation, but I have no idea who to
talk to.”<br />
A B.C. government wildlife veterinarian confirmed that 27 deer
were shot by officials yesterday while two females were successfully
removed alive.<br />
"This farmer used to have a permit under the Game Farm Act
for holding fallow deer but ownership has reverted under the Wildlife
Act," said Helen Schwantje, who works with a number of
government ministries. "Conservation officers were mandated to
enforce the act and went in with a warrant."<br />
Biologists and officials from Ministry of Agriculture were also
present with the job of removing the deer, Schwantje said.<br />
“Our concern was that these animals would escape and set up a
population in the area and damage the habitat. We wanted to make sure
we dealt with it before it got any worse.”<br />
Schwantje said capturing any deer is an “incredible challenge”
and fallow deer are extremely skittish.<br />
While the goal had been to capture the animals alive with
anesthetic darts, only two females were successfully tranquilized and
removed while 27 others were shot dead, she confirmed.<br />
“There was no way to herd them safely onto a trailer. We were
really stuck.”<br />
The farmer had been given opportunities to remove the animals to a
licenced establishment, Schwantje said.<br />
“Unfortunately this man has not been in compliance” with the
regulations, she said, adding that the deer had been allowed to
escape and there had been complaints from neighbours and some habitat
damage.<br />
As far as the animals are concerned, the case is closed, said
Schwantje.<br />
She said any charges against the farmer would come from the
Ministry of Agriculture or the Conservation Officers Service.<br />
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-53342321190270094572016-10-01T19:46:00.000-07:002016-10-01T19:49:41.343-07:00A Leading Survey from Oak BayOak Bay conducted a Satisfaction and Priorities telephone survey of 400 residents recently, followed up by an online survey, now available until October 21, 2016.<br />
<br />
<b>Buried in the online Satifaction and Priorities Survey's many questions regarding parking and recreational opportunities are one to three questions concerning urban deer. Answering “no” to the question “Do you feel there is an overpopulation of deer in the District of Oak Bay?” will take you to questions concerned with other topics. </b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyzQkKinR9pyacLk_dvS7q7KpnvXCah_bY9tW36SooCngJ1Z4E7DezF18JBjTR0X0Y3T4h-9Lze8Z1NTLTD5jRE-r79aDulSkswpGvI46f93np1R-HBZ32zqe0Doqrk7fJGxdHhtpyh8/s1600/OB+SURVEY+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyzQkKinR9pyacLk_dvS7q7KpnvXCah_bY9tW36SooCngJ1Z4E7DezF18JBjTR0X0Y3T4h-9Lze8Z1NTLTD5jRE-r79aDulSkswpGvI46f93np1R-HBZ32zqe0Doqrk7fJGxdHhtpyh8/s400/OB+SURVEY+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Answering “yes”
will bring up this window:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsMX6z6nMTHKzBmizk84b3EEJtqfMrfgkEJPiZUw9BbpF50baJYAI7L81sd8QkQe93TNnbqDl_F1SbaN2Ya7uyVDqsm74QHRiOoBEFtjnItq43zQtO5Nrh7sJWjel5feFYReHxVRy0Yo/s1600/OB+SURVEY+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsMX6z6nMTHKzBmizk84b3EEJtqfMrfgkEJPiZUw9BbpF50baJYAI7L81sd8QkQe93TNnbqDl_F1SbaN2Ya7uyVDqsm74QHRiOoBEFtjnItq43zQtO5Nrh7sJWjel5feFYReHxVRy0Yo/s400/OB+SURVEY+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Answer “strongly
support” (or possibly any other multiple choice answer; our
researcher did not attempt other answers) and you will receive this
window:</b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTzfT30yx3w8D32M3O2U2ZV70NX-slxzKCqk1Cxe7d1VrOZnFkwACGcENEYzrEd4zB07D2kRN2uLy02gFGr_y3NFqd08Ql7KzKgYDnc7q7O4EnES7eqo_3DlPFSE4KDPuee-oty21yLY/s1600/OB+SURVEY+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTzfT30yx3w8D32M3O2U2ZV70NX-slxzKCqk1Cxe7d1VrOZnFkwACGcENEYzrEd4zB07D2kRN2uLy02gFGr_y3NFqd08Ql7KzKgYDnc7q7O4EnES7eqo_3DlPFSE4KDPuee-oty21yLY/s400/OB+SURVEY+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In contrast, volunteers began delivery of a Deer Activity survey on
October 1, 2016 to 1,100 households for the city of Esquimalt.
Developed by an independent consultant, the 24 question survey “will
help determine the extent of deer activity in the community, and
residents' perceptions and attitudes regarding deer.”</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Esquimalt survey may be returned via postage-paid envelope, or
online using a unique number on each paper version delivered to
households, ensuring that the survey may only be taken once, and only
by Esquimalt residents.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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Results are scheduled to be presented to council at their December
12, 2016 Committee of the Whole meeting.
</div>
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Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-77634096950859701312016-08-20T19:41:00.000-07:002016-08-20T19:41:54.193-07:00The Hunting Revenue the BC Liberals Don't Brag AboutMost British Columbians would have no reason to peruse the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Operations website to look up their Hunting and Trapping Synopsis. That's because most British Columbians don't kill wildlife for fun and profit.<br />
<br />
The following are some of the advertisements from the 2014-2016 Hunting and Trapping Synopsis that the BC Liberals have received revenue from. The claim that hunters are conservationists who care very deeply about the animals that they target falls on its face with the very first advertisement. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://victoriaanimalnews.com/bc-hunting-revenue/" target="_blank">http://victoriaanimalnews.com/bc-hunting-revenue/</a><br />
<br />
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<br />Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2683049806615561911.post-22627786486043170142016-08-19T08:46:00.001-07:002016-08-19T08:46:31.577-07:00Dog Caught in Leghold Trap on Vancouver IslandPets caught in leghold traps is a more common occurrence than most realize, rarely covered by mainstream media. Lynne Cracknell, whose dog was injured by a leghold trap near Campbell River, BC, was not expecting to be wrestling her pet out of a vice-like trap when she was out of a walk in February.<br />
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Her horrific experience didn't end there. At her meeting with Conservation Officer Steve Petrovic she learned that trapping wolves on Vancouver Island is more prevalent than the public knows, and the rights of the trapper (not wildlife, not public safety) is the focus of BC's conservation office.<br />
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This is her story. <br />
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<a href="http://victoriaanimalnews.com/dog-caught-in-leghold-trap/">http://victoriaanimalnews.com/dog-caught-in-leghold-trap/</a>Legislate Kindnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07734366477918094074noreply@blogger.com0