After dealing with weeks of vandalism to its traps, the City of Cranbrook has wrapped up this year’s deer cull with a total of eight deer removed from the urban population.
According to the City, after the 12 weeks of operation, three mule deer and five whitetail deer have been removed in an effort to curb aggression and complaints from the public.
The City said that a total of 353 pounds of meat was prepared by butchers and donated to several local non-profit organizations as food, and hooves, antlers and hides were given to the ʔaq̓am community.
Cranbrook says that it and its contractor’s efforts were significantly hampered by vandalism to its traps and theft of game cameras. An investigation into the vandalism by the Cranbrook RCMP led to the arrest of two Kimberley residents on the weekend of February 15th.
More: Two Arrested by Cranbrook RCMP in Relation to Deer Trap Vandalism (February 19, 2020)
More: Vandalism and Theft Limiting Cranbrook’s Deer Cull Program (February 11, 2020)
“We’re disappointed that vandalism and theft led to the low numbers in this year’s cull,” says Mike Peabody, Acting Mayor for the City of Cranbrook. “As a Council, our number one priority is public safety when it comes to spending tax dollars on removing urban deer. We know that generally urban deer keep their distance from humans, but we’ve had numerous occasions where deer have acted aggressively toward residents and have severely and fatally injured a number of dogs.”
On October 10, 2019, the City was issued a wildlife permit to allow the capture of up to 60 mule deer and 10 whitetails. Cranbrook said that it became apparent than in areas with higher deer aggression complaints had more whitetail, prompting the City to request an amendment to its permit, which was granted on January 22, 2020, to allow for the capture of 35 mule deer and 35 whitetails.
The City said it was able to access funding to help offset the costs of the deer management program for $300 per animal. It added that the fund also helped pay for ongoing awareness and public education programs about urban wildlife.
Residents can contact the City at 311 or [email protected] should they encounter an aggressive deer.
Previous: Cranbrook City Council Approves Deer Cull (October 29, 2019)
Previous: B.C. Government Providing Funds for Urban Deer Control (October 1, 2019)