The urban deer population reduction program in the City of Cranbrook has been completed.

The program began on Thursday February 7, with the setup and baiting of traps and concluded on Thursday February 28, with a total of 24 mule deer being captured and euthanized over an approximately 18 day trapping period, the city reported today (Feb. 28) in a press release.

The breakdown of the mule deer captured is as follows: seven adult bucks, 10 adult does and seven yearlings. Although there was provision in the Wildlife Permit to capture and euthanize both mule deer and white-tail deer, the contractor was instructed by the city and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) to release any captured white-tail deer, if it was deemed safe to do so, for both the deer and the contractor. Five white-tail deer were captured during the program. All five were released by the contractors unharmed.

The Wildlife Permit was issued to the City of Cranbrook in late November 2012, by the MFLNRO and expires on March 15. All of the mule deer were processed and the meat distributed to two local organizations to be used for human consumption. This process was clearly identified in the guidelines embedded in the Wildlife Permit provided by MFLNRO. All meat preparation was conducted by a qualified butcher and processed in a facility inspected and approved by both Interior Health and MFLNRO.

The cull results indicate to staff that the clover traps were placed in the best strategic locations possible to minimize the chances of capturing white-tail deer. The specific zones of the city to be targeted for the population reduction program were approved by resolution of council, stemming from a recommendation from the Urban Deer Management Advisory Committee.

That recommendation was based on complaints received by the city from the public in 2012 and the results of the urban deer population counts conducted in March and November 2012. The locations of the traps were determined by city staff and the contractor based this information along with complaints received and priority areas identified by the Conservation Officer Service in 2012.

Four individuals/companies, who had previously approached the City of Cranbrook interested in conducting the cull program, were invited to submit a quote for service in early January 2013.

Only two of the four individuals/companies submitted a quote by the deadline and the contract was awarded by a resolution of council.

Council had previously approved a budget of up to $15,000 for a deer cull in 2012. The final invoice has not yet been received from the contractor; however the program is expected to be within budget. The estimated cost per deer is approximately $625. Built into the cost of each deer includes: placement and tear down of each clover trap, purchase of bait and supplies, liability insurance, provincially mandated equipment training, mileage, vehicle cleaning; processing, packaging and distribution of the meat and all associated contractor administration costs.

The cull was met with some public unhappiness, with the BC Deer Protection Coalition and Invermere Deer Protection Society staging public protests along the Cranbrook Strip and in front of city hall on Feb. 25. (More: https://www.e-know.ca/news/bcdpc-members-protest-deer-cull/ )

The city also reports that some vandalism to clover traps was reported.

During the overnight hours of Tuesday, February 19 into Wednesday February, 20, city staff was notified by the contractor(s) of deliberate vandalism to two clover traps located on a property owned by the City of Cranbrook. The heavy netting on both traps was deliberately cut making the traps unusable.

The traps are owned by the MFLNRO and were loaned to the City of Cranbrook at no charge. The Cranbrook RCMP was notified and began an investigation. An RCMP member, city staff and the contractor attended the scene and photographs were taken as part of the investigation. The estimated cost of repairing the clover traps is $800.

On the evening of Tuesday February 26, the contractor contacted city staff and the RCMP about a case of trespassing. At about 7:15 p.m., the contractor arrived at a trap site, located on private property, where an unidentified male was found videotaping a deer that had been captured in the trap. The contractor asked the male what he was doing and asked him to leave the property. There was no altercation between the two and the unidentified male left the property to the public sidewalk and continued to videotape. The contractor returned an hour later to remove the deer from the trap and found the same unidentified male on scene still videotaping. The contractor went about his work and then left the scene. The RCMP continues to investigate.

“Going forward, we look to work in partnership with the province through MFLNRO, in conjunction with the Urban Deer Management Advisory Committee, to secure additional tools to help manage the urban deer population in Cranbrook,” said Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski. “Those tools could include, but is not limited to the opportunity to undertake hazing, translocation and/or fertility drugs. We will also be exploring setting up a fund to help pay for some of these alternative population control methods, assuming they are approved, as they will be expensive. This will hopefully include funding from the province and by special interest groups. I look forward to beginning those discussions.”

Above image: Illustrative only of a clover trap. From UND.edu

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