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50 deer cull authorized by council
City of Cranbrook council last night (Feb. 25) authorized city staff to conduct an urban deer cull over the next few weeks.
The city received a Wildlife Permit from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) on February 11, which permits for the capture and euthanization of up to 50 deer (up to 35 mule deer and up to 15 white-tailed deer).
The permit became effective February 11 and expires on March 15.
The cost to the city for the 2019 program, based on 50 deer captured, is $27,500 or $550 per animal, a city staff report outlined.
This includes all contractor costs, insurance, training and mileage along with all meat processing and distribution costs. Services of both a contractor and a butcher are confirmed should council decide to move forward.
Staff applied for a Wildlife Permit under direction of Council in May 2018 requesting authorization to either euthanize or translocate deer. The permit provided is only for euthanization.
Local staff with FLNRORD indicated that translocation is still in the study phase and not yet a tool available to communities looking for alternate means of managing deer populations.
The city staff report noted deer aggression data collected by the city in 2018 shows a slight increase in the number of aggression-related complaints made to the city in 2018 (23), compared to 2017 (15).
There is also a decrease in deceased deer picked up and removed by Bylaw Services in 2018 (31), compared to 54 removed in 2017.
No data is available from the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline for 2018.
See the city report to council
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