Reading the Sept. 28 edition of the Western, I was undecided whether to laugh, cry or scream. All the hullabaloo about 20 deer being culled is almost too much to “bear” (no bias against those fellows there) and I find myself unable to stay silent.
About that fence around Campbell Mountain stopping the whole problem — nice plan Stan, but all the problem deer do not travel via that entrance.
As a matter of fact, the majority of the urban deer problem could be dropped right onto those nasty orchardists who fenced out the deer, or is that fenced in their fruit? So confusing all this ruminant correctness.
It has been the prevalence of fences that has caused the deer to be herded, so to speak, into the very areas they were to be banned from, that is if they got up on the wrong side of the fence.
And it was a logical next step for the deer to check out the city and become urbanites themselves.
They are eating what is available, not what is their natural diet, and that is beginning to show in the lack of lustre on their fur and their overall unhealthiness. They are rapidly over-populating the city.
Also, because their prey is here, the coyotes, cougars and diseases are also to be brought right to our doorstep, how fun.
Kitty misbehaving, dog eating your shoes? Simply send them out into the yard and all will be fixed. Our own little “eat and be eaten” reality show readily viewed from the comfort of our lazyboy.
Of course, it would be preferable to take away one man’s livelihood for the enjoyment of an Easterner who moved here for the ambient brother/deerhood. How silly of us not to see that.
And as far as relocation?
It has been said time after time that deer are high-strung, relocation would cause a death far less humane that a simple cull of, what was that again? Twenty or so problem deer. Yes, that’s what it is.
For my part, I am defending what I see for once as a sensible and useful application of this city council’s meeting of the minds.
Good for you. Keep it up.
Lois Linds
Penticton