Re: “Voice from wilderness defends deer,” and “Doing nothing about deer is not the answer,” Jan. 24.
I am writing to appeal to common sense and rational thinking regarding the proposed deer cull in Oak Bay. The scientific evidence is clear.
First, no deer problem has been documented in a systematic way. We have anecdotal reports of dead deer and complaints about gardens being grazed. There are no reports at all of humans being injured by deer in Oak Bay.
Second, no organized effort short of a cull has been made to solve the (possible) problem. This involves public education, signs, fencing, speed-limit reductions and time to measure their effects.
Third, scientific experts agree that a cull would be ineffective. It won’t reduce the deer population. It costs $25,000. Or rather, it wastes $25,000.
Fourth, and most important, the cull will be brutal and inhumane. It can take up to 24 hours for the clover traps to be checked while deer fight frantically for their lives. Burly men wrestle terrified animals to the ground. Bolt guns might not do a clean kill and animals are permitted to be left to bleed to death.
The municipality knows the killing is inhumane. That’s why it will be done in complete secrecy. Suspected unauthorized witnesses will be identified for the police.
There’s a great alternative: a contraceptive vaccine costing no more than the cull, and perfect for Oak Bay deer. We are an ecological island surrounded by water and urban density. This is just right for making SpayVac effective.
Let’s do the right thing, not the shameful thing.
Danalee Goldthwaite
Oak Bay
