Cranbrook officials announced Thursday that they made the decision “after much careful deliberation”.
The city first culled 25 urban deer with clover traps in November 2011, but 11 were the white-tailed variety which was not the intention of the cull.
Experts agree that killing deer does not improve public safety or reduce populations. Unless attractants (food sources) are managed, more deer will simply return to the area.
How are deer killed?
Deer are baited and killed in clover traps. These traps are made from collapsible metal with black nylon netting.
Traps are set in someone’s yard and when a deer enters the trap, the trap slams shut. Deer often enter the trap during the night and can be trapped for up to 8 hours.
The culler (killer) then collapses the trap on top of the deer. He/she sits on the trap and pins the deer down while a second culler (killer) stuns/kills the deer with a captive bolt gun (shooting the animal in the head).
The deer is left to bleed out and the body is discarded.
You can help.
1. If you live in Cranbrook and see a trap, you can send a confidential email to the British Columbia Deer Protection Committee at thebcdpc@gmail.com or phone 250-420-1311.
2. If you live in Cranbrook and have a trap in close proximity to your property, you can grant investigators to access your property so they can monitor the traps during the night.
3. No matter where you live, write the City of Cranbrook and ask them to stop killing wildlife and to adopt non-lethal strategies to co-exist with urban deer.
Cranbrook City Hall
40-10th Avenue South
Cranbrook, BC
V1C 2M8
Or email Cranbrook council using their online form.
Photo: CBC archives
