Dusk and dawn saw folks peeking around seeking deer life late last week. The head count is the final step in the regional deer management pilot project by the Capital Regional District.
“The CRD is conducting a second deer count in Oak Bay. That is the final step of the CRD involvement at this time with respect to deer management,” said Mayor Nils Jensen, CRD board chair. “Then it will wrap up and at some point in the near future the CRD will look at the issue of wildlife management generally throughout the region.”
In August, the CRD board directed staff to continue to manage wildlife services – including programs involving deer, bullfrogs and geese – at an operational level by various departments. They asked staff to report back with recommendations on consolidated wildlife management service once each division has reported out and obtained feedback from individual CRD committees as to whether there is an ongoing need for each service.
The regional deer management strategy included area-wide education as well as two culls – one controversial cull of 11 deer in Oak Bay and the other on the Saanich Peninsula.