The mayor states that Oak Bay has a deer overpopulation but admits the deer count taken last spring (94 deer) was not scientific. And having read the government methodology, it is a lot different than that used by Oak Bay.
The mayor constantly claims that safety is his concern for instituting a cull. Each time he mentions deer death numbers in the community it is implied these are the result of vehicle accidents. That is not the case.
Last June the CAO emailed me saying there were 17 deer killed on the streets of Oak Bay. Checking with public works, which is responsible for removing the dead animals, I was told seven and possibly eight were the result of vehicle incidents. A big difference in the numbers.
According to ICBC records, which end in 2012, Oak Bay had 10 motor vehicle/deer incidents. Saanich had 120. Numbers in all cases included incidents in parking lots and stationary vehicles.
Does the mayor truly believe by culling 25 deer Oak Bay drivers will never encounter another?
William Jesse
Oak Bay