Deer in Cranbrook, British Columbia

Undercover footage shows the cruelty of Cranbrook’s secret deer cull

Letter to Minister Donaldson, September 2018

Cull Records

BC has seen unprecedented development in the past decade. Habitat is being destroyed as housing developments and connecting roads are built ever further into wild areas. Properties that formerly sheltered deer who co-existed with humans within city limits are being sub-divided and developed, leaving the animals with nowhere to go. Highways have been expanded to accommodate growing traffic, endangering wildlife in their habitat outside city limits.

Some residents are intolerant of the appearance of deer in their communities, and have written to their councils demanding that these animals be removed. In response to pressure from local governments asking for solutions to their deer complaints, the Ministry of Environment commissioned a wildlife biologist to prepare a report. This report favoured the clover trap/ boltgun method of culling urban deer, a method that was developed in Helena, Montana to destroy deer where sharpshooting near residential areas is too dangerous to the human population.

In 2012, Animal Alliance was contacted by BC residents who were fighting to stop the proposed deer cull slated for three communities in central BC and under consideration in Greater Victoria.

The City of Cranbrook was the first to cull in 2011/12, killing 25 deer, followed by Kimberley at 99 deer and Invermere at 19 deer.

Residents in Invermere took their Council to court to get the cull stopped, but lost.

Working together Animal Alliance and a dedicated group of BC residents decided to form the British Columbia Deer Protection Society.  The Society includes the Invermere Deer Protection Society, Elkford Deer Protection, DeerSafe Victoria and Animal Alliance.

In October 2012, the Mayor of Cranbrook said that Cranbrook would wait until the Invermere Court case was heard. However, in February 2013, we received confidential information that Cranbrook Council had already met in secret and decided to proceed with a cull.  As it turns out our source was correct, and as the cull began, so did our campaign to stop it.  Our fight continues.

Letter to Minister Thomson, January 2016

Media Release: January 12, 2016

Media Release – March 1, 2013 – Controversy swirls as deer cull stopped!

Article – February 18, 2013 – A Different Approach to the ‘Deer Problem’

Report- June 19, 2012 – Developing a Progressive Non-Lethal Human / Deer Conflict Resolution Strategy for British Columbia

How You Can Help:  Take 4 actions today!

Animal Alliance, in co-ordination with residents and local animal protection groups, is working to convince the City of Cranbrook that humane, non-lethal, ethical and environmentally sensitive methods can be used successfully.

1. Donate

   We urge you to become a supporter.  Your donation will help us support those in Cranbrook who are campaigning against the cull.  Click here to give today.

2. Join us!

   If you live in the area, help build community support and bring residents together to develop a collaborative non-lethal approach to human/deer conflicts instead of a controversial cull which is currently dividing residents.  For more information, visit the BC Deer Protection Society website at www.bcdeer.org
   

3. Contact the Minister and speak out!

   Please call or write the Minister today and ask him to deny the City of Cranbrook a permit to cull deer. Hand-written letters are best, but you can also print our sign-on letter (click here) or use our email form below.

   The Honourable Doug Donaldson
   Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
   P.O Box 9049 Stn Prov. Govt
   Victoria, BC V8W 9E2

   T/  250-387-6240

   Email:  FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca

   If you are a human and are seeing this field, please leave it blank.

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   Email Message Dear Minister Donaldson, Subject: Deer cull permit for City of Cranbrook I am writing to ask that you deny the City of Cranbrook a permit to cull deer. I ask this because of the permit violations that were committed by the City’s contractor during the previous cull. I am deeply troubled by the number of non-target animals who were killed during the cull. Appendix C of the permit states, “The “removal of white-tailed deer is not the objective of this project” and “traps must be located in urban areas dominated by mule deer, especially where complaints and conflicts of aggressive deer have occurred.” The City must meet those two criteria to comply with the permit. Yet 40% of the deer killed were white-tailed deer and 56% of all the deer killed were fawns, not deer with “aggressive behaviour.” Only 15 of the 50 deer killed were actually targets as set out in the permit. As such, I strongly urge you to enforce compliance of the permit by denying future permit requests that may be made by the City of Cranbrook. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your response. Sincerely,

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4. Contact the Mayor!

   Pressure the Mayor and Members of Council to make sure there is no cull next year.  We need to make sure that the Mayor and Members of Council employ these methods in the deer management programme.  Please call and write the Mayor and Members of Council urging them to implement a non-lethal prevention programme.  Hand-written letters are best, but you can also print our sign-on letter by clicking here.

Mayor Lee Pratt
City of Cranbrook
40 – 10th Avenue South
Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

T/ 250-426-4211
F/ 250-426-7264

Email: lee.pratt@cranbrook.ca