I have been reading a lot of comments recently suggesting speeding is the problem, not deer.
Deer are animals, and will bolt across the road no matter what speed you are going. And even 10 kilometres per hour can maim or kill.
Another writer wrote in suggesting “respectfully” that if we don’t like deer we should move to Toronto, where they only have raccoons. A trip to www.toronto.ca animal services tells you how to deal with not only raccoons, but squirrels, skunks, foxes and the urban coyote. I also found a CTV news clip of a deer in downtown Toronto.
And of course there are all the bleeding heart animal lovers who say we are displacing the deer. Many municipalities and large areas, including the province of Ontario, have been looking at and actively culling herds to control what Ontario calls “exploding” populations.
The ministry of natural resources in Ontario says, “Deer reproduce quickly and one healthy herd can almost double its numbers during a favourable year.”
The Capital Regional District is not looking for a solution to deer migrating or how we can avoid hitting them with cars. They are asking for ideas on how to control the population size.
We have upset the balance here in Victoria by giving them a spa with year round food, watering holes and no natural predators. Cars are not predators.
And this is not about who was here first. This is about keeping a strong viable wild deer population healthy and free of disease.
Todd Stewart
View Royal