What's going on at City Hall?

[rustled]

Where does it say they will be tranquillized?

You gonna wrestle down a 250 pound buck that isn't, Cowboy?

No tranquilizing, from what was said at the Penticton City Council meeting Feb. 3, http://www.penticton.ca/EN/main/city/mayor-council/February-3rd.html at about 02:03:00.

[Anonymous123]

Where does it say they will be tranquillized?

You gonna wrestle down a 250 pound buck that isn't, Cowboy?

Do your homework.


http://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/108148/Oh-deer-you-have-to-move

The capture and relocation of deer in the city of Penticton, has moved a step closer to reality.

After being presented with several options at Monday's meeting, the city council elected to go with a pilot program that entails partnering with the Penticton Indian Band.

There will be changes to the selected option, however, primarily because some council members found the cost of relocating approximately 30 deer at $1,000 per animal too pricey.

"The ministry said it would cost us $1,000 a deer to do this, which was just outrageous," said Councillor Helena Konanz.

While councillor Katie Robinson, who voted against introducing the program, felt the money could be better spent on public education.

The amendments are removing the reference to 30 deer from the option and that staff be directed to only spend a maximum of $15,000 for the program.

What remains is working with the PIB and Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations in the preparation of a general permit application and that staff prepare a request for proposals, RFP, for a qualified contractor to undertake the work, in association with the PIB in the early spring of 2014.

The role of the PIB members in the effort is the deer would be taken to their land, said Anthony Haddad, the city's director of development services.

The actual effort includes trapping the deer in certain locations. The contractor hired by the city would then work with PIB members to humanely relocate the animals to PIB land.

The deer would not be tranquilized , as this method is not recommended by the ministry, and trap locations will need to be identified based on problem areas within the city.

The new location for the animals would be on land approximately 10 km from the western city limits. It is also suggested they be tagged, so records can be kept of animals that return to the city.

[XT225]

That will prove very interesting how they can transport a deer captured in a net, to another location without tranquilizing them; very likely will "flip out" and injure itself. Best to cull them where they stand in my opinion.

[driveangry]

They used drop nets for the 30+ sheep in Keremeos in '07.

[XT225]

They used drop nets for the 30+ sheep in Keremeos in '07.

Oh, it definitely can be done...but if you've ever seen a trapped/cornered deer, they panic and kick like mad. In a truck or enclosed environment, they might easily injure themselves during transport.

[Rwede]

They used drop nets for the 30+ sheep in Keremeos in '07.

With a crew of 60+ trained volunteers, vets, volunteer transporters, and biologists on hand to supervise, paid for by hunters.

That's not happening for a $15,000 project.

Sheep and deer are very different in their reactions to humans and danger. The deer that break legs and die of exhaustion can be dropped off at the band office for furtherance to the butcher shop, I guess. I'd rather they be killed humanely, though. Municipal governments simply don't have the expertise for such undertakings.

And the deer simply will not stay on the denuded Indian reserve for longer than a day or two, as no browse or thermal cover and hungry Indians with no gas money make for a place they don't want to be near.

[Captain77]

1) Get together some experienced bow hunters
2) Train them (RCMP) for residential hunting of deer
3) Schedule times for hunts (families - keep your kids & pets clear for a couple of hours)
4) Take carcasses to identified location for gutting
5) Meat goes to volunteer hunters, or some needy cause.

[Anonymous123]

1) Get together some experienced bow hunters
2) Train them (RCMP) for residential hunting of deer
3) Schedule times for hunts (families - keep your kids & pets clear for a couple of hours)
4) Take carcasses to identified location for gutting
5) Meat goes to volunteer hunters, or some needy cause.

6) Meat goes to Food Bank and Soup Kitchen

[3+141592]

@Rwede

You might be right about the reaction of deers but the pejorative tone of your
last paragraph vis-a-vis our PIB neighbors leaves much to be desired...

And the deer simply will not stay on the denuded Indian reserve for longer than a day or two, as no browse or thermal cover and hungry Indians with no gas money make for a place they don't want to be near.

[Anonymous123]

@Rwede

You might be right about the reaction of deers but the pejorative tone of your
last paragraph vis-a-vis our PIB neighbors leaves much to be desired...

And the deer simply will not stay on the denuded Indian reserve for longer than a day or two, as no browse or thermal cover and hungry Indians with no gas money make for a place they don't want to be near.

I believer rwede was interpreting the original story.

To those with blinders on and still do not think that the deer will be relocated and then hunted down, read this article from a local Feb 5 Newspaper and as I said, its very obvious what is going to happen, so why bother relocating them? Better just to hunt them where they stand and spend far less of taxpayers dollars (under supervision with bows). If they are just going to be killed as Chief Kruger suggests, then why not do it where they stand and save the cost of moving them. Does council really think that the public is that stupid that we don't grasp what is REALLY going on? Seems that every idea that they come up with these days is out to lunch.

Penticton city council has decided not to pursue a deer cull program, despite a recent B.C. Supreme court decision supporting a similar cull in Invermere.

Instead, council voted in support of a plan to capture deer and truck them to Penticton Indian Band lands this spring. The deer will be tagged to monitor if any of them make their way back across the channel.

But it doesn’t necessarily mean the deer will be living out long contented lives. The inspiration for the relocation concept came when Mayor Garry Litke was chatting with Chief John Kruger.

“He was bemoaning the fact he had gone hunting and spent $60 in gas driving all over the country and didn’t see a deer, then drove into Penticton and saw deer everywhere,” said Litke.

“He said, I have a problem, you have a problem. So we began brainstorming solutions.”

Chief Kruger said the band was willing to work with the city on transplanting deer to their lands, and that it would benefit both parties: helping Penticton with the urban deer population, while increasing the deer population on band lands.

“Our hunters travel all over the place and sometimes they come home empty-handed,” said Kruger. “I think it’s a good idea, it’s a good story where we are working together for each other’s interest.”

[Rwede]

@Rwede

You might be right about the reaction of deers but the pejorative tone of your
last paragraph vis-a-vis our PIB neighbors leaves much to be desired...

Your PIB neighbours have no deer habitat and no browse on the reserve as their uncared for horses have chewed the landascape bare of foliage.

Your PIB neighbours said they don't want to spend money on gas to hunt deer in the mountains, so bring the deer to us.

If that's "pejorative" then so be it.

The deer won't stay on the reserve with no food and no habitat. Add in Indians looking to save gas money while hunting deer, and the deer will be back in town in 2 days, and the taxpayers will be $15,000 poorer.

[twobits]

[
The deer won't stay on the reserve with no food and no habitat. Add in Indians looking to save gas money while hunting deer, and the deer will be back in town in 2 days, and the taxpayers will be $15,000 poorer.

True. This plan is as bright as live trapping mice in a barn, setting them free outside, and wondering why you can't get rid of the mice in your barn. The only hope this plan has of succeeding in reducing the urban deer is that the drop off point has been stated to be 10k west in the Marron Valley/Shingle Creek area which would mean the deer must run the gauntlet down Green Mountain Rd through the reserve to get back to food. Personally, I'm going to avoid Green Mtn Road when this cull takes place......the crossfire could be dangerous

[driveangry]

The very few times I drive thru Green mnt. road I've seen deer everywhere, and the horses look healthy with plenty of food.

[3+141592]

@Rwede

You might be right about the reaction of deers but the pejorative tone of your
last paragraph vis-a-vis our PIB neighbors leaves much to be desired...

Your PIB neighbours have no deer habitat and no browse on the reserve as their uncared for horses have chewed the landascape bare of foliage.
Your PIB neighbours said they don't want to spend money on gas to hunt deer in the mountains, so bring the deer to us.

If that's "pejorative" then so be it.

@Rwede
No, your last post isn't. It's the earlier way that you put it and good on you for re-stating.
I see encouraging signs with the PIB (and not that they need my help), dislike statements that be-little people in general.
Sorry for the interruption folks...

[Rwede]

Thankfully for both the deer and Penticton's taxpayers, Minister Steve Thomson smote the hare-brained idea.

Deer relocation stopped in its tracks

by Deborah Pfeiffer | Story: 110259 - Mar 4, 2014 / 1:06 pm


The Penticton council has decided not to move ahead with a recently proposed deer relocation program.

The council reached the decision after Anthony Haddad, the city's director of development services, read them a letter from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations at Monday's full house meeting.

"It stated an incredible amount of red tape," said Councillor Helena Konanz. "So we decided to drop the initiative because it would be too onerous and not right for the city."

The letter, regarding urban deer conflict management in BC, states, "The city of Penticton and Penticton Indian Band have entered into a unique discussion involving a short distance translocation of deer. The province has not participated or supported previous deer translocations.

Although the non-lethal approach to urban deer management may appeal to the public, as it appears to be an easy and humane solution, in reality the translocation process can be difficult, expensive, stressful to the deer and has resulted in high translocation mortality rates."

It goes on to say, "the province has several concerns with the translocation of deer before April 2014 and the city of Penticton's approach including a lack of a community resident survey, no recent assessment or urban deer numbers or community accepted targets and no qualified professionals available to independently conduct a translocation."

Other concerns with the city's approach were also listed.

The council previously elected to go with a pilot program that entailed moving the deer from the city to Penticton Indian Band lands.

The effort would have cost the city $15,000.

The proposed relocation also did not sit well with some residents. Heather Caron, a teacher, gave a presentation at Monday's meeting citing her concerns regarding the issue.

Among them that such a relocation would be inhumane and not a permanent solution.

Penticton has been dealing with the urban deer management issue since the middle of 2011.

Haddad said there was no further plan associated with the issue at this time.