Urban Deer Management Annual Report 2016

Transcription

1 Urban Deer Management Annual Report 2016 May 2017

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Background: City of Cranbrook 2 Area 3 Methods Data Monitoring 3 Urban Deer Counts 3 Urban Deer Complaints 3 Clover Trap Construction 3 Permitting 4 Training 4 Trapping Locations 4 Results and Discussion 5 Data Monitoring Urban Deer Counts 5 TABLE 1: Cranbrook Urban Deer Counts 5 TABLE 2: Total Mule Deer Counted ( ) 6 Urban Deer Complaints 6 TABLE 3: Public Complaints (Deer & Cougar COS Data) 7 TABLE 4: Aggressive Deer Complaints (COS ) 7 Urban Deer Cull 8 Trapping Results 8 TABLE 5: Deer Cull Summary Ongoing Public Education 8 Conclusions 9 Schedule A: Schedule B: Schedule C: Schedule D: Urban Deer Zone Map WildSafeBC 2016 Annual Report Kimberley-Cranbrook 2016 Media Releases Wildlife Permit CB This report produced by the City of Cranbrook is a requirement under the terms of the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MLFNRO) Wildlife Permit CB Section 6 of Appendix A Terms of Permit (Schedule D) provided to the City of Cranbrook in November 18, The City of Cranbrook gratefully acknowledges the partnership and support of Holger Bohm and Irene Teske of the Cranbrook MFLNRO office. 1

3 Background Following the completion of the pilot cull program in 2011 and the subsequent cull programs of 2013, 2015 and 2016, the City of Cranbrook in partnership with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) created four Urban Deer Management Annual reports. Links to all reports are available below and are available to the public via the City of Cranbrook website. Urban Deer Management Annual Report 2015/ Urban Deer Management Annual Report Urban Deer Management Annual Report 2013 Urban Deer Management Project Urban Deer Management Annual Report 2011 Urban Deer Cull Pilot Project and Municipal Urban Deer Public Education Staff with the City of Cranbrook, the local MFLRNO office and members of the City s Urban Deer Management Advisory Committee conducted an urban deer population count on November 26, In all 142 deer were tabulated; 120 were identified as mule deer with 22 identified as white-tail. The average deer population density for the City of Cranbrook in 2016 was 5.65 deer per km2. A total of six urban deer population counts were completed between 2010 and The following is presented as a year over year comparison: Population Count (Year) Population Density (25.14 km 2 total City area) km km km km km km 2 *Data provided by Irene Teske, Wildlife Biologist Ministry of Forest, Land & Natural Resource Operations In March 2016, staff provided a copy of the Urban Deer Management Annual Report to Council for information at their regular meeting. Staff was subsequently directed to apply to the Province for another wildlife permit for the fall of On November 18, 2016 the City received a general wildlife permit from MFLRNO (Schedule D) which allowed for the population reduction of up to 100 animals from the urban deer herd. The permit was valid from December 1, 2016 to March 15,

4 Area The trapping area occurred within the city limits of Cranbrook, B.C. which lies within the East Kootenay Regional District. The population of Cranbrook is 19,319, based on results of the 2011 Census data collected by Statistics Canada. The community covers an area of approximately 2,522.3 hectares (6,610.5 acres) or km 2, based on figures provided by the B.C. Ministry of Community and Rural Development. Methods Data Monitoring To monitor the success of any urban deer management programs, the City regularly monitors urban deer population growth through annual deer counts and numbers of human/deer conflicts reported through complaints made to COS and/or City of Cranbrook. Urban Deer Counts In an attempt to monitor population growth within the city, a deer population survey is conducted annually within urban areas of Cranbrook city limits (25 km 2 survey area). The survey area is divided into 8 zones (Schedule A). Each zone has 2 or more volunteers dedicated to it. All volunteers must be able to identify and classify deer by species, sex and age. The volunteers drive each zone counting and classifying deer observed within their zone. Counts are conducted either in the early morning or early evening. Counts of deer within each survey zone are conducted simultaneously to minimize double counting of deer. Count data is entered into an Excel spreadsheet. Urban Deer Complaints Complaints from residents involving safety related conflicts with urban deer continue to be gathered and monitored annually by the City of Cranbrook and COS. People are regularly encouraged to phone the COS RAPP line if they have any safety related concerns regarding wildlife. The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNR) are summarizing urban deer complaints, urban deer destroyed and urban cougar complaints annually and providing that information to the City of Cranbrook. Urban Deer Cull Clover Trap Construction The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations was responsible for the construction of 10 modified clover traps. The original 10 modified clover traps were stolen during winter New clover trap construction occurred during the spring and summer Clover traps were constructed as per design modifications developed by the City of Helena Montana s urban deer program to improve efficiency and safety. Dimensions of each trap are 44 x84 x50. Netting consisted of nylon panels with 1 5/8 inch opening and 930 lb. twine tensile strength. Cost per trap was approximately $1200 CAD. 3

5 Permitting The Provincial government issued the urban deer cull permit to the City of Cranbrook on November 18, The permit was to lethally remove up to a combined total of 100 deer and allowed for both mule deer and incidental white-tailed deer to be captured and euthanized, however the intent was to remove only mule deer. White-tailed deer were included just in case they were captured and could not be released safely and uninjured. The permit is very detailed and outlines requirements to improve humane treatment and safety. Two contractors are required to conduct trapping activities. To reduce stress of captured deer, capture operations occur when dark prior to daylight; traps are set at or near dusk. Care is taken to place traps in quiet locations. When a deer is captured within the trap, it is quickly dispatched using a Blitz bolt gun. Traps were checked regularly to reduce the amount of time deer were inside trap. To utilize the meat, contractors are required to follow government approved guidelines and that meat be processed by government approved meat cutters. Training As contractors were experienced and have previously received full training and conducted culls, training consisted of a half day refresher course provided by a MFLNRO biologist. Trap Locations The specific areas of the City targeted for the population reduction program were based on complaints received by City staff from the public in 2016 along with the results of the urban deer population count conducted on November 25, The locations of the traps were determined by City staff based on this same information along with complaints received by the provincial toll-free Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line and specific priority areas identified by the Conservation Officer Service. After evaluating 10 potential sites coordinators determined that 7 were suitable for traps. The provincial government supplied 10 modified clover traps, 2 bolt guns, and all other field related equipment, however only 8 clover traps were utilized. One regional provincial ministry staff person and 1 municipal staff person were assigned to the project. Additionally, several members of the Cranbrook RCMP detachment were made available to City staff and the contractor if required. The City hired and managed contractors and paid for meat processing into ground meat. Meat was then distributed to First Nations and permitted Food Banks. 4

6 Results and Discussion Data Monitoring Urban Deer Counts To monitor urban deer population growth over time, counts are conducted almost annually. Counts were conducted in November 2010, March 2012, November 2012 and 2013, December 2014, November 2015 and November The results from these counts are 101, 121, 96, 120, 104, 137 and 142 deer respectively (Table 1). Both white-tail deer and mule deer occupy urban areas of Cranbrook. Counts conducted in the fall allow for a more detailed classification of sex and age as males still have antlers and the size difference between adults and juveniles is greater. Since 2010, the total number of deer counted has fluctuated between 96 and 142. Fall deer fawn ratio is very high and varies from 65 fawns: 100 does, thereby indicating an increasing population. Outside of urban environments, the fall fawn ratio of mule deer is approximately 30 fawns: 100 does which is what is required to maintain the population as stable. The lethal removal of deer (cull and injured deer destroyed) is slowing the increase of the urban deer population. Table 1: Cranbrook urban deer counts numbers in brackets are mule deer only Date Total Male Female Juvenile Unclassified Nov (96) 4 (4) 64 (59) 32 (32) 1 (1) March (74) 0 43 (24) 25 (10) 53 (40)* Nov (57) 8 (8) 50 (34) 31 (12) 0 Nov (80) 13 (11) 64 (42) 42 (27) 1 (0) Dec (71) 9 (9) 59 (37) 36 (29) 0 Nov (116) 16 (14) 72 (61) 48 (40) 1 (1) Nov (120) 21 (19) 80 (70) 41 (31) 0 (0) *difficult to classify by sex and age as antlers have been shed and juveniles are almost adult size **Data tabulated by Irene Teske, Wildlife Biologist Ministry of Forest, Land & Natural Resource Operations 5

7 Table 2: Total mule deer counted within urban areas of Cranbrook ( ) Data provided January 27, 2017 by Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) Urban Deer Complaints Human/deer conflict complaints involving safety issues are being monitored by the City and COS. Aggressive deer complaints were increasing since 2004 to a high of 42 in In 2012, post cull, the number of complaints decreased to 27 (35% decrease) however has been on a relative stable increase since (Table 2). Complaints involving cougar have increased since 2004 to a high of 49 complaints in The number of cougar complaints has reduced since 2012 to 9 in 2013 and 13 in 2014 and has remained steady with 14 in The cougar population in the East Kootenay is monitored by legal hunting harvest and problem animal control. This data, along with reducing complaint trends, indicate that cougar populations are decreasing since The number of injured deer destroyed by COS and RCMP remain high. 6

8 Table 3: Public complaints involving urban deer and cougar within the Cranbrook area * (COS data) Data provided January 27, 2017 by Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO). *except for aggressive deer data, data includes area from Moyie to Jaffray including Cranbrook Table 4: Cranbrook aggressive deer complaints (RAPP line data only) Data provided January 27, 2017 by Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) 7

9 Urban Deer Cull Mule deer in Cranbrook were live trapped using 8 modified clover traps. The trapping program commenced January 3, 2017 and ended on February 8, During the trapping period 15 deer were euthanized. All deer were quickly and humanely dispatched. There were no capture related injuries to contractors or deer. Table 5: Deer Cull Summary Species Adult Females Adult Males Juvenile Females Juvenile Males Mule White-Tail * 5 additional white-tail deer captured were released safely without injury to the animal or contractor. From the perspective of the contractors, the City of Cranbrook and the MFLNRO all permit conditions were met regarding animal handling. Meat was processed by a government approved meat cutter. All the edible meat was ground into burger, wrapped, frozen and distributed to the Cranbrook Food Bank, Street Angels (Ktunaxa First Nation) and the Salvation Army. A total of 807 lbs. of deer meat was processed into ground meat. Each agency received 269 lbs. of meat. The meat was very good quality with only positive comments received. Total cost of the cull was $13, or $550 per animal. Education The City of Cranbrook and the City of Kimberley jointly provided funding for a WildsafeBC Community Coordinator position in 2016, with services split between the two communities from May 1, 2016 concluding November 30, Application was made by staff to WildsafeBC in January 2016 expressing the City s interest in participating in the 2016 program with funding of $3000 provided toward the position. This was the third successful season of the partnership. WildsafeBC is a program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation. It has evolved out of the highly successful Bear Aware program and is owned and delivered by the British Columbia Conservation Foundation in The focus of the education program was on urban deer/human conflict management and mitigation along with a public education campaign through the media and through school classrooms. The program Community Coordinator Danica Roussy was shared by both the City of Cranbrook and City of Kimberley, who each contributed funds to the program. Funds were also provided to the program by 8

10 the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF), Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) and the Ministry of Environment. Staff continues to be extremely pleased with the results of this program. The City has again provided funding in 2017 to continue the education program and the work done to date. The WildsafeBC Year End Report Kimberley-Cranbrook & Area was received by staff in December 2016 and is attached for information (Schedule B). The City of Cranbrook, through the Communications office also provided a number of media releases through 2016 independent of the WildsafeBC program (Schedule C). The City of Cranbrook also has an information rich page on its website around urban deer management which is updated on a regular basis - Conclusions No injuries were incurred by the contractors conducting the cull and no deer were injured while in the trap. Deer were competently dispatched within seconds of attending the trap site (it takes approximately 10 seconds to collapse trap on top of deer and use bolt gun). Both contractors are experienced hunters and are skilled at handling wildlife. In addition, the contractors were very sensitive to public and landowner perceptions. There were no complaints from landowners with traps; however, there were some complaints from residents of Cranbrook regarding the deer cull in general. Moving forward into the rest of 2017, the City of Cranbrook will continue to work in partnership with the Province through the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations in conjunction with the Urban Deer Management Advisory Committee. The City will also continue monitor urban deer population numbers and public complaints of deer aggression and property damage. The City will continue to apply for management funding grants from the Province through the $100,000 per annum fund set up by the Province through the Fish and Wildlife Branch. The City will also partner with both the City of Kimberley and WildsafeBC in 2017 to continue the urban wildlife public education program with a specific focus around living with urban deer. The City of Cranbrook is working to continually improve all operations around the culling of urban deer to minimize disruption to the public while maximizing the number of animals being removed, as per the guidelines of the Wildlife Permit. 9

11 Schedule A

12 Schedule B WildSafeBC Year End Report 2016 Kimberley-Cranbrook & Area Prepared by: Danica Roussy, BA, WildSafeBC Community Coordinator Prepared by: Danica Roussy, BA, WildSafeBC Community Coordinator Photo: Leigh Cormier, 2016

13 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Executive Summary The Kimberley-Cranbrook area experienced more human-wildlife conflict than in the previous two years (Figure 1). Wildlife encounters this year increased in Kimberley and Marysville area but decreased in local wildlife encounters in Cranbrook (Figure 2 & 3). Part of this decrease is attributed to a much cooler, wetter summer in 2016 compared to the hot, dry weather in Kimberley s increase in wildlife encounters can be attributed to an increase of food conditioned wildlife. There were many highlights of the 2016 season; WildSafeBC BC Goes Wild Weekend and the Outdoor Play Day with the International Students attending the College of the Rockies to name a couple. Education programming in schools continued to be the focus of the WildlifeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook program in The students who participated the Junior Ranger Program learnt about bears, ungulates and predators. Educational presentations were given out to schools as well as to special interest groups. WildSafeBC also attended many community events, attended hikes and hosted presentations on the website with community clubs of all ages. The WCC also conducted garbage inspections and follow up conducting going door-to-door education in each community to educate the public about keeping wildlife wild and communities safe, garbage tagging and providing tips for effective attractant management. The WildSafeBC Community Coordinator (WCC) also kept busy posting on different types of media sources to keep residents updated on recent events and wildlife news. Figure 1 Wildlife Alert Reporting Program (WARP) map with all reported wildlife encounters from Jan. 1 st Oct. 26 th 2016 in Cranbrook (right) and Kimberley (left). Colours represent different attractants wildlife are drawn to, i.e. pink BBQ, red - garbage, purple residential fruit trees, green bird feeders, light blue pet food, yellow livestock. Data retrieved from 1 P age

14 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Reported Wildlife Encounters in Kimberley Jan. 1st 2014 to Oct. 26th 2016 Number of wildlife encounters Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Months of the year Figure 2 The graph above shows the reported wildlife encounters in Kimberley in 2014, 2015 and The 2016 season peak occurred during the month of August a total of 54 reported wildlife in Kimberley. Data retrieved from Reported Wildlife Encounters in Cranbrook Jan. 1st 2014 to Oct. 26th 2016 Number of wildlife encounters Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Months of the year Figure 3 The graph above shows the reported wildlife encounters in Cranbrook in 2014, 2015 and The 2016 season peak was during the month of August a total of 47 reported wildlife in Cranbrook. Cranbrook s reported wildlife shows a decrease from the 104 wildlife reported to the website in August Data retrieved from 2 P age

15 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Highlights of the Season. 4 The Junior Ranger Program 4 Educational and Early Childhood Presentations 5 Special Interest Groups 5 Events and Displays....6 BC Goes Wild Weekend.. 7 Garbage Tagging.. 7 Door to Door Education.. 8 Media Outreach 8 Challenges in the 2016 Season 8 Goals for the 2017 Season 9 Acknowledgements 10 Figures Figure 1 Wildlife Alert Reporting Program map of all reported wildlife encounters from Jan. 1 st 2016 Oct. 26 th Figure 2 Graph of all reported wildlife encounters in Kimberley from 2014 to Figure 3 Graph of all reported wildlife encounters in Cranbrook from Figure 4 WCC presenting the Junior Ranger Program to the BC SPCA Summer Day Camp.4 Figure 5 WCC presenting Wildlife Awareness to the Outdoor Ed. Class of Parkland Middle School.5 Figure 6 International Exchange Students attending the College of the Rockies participating in the Wildlife Identification Activity...6 Figure 7 WCC at WCC at the Kootenay Trout Hatchery Figure 8 WildSafeBC BC Goes Wild Weekend Nature Walk 7 Figure 9 WWC conducting Door to Door Education 8 3 P age

16 Highlights of the Season Junior Ranger Program WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report The 2016 season was the second year for WildSafeBC s Junior Ranger Program. In Kimberley-Cranbrook, the program is designed to introduce the concept of human-wildlife conflict and encourage kids to take an active role in reducing conflict by identifying attractants in their backyards and community. The program is very interactive which allows children to participate in games and activities related to wildlife, complete a bear-safe home checklist, and gives the junior rangers the knowledge to confidently spread WildSafeBC s message about keeping community s safe and wildlife wild. Figure 4 is an image of the BC SPCA Summer Camp -A after experiencing the Junior Ranger Program. Figure 4 WCC and BC SPCA Summer Day Campers after experiencing the Junior Ranger Program. Photo taken by Sarah Jacklin. The Junior Ranger Program was presented to the following participants in School District 5 & School District 6: A qamnik Elementary BC SPCA Summer Day Camps TM Roberts Secondary School Kimberley Independent School Kootenay Christian Academy Highlands Elementary School McKim Elementary School Lindsay Park Elementary School Marysville Elementary School Girl Guides 4 P age

17 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Educational and Early Childhood Presentations By the end of the 2016 season 35 educational presentations were delivered to over 1100 participants aged Figure 5 is an image of the WCC presenting to the outdoor education class at Parkland Middle School. The list below represents all schools that s participated in WildSafeBC s educational presentations: A qamnik Elementary Bear Awareness Presentation Kimberley Independent School - Bear Awareness Presentation McKim Elementary School - Wildlife Awareness Presentation Parkland Middle School Ungulates and Predator Presentation Mount Baker High School Bear Awareness Presentation Kimberley Independent School -Ungulates and Predators Kimberley Independent Preschool Bear Basics Selkirk High School Outdoor Awareness + Bear Spray Demo Marysville Elementary Ungulates and Predators Parkland Middle School Bear Awareness Presentation Figure 5 WCC presenting a Wildlife Awareness Presentation in the Spring of 2016 to Parkland Middle School Grade 9 Outdoor Education Class. Photo taken by Scott Holt. Special Interest Groups By the end of the 2016 season 8 educational presentations were delivered to over 180 participants aged Figure 6 is an image of an identification activity put together for the International Students attending the College of the Rockies International Exchange Program The special interest groups listed below are also participants of WildSafeBC s educational presentations during the 2016 season. StrongStart Wildlife Awareness Presentation International Students from College of the Rockies A Presentation on Animal Safety Kimberley Nature Park Society Getaway Nature Hike, Berry Talk-Walk & Sunflower Hill Hike Rails to Trails Biker Club WARP Talk and Bear 5 P age

18 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report International Students from College of the Rockies B Outdoor Play Day and Wildlife Awareness Spray Demo Lions Way Lady Hikers WARP Talk and Bear Spray Demo Bellies to Babies + Baby Goose -Wildlife Awareness Figure 6 International Students from the College of the Rockies, Cranbrook, BC, participating in a Wildlife Identification Activity. Events and Displays Figure 7 is of the anxious future junior rangers about to enter the Kootenay Trout Hatchery an festival. The event was very successful as wildlife safety precautions during hiking, camping and summer recreation safety was discussed. By the end of the 2016 season 16 outreach events and displays were delivered to over 800 participants, including: Tim Horton s Summer Camp Fundraiser/BBQ Kimberley & Cranbrook s Farmer s Market Kootenay Trout Hatchery Kimberley s First Saturday s Kimberley Community Fall Fair BC Goes Wild Nature Walk Kootenay Orienteering Club Figure 7 WCC and 3 future Junior Rangers at the Kootenay Trout Hatchery Photo taken by Callum Williams. 6 P age

19 BC Goes Wild Weekend WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Figure 8 WildSafeBC BC Goes Wild Weekend Nature Walk 2016, photo taken by Brett Lisk. WildSafeBC s BC Goes Wild Weekend was full of awareness activities including 3 contests: BC Goes Wild Count Contest, Photo Challenge and Colouring Contests as well as a Nature Walk. WildSafeBC Kimberley- Cranbrook partnered up with the East Kootenay Orienteering Club for the Nature Walk. WildSafeBC had a booth set up for display, the WCC gave a brief presentation of how to assess your surroundings in nature as well as what to do when encountering a non-defensive bear vs. defensive bear. Figure 8 is a photo taken of the WCC and some participants getting ready to start the 1-hour Nature Walk on the Ponderosa Trail in the Kimberley Nature Park. Garbage Tagging Garbage tagging occurred in Kimberley and Marysville for the 2016 season. Garbage, along with residential fruit trees continue to be the top attractants in the area. The 2016 season saw an increase in human-wildlife conflicts related to human attractants. In Cranbrook, the decrease in reported wildlife encounters compared to 2015 can be attributed to the improvements made to manage attractants by the City of Cranbrook and its community members. The WCC conducted 22 garbage inspections throughout the 2016 season. A garbage tagging blitz occurred the week following the BC Goes Wild Weekend. Bylaw enforcement officers, Conservation officers and the WCC all worked in collaboration to successfully increase attractant management within the community. 7 P age

20 Door to Door Education WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report When WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook receives many different phone calls from concerned community members reporting attractant management issues/concerns. In response to these calls, the WCC will conduct door to door visits to encourage responsible attractant management. Door to door education was conducted in Kimberley, Cranbrook and in District C. Figure 9 is a picture of the WCC conducting door to door education to a newly established resident of Kimberley. Media Figure 9 WWC conducing Door to Door Education in the McKim Area in Kimberley during the 2016 season. Photo taken by Callum Williams. WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook continued to work with Cranbrook s The DriveFM radio news team, the B104 Radio news team as well as Summit to deliver short media blurbs, on current events/issues, reaching over 50,000 people. Topics interviewed by the WCC were: Welcome WildSafeBC Back for 2016, Bear Attractant Management Tips and Rutting Season. The WCC works very hard at keeping up to date information on social media i.e. Facebook. Challenges 2016 was the third season of operation for the WildSafeBC program in Kimberley, Cranbrook and the first season in the RDEK District C. In both Kimberley and Cranbrook, garbage is still the number one attractant drawing wildlife into city limits, residential fruit trees and pet food follows close behind. In Kimberley, there seemed to be a high number of bear-residential fruit tree related calls to the COS in September 2016, with lower bear-garbage related calls. In October 2016, there was a shift in wildlifeconflict calls; bear-garbage related calls tripled where as bear-residential fruit tree related calls dropped. The WCC plans to increase both commercial and residential awareness. An April start in the 2017 season would be very effective for the WCC to be responsive to issues regarding early signs of food conditioned wildlife as well as prepare for a busy Spring season for school presentation. The WCC and COS believe that a mail insert brochure informing residents about each city s Solid-Waste Bylaws, No Feeding Bylaws and the Wildlife Act will also be beneficial in education a larger audience. The City of Cranbrook and the WCC plan to work hard in collaboration during the upcoming season around exploring the idea of introducing an incentive for residents to cut down their apple tree (if they please); replacing the apple trees with maple trees for example. 8 P age

21 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Media releases will continue and plan to increase as well; there will be an awareness campaign launched early in the 2017 season ensuring residents are aware of the bylaws, important events such as the BC Goes Wild Weekend, etc. A WildSafeBC supporter sticker to be provided to businesses that join the shift towards becoming a bear smart would be helpful when approaching businesses. The Cities of Kimberley and Cranbrook as well as the RDEK District C are the programs current local sponsors, and the program is currently delivered within their limits. Over the course of 2016, several calls came from more rural communities, stretching as far as Wasa, reporting aggressive or injured wildlife as well as requesting program information. Further sponsorship from RDEK District C would support a more comprehensive WildSafeBC program in the area and would allow the WCC to respond accordingly to reported wildlife encounters, human-wildlife conflict, attractant management as well as to educate livestock owners on electric fencing. Sponsorship from the RDEK Area E would allow support to reach out to these communities. Presentations for early years continues to be a challenge. BC has encouraged teachers within School District 5 and 6 to incorporate more forest play into their daily/weekly schedules. Presentations made up for the early years such a bear basics, animals with hooves and predators should be added into the WildSafeBC structured educational programming. Finally, the 2016 WildSafeBC season ran from the middle of May until the middle of November even though wildlife species such as coyotes, cougars, moose, elk and deer are still active in the winter months. An extended contract that allows for some off-season hours would allow the WCC to support community members when they need it. Requests for winter wildlife presentations began in late June Goals for 2017 The 2017 season is just around the corner! WildSafeBC is looking forward to further developing the existing partnerships as well as working together to find new solutions to reduce human-wildlife conflict by educating the public wildlife attractant management in and around city limits. The list below provides a more accurate description of WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook goals for Secure further support from RDEK District C to deliver programming to rural areas surrounding Kimberley, Cranbrook and area. Sponsorship from RDEK Area E. Awareness Campaign Exploring Apple tree incentives with the City of Cranbrook and Kimberley Continue to develop educational programming for primary classes (K-3) Connect with Bylaw Enforcement Officers and Conservation Officers further on reconstructing/amending bylaws Collaborate with existing community groups to increase local capacity for volunteers Collaborate with existing community groups that build upon existing partnerships and involves residents in finding solutions to local wildlife 9 P age

22 WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook Year End Report Acknowledgements WildSafeBC is grateful for the enormous amount of support throughout the 2016 season. WildSafeBC acknowledges the funding support of sponsors, The Ministry of Environment, BC Conservation Foundation, The Colombia Basin Trust, The Regional District of East Kootenay District C, the City of Kimberley and the City of Cranbrook. Thank you to the operations, communications and planning staff at both Cities, who have been pro-active in collaborating with WildSafeBC to find lasting solutions to human-wildlife conflict. Special Thanks to the Conservation Officer Services staff Jeff Scott, Ray Gilewicz and Denny Chretien support staff Jennifer Hunt. Thank you to the staff at the BC Conservation Foundation including, but not limited to, Frank Ritcey, Jen Bellhouse, Trina Radford and Shelley Nohels. The WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook s educational programming would not be the same without such an amazing audience and supportive educators. Thank you to all community participants, together, WildSafeBC Kimberley-Cranbrook is possible! 10 P age

23 Schedule C FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File: City Wraps Up Fall 2015 Urban Deer Population Management Program Cranbrook, BC (January 18, 2016) A deer population management program has been completed in the City of Cranbrook. The program began on Tuesday December 1, 2015 with the setup and baiting of traps and concluded on January 13, 2016, with a total of twenty deer being captured and euthanized. I am very pleased with the results of this program to manage and control our urban deer situation, says Mayor Lee Pratt. I know some people do not agree with our program, but in the interest of the protection of citizens property and the safety of our residents it had to be done. The Wildlife Permit was issued to the City of Cranbrook on October 19, 2015 by the Ministry of Forest, Land and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) and was valid from December 1, 2015 expiring on January 31, All of the deer euthanized were processed and 855 lbs. of meat has been distributed to three local organizations to be used for human consumption. This process was clearly identified in the guidelines embedded in the Wildlife Permit provided by MFLNRO. All meat preparation was conducted by a qualified butcher and processed in a facility inspected and approved by both Interior Health and MFLNRO. The specific areas of the City targeted were based on complaints received by City staff from the public in 2015 along with the results of the urban deer population count conducted on November 7, The results were 137 deer the highest number of deer counted since this program began in The locations of the traps were determined by City staff based on this information along with complaints received by the provincial toll-free Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line and specific priority areas identified by the Conservation Officer Service. The program was completed under the $15,000 budget at $10, or $494 per animal. Built into the cost includes: placement and tear down of each clover trap, purchase of bait and supplies, liability insurance, provincially mandated equipment training, mileage, vehicle cleaning; processing, packaging and distribution of the meat and all associated contractor administration costs. The City of Cranbrook remains committed to the urban deer translocation trial set to begin in February. Council understands the value of the trial and contributed $10,000 to the project last fall and has been asking the Province for several years for additional tools to deal with urban deer. The recent population management program was approved and organized before we knew exactly when the translocation trial was going to begin, says Mayor Pratt. We have direction from our residents to try to deal with our urban deer population. The current method used to manage deer populations is the only way we are authorized to do that, which is dictated by the Wildlife Act and enforced by MFLNRO. It is very Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

24 important for the public to recognize that this upcoming translocation trial is only a test and was never intended to move a large number of animals from each municipality involved and large numbers of urban deer will still remain in Cranbrook. The City of Cranbrook extends its thanks to the District of Elkford, the City of Kimberley, the District of Invermere, VAST Resource Solutions, MFLNRO staff and all of the granting groups and supporting agencies for coming together for the translocation trial and who have remained unwaveringly supportive and involved and who have not threatened to pull their support. The City is very interested to see the end results of this trial. For more information, please contact: Chris Zettel Corporate Communications Officer City of Cranbrook Phone: Cell: zettel@cranbrook.ca Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

25 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File: Report All Acts of Aggression by Urban Deer, City Asks Each and Every Report Important To Determining Future Population Management Cranbrook, BC (March 31, 2016) Any incidents involving acts of deer aggression in the City of Cranbrook should be reported. Both City staff and the provincial Conservation Officer Service keep close tabs on these reports of aggressive deer behaviour in order for Mayor and Council to make any future decisions around urban deer management. These reports of aggression are crucial to helping staff determine where clover traps should be placed in any future deer management program the City undertakes, says Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer for the City of Cranbrook. The reality is if the incident isn t reported the incident didn t occur. Deer living in town are habituated to the presence of people and have lost their natural wariness of humans. Although the deer look cute and harmless, they can and have been aggressive especially toward people and dogs. The higher than normal deer population level has led to the sighting and reports of cougars, coyotes and the occasional wolf in the municipality over the past 5 years. I continue to hear anecdotal stories of encounters people have with aggressive deer but didn t bother to report for any number of reasons, Zettel says. Lots of people told me they didn t want to be a bother. Many tell me complaining would not make any difference. I m here to tell you that reporting an incident no matter how frequently it occurs is not a bother and your complaint is important. To report an incident to the Conservation Officer Service, please call To report an incident to the City of Cranbrook, please call or urbandeer@cranbrook.ca. Although residents may also report deer damage to gardens and shrubs, it is important to know that those reports do not play a factor in decisions around deer management, adds Zettel. Late May through June is historically the time of year does give birth to their fawns. Does will drive away their offspring from the previous year and look for a secluded place to give birth. Deer have one or two fawns per year and triplets do occur once in a while. The white-spotted fawn relies on its colouration, lack of scent and silence for protection. It is quite common for does to leave fawns hidden while they forage in the area, returning occasionally to nurse. If you come across a fawn, it is best to leave it alone. It is also important for residents to remember that does with fawns are very wary of their surroundings and can act or react aggressively if they feel threatened. Give the deer plenty of space to either move or leave the area. Do not walk closer to the deer, choose another route. Be sure to walk your dog on a leash and be ready to let go of the leash if a deer attacks. Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

26 For more information, please contact: Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer City of Cranbrook Phone: Cell: Skype: chris.zettel1 Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

27 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File: Public Must Take Larger Role in Enforcement of the Deer Feeding Bylaw, City Says Cranbrook, BC (April 12, 2016) Residents are being asked to step up and help the City of Cranbrook ensure the deliberate feeding of deer inside the municipality does not happen. Deliberate feeding of the deer is just one piece of the puzzle around urban deer and part of the reason we have the deer issues we do, says Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer for the City of Cranbrook. This is the easiest thing we, as a community can do to try to minimize these problems by simply not feeding them. The bylaw states no one is to provide deer with food by intentionally leaving food, food waste or other attractive edible material for the sole purpose of feeding deer. For example, leaving out a bale of hay, a bag of apples or other compostable food scraps on any property where these items are not consistently being grown or produced for human consumption would be a violation of the Bylaw. Home fruit and vegetable gardens intended for human consumption or ornamental plants and flowers will not be included as material intended for the sole purpose of feeding deer under the deer feeding bylaw. Like so many of our bylaws, enforcement is done on a complaint driven basis, says Zettel. We don t have the ability to patrol the City looking for infractions around the deer feeding bylaw. We need residents to let us know if deliberate feeding of deer is happening and where. You will have to provide our staff your name and phone number, so our bylaw officers can contact you should more information be needed. Anyone found violating the Deer Feeding Prohibition Bylaw will be committing an offense and can be fined on an escalating fine schedule; $ 100 for the first offense, $200 for the second, $500 for the third. Each day a violation occurs constitutes a new and separate offense. For more information or to report a location where deliberate deer feeding is happening, please call Bylaw The City cannot act on anonymous complaints as evidence is required if the offender is to be fined. For more information, please contact: Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer City of Cranbrook Phone: Cell: zettel@cranbrook.ca Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

28 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File: Wildlife Issues Need to Be Reported To Province, City Says Cranbrook, BC (June 8, 2016) -- Residents are reminded that if you see or have issues with any wildlife, please call the Provincial RAPP line to report it at , 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. This information is passed along directly to the local branch of the Conservation Officer Service, where it is recorded and depending on the wildlife issue it will be responded to. Please do not contact City of Cranbrook Bylaw staff or the local branch of the SPCA with wildlife issues. They are only able to deal with domestic animals not wildlife. However, around issues with urban deer, residents are encouraged to contact the RAPP line first toll free at (RAPP), but are also asked to report the issue to the City of Cranbrook for its records by calling or ing urbandeer@cranbrook.ca. City staff may not be able to respond directly to all s or phone messages around urban deer issues, however staff will be sure to record those complaints. It is also important to remember that late May through June is historically the time of year does give birth to their fawns. Does will drive away their offspring from the previous year and look for a secluded place to give birth. Deer have one or two fawns per year and triplets do occur once in a while. The white-spotted fawn relies on its colouration, lack of scent and silence for protection. It is quite common for does to leave fawns hidden while they forage in the area, returning occasionally to nurse. If you come across a fawn, it is best to leave it alone. It is also important for residents to remember that does with fawns are very wary of their surroundings and can act or react aggressively if they feel threatened. Give the deer plenty of space to either move or leave the area. Do not walk closer to the deer, choose another route. Be sure to walk your dog on a leash and be ready to let go of the leash if a deer attacks. For more information, please contact: Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer City of Cranbrook Phone: Cell: Skype: chris.zettel1 chris.zettel@cranbrook.ca Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

29 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File: Options Available for Yard & Garden to Reduce Damage by Urban Deer Cranbrook, BC (June 15, 2016) Regular summer activities including yard and garden maintenance are in full swing and the possibility is there that you and your neighbours won t be the only ones stopping by to admire all your hard work. The City of Cranbrook s urban deer population both mule and white tail deer will be active in many areas of the community looking to make a meal out of many plants and shrubs. In spring and summer months, mule deer eat a variety of herbaceous plants and grasses during the summer, even though they are primarily browsers of shrubs. Talk with your landscape professional or visit your favourite local nursery to find out more about deer-resistant plants that thrive locally. There are also a few techniques that can be used to protect your property from deer damage. Fencing is really your only guaranteed way of preventing deer damage in your yard, says Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer for the City of Cranbrook. But, using a combination of hazing, repellents, choosing deer resistant plants along with fencing can also be quite effective. In the City s Zoning Bylaw under Fencing, in all residential zones, the maximum height for a fence in the front yard is 1 metre and all other yards, 1.8 metres. If you have issues around urban deer aggression, you are encouraged to contact the RAPP line first, but are also asked to report the issue to the City of Cranbrook for its records by calling or ing urbandeer@cranbrook.ca. City staff may not be able to respond directly to all s or phone messages around urban deer issues, however staff will be sure to record those complaints. The Ministry of Environment website also has much information on how to reduce deer conflicts in your For more information, please contact: Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer City of Cranbrook Phone: Cell: Skype: chris.zettel1 chris.zettel@cranbrook.ca Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

30 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE File: Deer Mating Season Approaches; Public Awareness Encouraged Cranbrook, BC (September 26, 2016) -- Focus on the local urban deer population shifts away from aggressive does to the upcoming autumn deer mating period or the fall rut. Residents and visitors are advised to continue to exercise both caution and common sense. This is a transition stage in the year where we will start to see an increase in activity from our local urban buck population, says Chris Zettel, Communications Officer with the City of Cranbrook. Issues of aggression by bucks during the annual rut are not common, but it is still important that our residents at least be aware. In the weeks leading up to the rut (into November and December) bucks increase their displays of dominance and indirect threats. A dominant buck typically circles a rival with deliberate steps; back arched, head low and tail flicking. Bucks can also display dominance by violently thrashing the bushes with their antlers. Some does with fawns may also remain wary and potentially aggressive toward people with dogs through the fall, says Zettel. We are asking that you try your best to give deer plenty of space to move or leave the area. Please do not walk closer to the deer; try and find another route. Any acts of deer aggression where public safety is at risk should be reported. The City of Cranbrook and the provincial Conservation Officer Service each keep track of these instances of aggression. To report an incident to the Conservation Officer Service, please call To report an incident to the City of Cranbrook, please call or urbandeer@cranbrook.ca For more information, please contact: Chris Zettel, Corporate Communications Officer City of Cranbrook Phone: Cell: Skype: chris.zettel1 chris.zettel@cranbrook.ca Phone: Toll Free: Facsimile: Address: (250) (800) (250) th Avenue South Cranbrook, BC V1C 2M8

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