A conservation officer predicts Saanich residents can expect more cases of aggressive deer.
“The deer population is increasing and generations of deer have grown up around people,” said Peter Pauwels, a conservation officer with B.C.’s Ministry of Environment. “We will see more of this.”
Pauwels made these comments after two Saanich residents reported two encounters with aggressive deer while walking with their dogs.
Pauwels said those cases were part of five such cases Sunday across the Greater Victoria region.
The timing of these cases is not coincidental. Starting mid-May, does give birth to fawns, which remain highly vulnerable until the end of June, when they will have developed the ability to escape potential predators. Until then, does will fiercely defend their fawns.
“People don’t always see the fawn,” he said. “But if a doe has been behaving in an aggressive manner, the fawn is nearby.”
The common element in Sunday’s cases is the dog, said Pauwels. “The provocation is the presence of the dog. It provokes the doe.”
So what should residents do? “If you are near a doe or a fawn, try to avoid it,” he said. Residents can also pick up their dog and try to get away, he said. They can also seek shelter or hide. Acting aggressively might also work. Waving an object like a baseball bat in the air might scare them off, he said.
However, Pauwels stressed none of theses measures represent an ideal solution to an aggressive but ultimately unpredictable animal.
“It depends on the situation,” he said. “Every situation is different.”
Once fawns become more mobile as they grow up, the number of encounters with aggressive deer should ebb towards the end of the June, said Pauwels. But the larger problem remains. As the number of deer increase, incidents will continue to increase.
So what is to be done about the number of deer? “I’m not aware of any solution,” said Pauwels.