As 2021 has begun, we’re wishing everyone a safe and healthy start to the New Year!
Hunkering down
With the darker, wetter days and nights, you may feel that you’re seeing fewer deer…the official term for that appears to be “hunkering down”! Like us, deer tend to look for warm, dry shelter where their needs can be met, and as a result they seem to be less visible.
Watch for deer crossing
We’re glad to note that some actually are a bit safer when crossing the road – 60 does that received their IC in the Fall all have reflective tape on their identification ear tags, and we’ve heard that they are quite visible in headlights.
Theft of wildlife cameras
Sadly, in the first couple of weeks of December, nine of the wildlife cameras collecting data on urban deer in Oak Bay were stolen. The cameras were all on public land with permission from Oak Bay and are the property of Oak Bay and the UWSS. If you saw someone removing a camera from its location (likely a tree), please report to the Oak Bay Police (250-592-2424).
Injured buck recovering
You may have seen a recent photo in the newspaper of a majestic buck with an arrow in its side, just behind its right foreleg. The suffering buck had been shot, likely in Oak Bay, with a crossbow, clearly with the intent to kill.
Thankfully, a number of people reported the injured deer to the Conservation Service, and with the help of UWSS past president Bryan Gates and our wildlife veterinarian Dr. Adam Hering, they were able to locate the buck and successfully remove the arrow. The arrow just missed the buck’s heart but when last seen appeared to be doing quite well.
It is illegal to hunt within urban boundaries. As well, urban deer eat many plants that have pesticides on them and the meat is unfit to eat. As well, does that have been given immuno-contraception have a small, yellow provincial tag in one ear that identifies them as unfit for meat. If you see anyone attempting to hunt within urban boundaries, or you see an injured deer, please call the Conservation RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or #7277 on Telus mobility.
The native deer species here in greater Victoria is the Columbian black-tailed deer. But our lead scientist Jason Fisher and colleague Cole Burton have a new paper in the journal Ecology and Evolution on white-tailed deer in north-eastern Alberta.
They found that oil and gas features play a key role in sustaining the expansion of white-tailed deer northward into boreal landscapes. The infographic, right, explains the key findings of the paper.
Original research paper: Spatial structure of reproductive success infers mechanisms of white-tailed deer invasion of boreal landscapes. http://buff.ly/2KEMMJT
Since our last blog post, we successfully completed our second season of immuno-contraception (IC)! Thanks to all of you who engaged in citizen science and helped us with locating the elusive does who needed vaccinating – almost all received their booster meaning that between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020, 120 does were successfully vaccinated!
One of our Wanted posters, to help us find does for IC. Thank you to everyone that called!
Thanks as well to our many supporters in the community and beyond—our field team answered many questions, and were even cheered on from balconies as they professionally, efficiently, and compassionately handled the does.
On October 31 we completed our fieldwork for this fall and our permit expired. Since then, the UWSS and Oak Bay applied to the Provincial funding program (PUDAC) for 2021 funding in order to continue collecting and analyzing data, to prepare for report writing (also to be published in peer-reviewed journals), and cover the costs of boosting both 2019 and 2020 does in the Fall of 2021.
We are happy to report that the funding was approved, and we look forward to carrying on this important research project. We know there are many communities and municipalities looking forward to accessing the extensive knowledge of urban deer that we have been collecting and seeing immuno-contraception becoming an operational solution.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]
Humans aren’t the only species whose “tweens” that are itching for more independence but perhaps lack a bit of experience. Tween fawns aren’t much different.
While young fawns tend to stay close to mom, as they get a little older they start to become a little more independent.
“We really encourage drivers and cyclists to be mindful all the time, but now especially to be a little more cautious – when you see a doe walk out, a fawn or two will often follow behind, it just may take a little longer to see them now,” explains Kristy Kilpatrick, President of the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society.
“There really can be quite a distance between the doe and fawn, so cars that have slowed down for the doe think the coast is clear; as they begin to accelerate, the fawn jumps out to follow its mother.”
Be especially vigilant around dawn and dusk, when deer tend to be more active and when it’s more difficult to see them. Headlights can also confuse deer, causing them to freeze or act unpredictably. To reduce your chance of colliding with a deer, slow down and scan ahead, particularly in areas deer are known to frequent.
Residents can help spread awareness that deer are in the neighbourhood by picking up a free lawn sign from the Township of Esquimalt or by contacting the UWSS, Kilpatrick says.
And because deer see dogs as a threat—no matter how well behaved or small your dog—keep Fido leashed and walking close to you to prevent unwanted interactions. Dogs can also startle deer, prompting them (both the deer and the dog) to dart out into traffic.
While most fawns are born in late spring and early summer, some later births are still possible. Because does shelter fawns from predators, leaving for long periods to forage, wildlife centres like the BC SPCA’s WildARC typically advise residents to leave “orphaned fawns” alone – the mother is likely nearby and will return once you leave.
If the fawn appears cold, weak, thin, injured, is bleating repetitively, or if the mother has not returned to a seemingly healthy fawn for more than eight hours, call WildArc. DO NOT remove the fawn on your own—if you have inadvertently handled the animal, rub an old towel on the grass, then gently wipe the fawn down to remove human scent.
As UWSS continues to monitor Oak Bay’s immuno-contraception program and track how many fawns are born this year to both the control group and the IC-vaccinated does, it underscores the importance of research in any deer management plan, Kilpatrick says. “While the Oak Bay project will help inform future decisions about immuno-contraception and deer management, research unique to each community is essential for an effective plan.”
Along with warmer, brighter days and burgeoning vegetation growth, deer fawning season is beginning, with the first fawns already sighted in Oak Bay and other municipalities.
One of our “control group” deer that did not receive immunocontraceptive in 2019.
During September and October 2019 an immuno-contraceptive was administered to 60 does, all of whom are marked with numbered or coloured ear tags. In addition, a control group of 20 does who did not receive the immuno-contraceptive are marked with a coloured collar and large pink tags attached to the collar.
We are expecting that only the control group of does and any other does that did not receive the immuno-contraceptive will give birth. So this season we are anticipating a reduction in births by 60-90 fawns.
Does are very protective of their fawns and if threatened will defend their youngsters. A human waving their arms and yelling at a doe, and merely the presence of dogs (whether leashed or unleashed, seems threatening to their fawns safety – even if you can’t see the fawns nearby. So in the interests of avoiding interactions with protective does we recommend the following behaviours when walking your dog or strolling the neighbourhood streets:
Avoid eye contact – this can be seen as challenging behaviour.
Remain quiet – waving your arms and yelling is threatening to the doe, causing the mother to feel even more protective of her fawn
Cross the street – rather than confronting the deer, cross the road to avoid contact
Change your route – if a deer appears to be following you, try changing direction. You may unknowingly be walking toward a hidden fawn.
Keep your dog near you – dogs are natural threats to deer, regardless of their size, age, or demeanour. Not only is it important to keep your dog leashed when out walking where deer are in the neighbourhood, but when you see a deer, keep your dog near you as you walk. Never release the leash to let the dog chase the deer away.
If you find a fawn, leave it alone – does shelter fawns from predators, leaving for long periods to forage, then returning for fawns to suckle. Because fawns are born without scent, for the first few weeks does may feed and sleep a considerable distance from the fawn to reduce the chance of attracting predators. BC SPCA’s WildARC receives numerous calls from people who have found an “orphaned” fawn, but typically advise residents to leave it alone – the mother is likely nearby and will return once you leave. However, if the fawn is dirty, smelly and has flies around it, or is bleeding and obviously injured, or is shivering, thin, disoriented, and bleating call WildArc as soon as you can. In addition, if a doe does not return to a seemingly healthy fawn for more than eight hours call WildArc as something may have happened to the doe. If you do find a fawn in distress do not attempt to move it, unless it is on a road or in an otherwise unsafe place. If you inadvertently handled the animal, rub an old towel on the grass, then gently wipe the fawn down with it to remove human scent.
When driving – especially at dawn and dusk, reduce your chance of hitting a deer by slowing down and scanning both sides of the road. Stay alert and focused and remember that deer are rarely alone – when one crosses the road others will usually follow. Headlights blind and confuse deer and cause them to freeze or act unpredictably. Young inexperienced deer may not recognize vehicles as a threat. Deer do not understand what honking your horn means and may be startled into running into the road.
For more tips on living with Urban Deer visit UWSS.ca
BCSPCA WildArc. 855 622 7722. 1020 Malloch rd. Victoria
