I was greatly disturbed by the front page article, “Conservation forced to focus on safety,” published in a recent paper.
You tree huggers had better take a closer look at Googlemaps for this area. Notice, if you will, the vast areas just above the populated valleys of the Okanagan. Note the cross hatch patterns of harvested forest. What do you suppose they are today? Ginormous soccer fields? Huge baseball diamonds?
They are mostly pasture land created by the harvest of trees for lumber. What your warm and cozy house is made of. These harvested areas produce lots of grass in the absence of trees.
What do you suppose Mother Nature does with such a huge abundance of fodder?
Deer numbers are very high, evidenced by the increase of deer/automobile collisions.
Now, what do you suppose Mother Nature does with all those deer?
Cougar and bear have never had it so good as do coyote and any other predator roaming about out there. People, when there is plenty of food the bear and cougar and coyotes have lots of babies.
These wild animals are usually quite territorial. Hence the overflow into our schools and backyards and highways.
A night security guard related a story just last summer (2013) of a black bear that made its way through Polson Park, past the court house and was lost somewhere behind St. James Church.
Stow your garbage properly. Pick up fallen fruit from the ground. Report sightings of wildlife where they shouldn’t be immediately and never, never pet deer. They are wild creatures just like the bears and cougars and coyotes.
If you don’t like the system, if you think we need more conservation officers or you feel laws should be changed, reflect this by your vote and contact your local representative.
M. Canuel
Vernon
