The deer contraception program is underway in Oak Bay as the owners of about 600 Oak Bay houses have signed up to volunteer access to their property.
“A crew started this week but we can still use more homes on the registry,” said Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch. “The more the merrier.”
The crew and veteranarian are visible in their yellow vests. They start at dawn and work until about noon.
Visit oakbay.ca/our-community/pets-animals/deer to register your property, giving crews access for deer contraception.
The intention for the deer contraception program is to make it a regional one, Murdoch said. The mayor will meet with the province next month to get additional direction on what the options are. Saanich, Esquimalt and Victoria have all elected to be part of the program.
The District of Oak Bay has permission to inoculate 80 does with contraceptives this summer, after surveys and reports found the district’s deer population to be between 78 and 128 black tail deer.
“In the long term we obviously need a regional approach too and we’re happy that other jurisdictions are looking to do it,” Murdoch said.
With hundreds of regional deer the Oak Bay contraception program is not enough to keep other deer populations from migrating into Oak Bay. Safety and health are among the growing concerns due to increasing deer populations.
READ MORE: Property regisgtration crucial for Oak Bay’s deer contraception program
READ ALSO: Esquimalt considers birth control for its deer population
– with files from Nicole Crescenzi
