B.C. gulf island deer cull up for council vote

A plan to eradicate 500 to 1,000 invasive fallow deer from SḰŦÁMEN (Sidney Island), part of the Gulf Islands, is likely to go ahead later this year — if it can clear a strata council vote.

Parks Canada and the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council have long planned to eradicate the deer and restore the island’s native vegetation.

The plan calls for sharpshooters in helicopters to target the deer, as well as hunters using dogs on the ground to track the animals down.

Parks Canada and W̱SÁNEĆ are working to finalize the plan now, which will be voted on by Sidney Island council later this year.

“SḰŦÁMEN is within the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples, who have been stewards of the lands and waters in and around Gulf Islands National Park Reserve for thousands of years,” Parks Canada says on its “Taking Care of Sidney Island” page.

It adds it is working with Indigenous communities to ensure it aligns with their values and teachings.

“Parks Canada is also working with First Nations to increase Indigenous deer harvesting on SḰŦÁMEN and elsewhere in the park reserve. In addition to helping to reduce the fallow deer population, Indigenous hunting plays an important role in the ongoing management of native black-tailed deer in this region,” Parks Canada explains.

According to the agency, the European fallow deer has “impacted the forest understory” of the island, pointing to the difference in vegetation between fenced areas and those accessible to the animals.

A photo from Sidney Island, where a deer cull is being planned, shows the difference in vegetation between areas the animals can access and can’t. (Courtesy Parks Canada)

The province says fallow deer were originally found in parts of the Mediterranean region of Europe, as well as southwest Asia.

They vary in colour and typically have a “long tail, white spots, and a prominent Adam’s apple,” the government explains.