A scary situation has prompted one Okotoks man to ask council to do something about the town’s deer population. “They don’t act like a deer is supposed to act,” said Dale Burton, referring to the number of does and fawns seen walking along Okotoks streets or bedding down in private yards. Deer have become part of the scene in Okotoks, from eating garden plants to crossing roads, but the population seems to be growing and is becoming more of a concern, he said. An incident in June was the end of the line for Burton. His 14-year-old daughter was jogging with the family’s dog on Lock Crescent when she was chased by a deer. “She was screaming and the deer kept chasing her,” said Burton. An area resident, who Burton called “Patrick,” was home working on his computer when he heard the screams and rushed outside in bare feet to come to the young girl’s rescue. Patrick pushed the deer away from the girl before grabbing a shovel from a nearby yard and engaging the animal, while telling Burton’s daughter to run for his house. “He actually battled the deer that was relentless in trying to get around him to get to my daughter,” said Burton. Eventually, the deer gave up on its pursuit and Patrick walked the young girl to her home on Okotoks Drive, he said. The good Samaritan returned to the Burton home later with footage of the entire event, which his security cameras had captured. He also told Burton it had been the third time that particular deer had chased people on Lock Crescent that day – and not every victim was walking a dog. There were a couple of fawns in the area, which Burton said the deer was likely protecting. He’s grateful nobody was hurt that day. “You can go on YouTube and watch countless videos of deer beating people up and killing dogs,” said Burton. “If a deer was to hit a person in the head with their hoof it will kill them. This was really scary.” Burton took his story, and the security camera footage, to council on June 25. He showed councillors the video and asked the Town to reconsider addressing the deer population in town. After a deer count in fall 2015, council opted not to do anything about the number of deer in town. Instead, it followed recommendations from the report to educate the public to avoid deer on pathways, not to feed the animals, to track incidents of deer killed by vehicles in town, and to put out signage when residents reported aggressive deer in town. “There are really two times per year when the deer are most aggressive – when they have fawns in the spring, so right now, and in the fall during the rut,” said Okotoks parks manager Christa Michailuck. She said there is not a plan for another deer count, but the Town is investigating a new biodiversity app that would allow citizens to report sightings of wildlife on a daily basis and could give an indication of how many deer are in Okotoks at any given time. There have only been one or two reports per year of aggressive deer, though Michailuck said that could be because the Town isn’t notified. Most reports that do come in tend to involve people walking dogs, she said. “The deer in town are not afraid of people or dogs, but they see dogs are more of a threat, particularly if they’ve got fawns nearby,” said Michailuck. Burton said he hopes council steps in now, as the deer become more aggressive and less fearful. Since he spoke in council, Burton said he’s been approached by at least a dozen people with similar concerns. Some have been riding bikes by the river and were chased by deer. One Okotoks Drive resident showed him photos of a newborn fawn, which was nestled in between the steps leading to the front door and the wall of his house while its mother ate on the neighbour’s lawn. “If he hadn’t seen it and got away from there, he could be sitting on the steps not even knowing there’s a fawn right beside him, and that mother would have protected her baby,” said Burton. He said council needs to consider its options and address the deer population, which is threatening town residents. “They want us to be healthier and transition away from vehicles, but the pathways aren’t safe,” said Burton. “I told my daughter not to go walking where the deer are because obviously it’s not safe, but then where can she go? They’re practically everywhere.” He mentioned to council an article he’d read where other municipalities in Alberta had teamed up with the native community to address their deer issues. “They have different hunting rights than we do, and could maybe do something on the outskirts of town,” said Burton. “So I suggested we partner with our neighbours in Eden Valley.” No matter what council decides to do, Burton said he hopes to see action. Things can’t stay the way they are, he said. He plans to visit council again to ask for an update on progress. “In three weeks I want to address them again and find out what’s been done on it,” said Burton. “I feel this is far too important for our community to let lie without somebody driving for a result.”
