Ticked-off: Deer attacks prompt warning from local police

Monday, June 5, 2017, 5:23 PM - It's springtime in British Columbia, and the animals are angry.

Vancouver is experiencing an active crow attack season, a terrifying encounter between a child and a sea lion, and now Saanich police are warning residents to be cautious of area deer, after two reports of incidents with the usually peaceful animals this weekend.

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Romeo Strasbourg told CBC News a doe stalked him and his dog while they were walking through a Saanich neighbourhood on Sunday. "I heard this noise behind me because it is a paved road," Strasbourg said, "and I turned around and it was a deer about three feet behind me."

Strasbourg and his dog attempted evade the deer by heading for a nearby porch, but the doe followed him, trying to charge his dog four or five times despite his attempts to scare it away.

"It was very aggressive," he added in a statement to the Times Colonist. "That's the first time I've seen that in a deer."

A second reported incident came in the afternoon, when a resident notified police of a deer that returned to his yard several times and chased his dog, finally leaving only after the man threatened the deer with a baseball bat.

Saanich Police Staff Sgt. Chris Horsley told local media that deer have a history of becoming aggressive during fawning season, reminding residents that the wild animals may forcefully and aggressively defend their young against perceived threats.

"[T]hey can become very aggressive if they are defending their young and more so if you are with a dog," Horsley said, adding no one was hurt during the attacks.

Wild Safe BC cites the growing population of deer in urban settings for the increase in human-wildlife conflicts, cautioning people against feeding deer, and suggest chasing them away from your property, as it is "particularly difficult to remove them" once they become established in an area. They name property damage, chances of vehicle collisions, tick transportation, danger to pets, and danger from large predators as good reasons to discourage deer from moving into your neighbourhood.

Deer are wild animals, you should never approach deer especially those with young as they may attack. Laying their ears back and lowering their head can be signs of an impending attack. If you are attacked by a deer try to stay upright, cover your head with your arms and move to shelter. If you are concerned for your safety or have sighted deer in your neighborhood that are no longer afraid of people or pets please report them to the Conservation Officer Service

Sources: CBC News | Times Colonist | WildSafeBC |