Working committee formed to address Truro’s deer over-population issue
‘You get the drift, I’m not 100 per cent behind this’ – Mayor Mills
“As long as we’re not talking about this Jan. 11, 2022,” Truro Mayor Bill Mills said, as he and the rest of council voted in favour of the creation of a deer management strategy working group.
Mills made the comment during the recent monthly public meeting of town council.
Mills’ comment reflected an attitude shared by others on council that action is needed to replace discussion, sooner rather than later.
Truro CAO Mike Dolter, who spoke to the creation of the working group, assured council that while there isn’t an exact time frame in place, he does appreciate their sense of urgency.
Contacted by the Truro News following the council session, Mills expressed his growing frustration with the lack of inaction in moving forward with a plan to reduce the town's controversial deer population.
“You get the drift, I’m not 100 per cent behind this,” he said, of the delay a working committee would create.
Discussion during the meeting centred on the health risks, human and vehicle casualties, numbers of deer causally strolling through town streets and properties - creating damage to lawns and other green spaces - and generally creating nuisance situations for people and domesticated animals.
“Death and taxes and now deer has become one of those things we’re going to be (dealing) with as well,” Coun. Cathy Hinton said, regarding the continued and exasperating problem of people feeding the deer.
“This issue is not going away.”
The working group will consist of council members, Lands and Forestry officials and community members/ stakeholders.
During the meeting, there was no mention of the Municipality of the County of Colchester's involvement, but once county councillor Wade Parker, representing Bible Hill-valley, heard about Truro's working group, he asked municipal staff to look into what was planned.
“I’m hoping staff contacts Truro and the Village (of Bible Hill), and we look at it from a regional approach that we can we move forward with, and get it done sooner than later because it was a big concern while I was out campaigning,” the veteran councillor said, referring last October’s municipal elections.
The working group is expected to be formed and start meeting in the next few weeks. Monthly meetings are anticipated initially but more will be added if required.
A recent positive development Mills noted was a town citizen offering two acres of land, two acres behind his property, currently populated by 15 to 20 deer, to help deal with the situation.
“If we wish to use it,” Mills said, adding the proposal will be added to the file. The property in question is located on the outskirts of, but within, town boundaries.
“It’s just an offer right now, it hasn’t gone to the committee yet,” Mills added. “If we accept the offer, a lot of the details are to be worked out.”
Another suggestion, in a letter published in last week’s Truro News, Lake Echo resident Ty Savoy proposed the option of using a contraceptive injection to control the deer population, based on a pilot project he said is underway in Oak Bay, B.C.
Savoy said the same method has been used successfully in New York State.
“I do hope the Town of Truro and NS Lands and Forests people look into this option,” Savoy said.