Bert Rose, his wife and their 14-year-old dog Bella were on the porch having a coffee at their new house in the 108 Mile Ranch when a deer came around the corner.
“Naturally, Bella gave a couple of good yaps and the deer came right at her and started stomping her,” says Rose.
He jumped up to the defence of his dog.
“The deer came up at me with both feet, flailing with the [front] legs,” says Rose.
Rose, who is used to handling angry livestock, defended himself and gave the deer a couple of sturdy hits.
“Finally after a couple of shots it took off,” he says. But by then it was too late. Bella had already been deeply hurt and Rose had to have her put down at the advice of the veterinarian later that day.
Colin Kravontka, a field conservation officer for 100 Mile House, says that while the behaviour isn’t exactly normal for a deer, it’s not out of character for a doe protecting her fawn.
“Right now the deer are having their young and with areas like the 108, 103 and Forest Grove there are a lot of local deer,” he says.
“The deer will have their young around these areas and then the deer become very protective. They bed them down and then they’ll go off and feed,” he says.
“Not all the time, but if anyone gets too near or their dog gets too near or they are walking on the roads and they are walking with their dogs and the deer feels threatened, they will go after their dogs or people as well.”
Rose is worried that just that will happen.
“What I am concerned about is kids, 8, 9, 10-years-old walking these little dogs and headed down to the lake,” he says. “It’s only a matter of time before their dog starts yapping like Bella did… and consequently one of those kids is going to get nailed.”
Rose contacted the RCMP about what happened. According to Rose, while they suggested he could call the conservation office, they also said there was nothing the RCMP could do about it, which has Rose deeply frustrated.
‘I’m old school. I’m 73 years of age. There’s no fooling around. You have to do something because it’s only a matter of time until it hurts those kids.”
Kravontka says that if a doe is being aggressive in the area, the best thing to do is wait it out and keep your pets away.
“We can attend and we can try and drive her out of there, but if we drive her out the chances are she is just going to leave her young and come back anyway,” he says. “After a few days soon as that fawn is strong enough she’ll move it out.”
In terms of prevention, he says the best thing to do is keep your yard unattractive to deer: keep the grass cut short and trees and shrubs pruned high so that you can see if an animal chooses to bed in the area.
With vacant lots around, he suggests avoiding the area and telling children to walk with an adult.
‘If they are in an area where a deer comes at them, try and get behind something,” he says.
Rose thinks that approach isn’t enough. He suggests transporting deer out of the area completely, which Kravontka says isn’t an option.
“You see that down in Victoria and the Kootenays with resident deer. There are a couple places where they are trying to do some culling but we don’t have nearly the problems that they are having now,” he says.
“It’s one of the things. If it’s that time of year, it’s the same thing.”
Kravontka says to call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 to report an aggressive animal.
“Be aware of where they are and your surroundings. We live in an area where there are animals.”
While Rose hopes something will be done to prevent the deer from hurting other animals, he’s still mourning his beloved pet.
“What a devoted dog. I couldn’t be doing anything outside that she wasn’t out there watching me. She was very much a part of the family.”
