To the silent who spoke out:

Thank you for bringing your concerns and views forward.

Although we feel that the issues involving the deer seem to have caused some separation in our township of Invermere we want to clarify that we are not separate from your concerns, we are in total agreement with all that you are stating and would love an opportunity to work with all of you for better solutions.

We truly want to bring our town back together and take the action necessary to prevent any harm to our town folk, children, pets, or any further damage to our yards, gardens, and especially our well being. We also want to include our precious deer in this no harm solution(s).

We speak about solutions that will not only solve the aggressive deer problem as early as next week, but also a long term plan that will take care of overpopulation of our town deer, and address the issues of the deer eating gardens, flowers, etc. We also propose that the cost of our solutions will be much less than the deer cull.

1. AGGRESSIVE DEER:

We begin immediately to mark all aggressive deer and have volunteers to start today.

These marked deer will be rounded up and re-located temporarily, then with time and some support, re-located into far out locations so that return is not possible. They may survive, they may not, but at least they will have a chance.

Just a small comparison here: When a drunk driver gets in his vehicle, and harms others through this action we take him out of the area (so to speak) but we do not take all folks that drink out of the area because they also could drive and harm others.

So why do we feel that all deer should be punished or killed for the few that are aggressive?

We have seen deer sleep with dogs, and play with cats in our own yards, and we have many videos showing this fun. Deer by nature are very very gentle animals, but through their experiences in our town — and who knows how they have been treated over the years — some have become aggressive.

We must deal with this, but they do not deserve to be culled with the inhumane bolt gun.

2. OVER POPULATION:

There is a program in place involving the immediate birth control of all our deer and more information will be posted about this process. Then a count will be completed, and the town will decide how many must be relocated and how many can stay.

It is important to realize at this time what has been spoken often by our Native folk: “The deer are on their path, but have been stopped in our town for a reason.”

Perhaps it is to bring our hearts together, and work as a community to find better solutions.

3. YARDS, GARDENS, FENCES

For under $100 each those of us who are finding our yards ransacked by the deer, one solution is a scare crow device that works on a sensor motion. When a deer, or any animal for that matter, approaches this area this device activates and begins to spray water around the area. This spooks the deer, and they will stay away. Many have these devices and the consensus is they are working well.

This is an area we would love to hear everyones’ ideas about and work together as a community to help each other.

4. EDUCATION

Perhaps we may all acknowledge how most animals will react to fear. Anyone who works with horses, dogs, or any animal trainer knows that if a person is afraid the animal feels it and reacts.

A horse knows right away when its rider is not experienced or is fearful. This horse usually will run off and “do what it wants.” Dogs are the same. And so it is true with our precious deer.

We are not saying folks should not be afraid, we are saying that the same deer that are aggressive with some, are as gentle as can be with others. We all believe that education in this area needs to be provided as a part of the solutions offered.

5.  NATURE

Our population is growing, increasingly taking away natural lands from our wild animals.

We must stand together on this and do our part to honour all life, knowing that many solutions will evolve out of the problems, and nature does have a balance. It is known that without the problem, the solutions cannot be born.

Our children and grandchildren in generations to come will carry with them better solutions, but we need to stand up now to show that we are willing to pave this road with solutions that feel good for all of us — no separation!

6. OUR COMMITMENT

Please join us today, and help us to take care of the deer problem without the cull.

Let us be known world wide as the small mountain community that “stood up” and found solutions that our children will be proud of.

It was told recently that one of our community teachers asked a group of nine year-old students with a show of hands how many wanted to have the deer cull. Only two out of the whole class room put up their hands.

We ask for support financially, we will ask for volunteers, we will do our town proud and take care of any concerns while staying open to the many who have better solutions to come.

At least let’s try and if in one year, our solutions are not helping then the last solution could be the cull — not the first.

We are not separate from you, we just love our precious deer, and want a win-win solution for all.

Our mayor and council are representing all of us. Please hear us, not as protestors, but as the people who want to have this work for everyone.

Shelly Ford

on behalf of

The Solution Group