Dear Editor:
My family and I have lived in the Invermere area for many years. I am aware of the issue with the deer. I was unable to make the District of Invermere council meeting as I had to work.
I understand how some people are irritated with the fact that deer are disturbing their gardens and flower beds, but cant they put up chicken wire and other blockages to prevent the deer from eating what they are naturally attracted to?
Why is killing the deer the only solution there is? Humans keep repopulating the earth, but the government doesnt order a cull to control the over population.
I am strongly appalled that this solution would even be brought to the mayor and councillors in the first place. People who dont have money to buy chemically-injected meat from grocery stores use deer to provide food for their families.
It was said that the meat will go to families who need it but what if the food banks and other resources dont accept meat that is not properly inspected?
In addition to allowing families who are in need of meat to hunt them, several options exist to control deer numbers including allowing nature to take its course, relocation, fencing, repellents, fertility control, supplemental food, and reintroduction of predators. Why cant these options, along with many other options be looked into and discussed?
People refer to the deer as the pest when really, the humans are the pest.
We develop houses, big resorts, corporate developments, and other resources to attract tourists just to make a quick buck. I grew up in this small town and many others like it are slowly starting to develop just like Invermere.
Deer were here decades before humans were. God created them so that man could have means of food and use the hides and pelts for clothing and footwear to stay warm. The deer provide many resources to many families, and who are you to try and get rid of something that has been in many family traditions for years, and has been the main resource to stay alive for more than several families?
The deer show aggression towards humans because it is a natural instinct for them to protect their families when they feel threatened. Our ancestors were barbaric cavemen, but we should not follow their footsteps.
Kortnie Massie
Invermere