Oak Bay to tag 20 deer with GPS collars as part of management plan

The District of Oak Bay is moving ahead with its deer management plan, but the program will not include a cull.

Oak Bay and the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society have partnered to carry out the first phase of what the district calls a “progressive, science based, deer management project.”

To start, 20 deer will be captured, tagged with GPS collars and photographed to ensure accurate identification and assessment.

The district reports the population of black-tailed deer is on the rise and has reached its limit, in part because Oak Bay offers an abundance of year-round vegetation where urban deer have no natural predators.