In some cities and towns, increasing deer numbers have become a safety concern. Aggressive deer have attacked people and pets, and vehicle accidents involving deer in urban areas are on the rise. Deer also attract potentially dangerous predators, like cougars.
While the B.C. government manages deer in the wild, urban deer are primarily managed by municipalities. Urban deer can be difficult to manage because some conventional wildlife management methods, such as hunting deer, are not appropriate in urban settings.
The B.C. government has made cost-share funding available to help local governments and First Nations manage conflicts between humans and deer in urban areas. To be considered for funding, applicants submit a project proposal to the Provincial Urban Deer Cost-Share (PUDOCS) program.
The PUDOCS applications are evaluated by the Provincial Urban Deer Advisory Committee (PUDAC). The PUDAC includes representatives from the provincial government, local governments, Union of B.C. Municipalities and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Details on the program and information on how to apply is available in the Program and Application Guide (PDF, 848KB).
PUDAC meeting minutes
Often, simple actions can help eliminate urban deer conflict:
WildsafeBC
WildSafeBC is a program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation: