Hamilton Deer Need Your Voice

Deer in the City of Hamilton's Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area need our help. Like other municipalities fortunate enough to share urban space with wildlife, Hamilton is having difficulty solving human / wildlife conflicts. But, like other municipalities have learned, there are several progressive, humane methods that can be employed.

We first learned of Hamilton's situation through Paul Glendenning, who approached Liz after her presentation to Hamilton on their companion animal by-laws. Paul and other local activists took us on a tour through Iroquoia Heights, a big beautiful green space in the heart of the City. He had a great article in the Hamilton Spectator, which summarizes the issue perfectly. Click on the following link for Paul's article http://www.thespec.com/Opinions/article/739434

He recently e-mailed Liz:

The article at the link below was printed in today's paper. Though I will endeavor to respond, it would be appreciated if others would write something in support of the deer to back up the idea that there is more than just my 'opinion' involved. http://www.thespec.com/Opinions/article/744295
Sincerely,
Paul

Hamilton's mayor and council members need to be flooded with phone calls, e-mails and letters from people who oppose the killing of the deer.

Local animal and environmental protection groups are rallying to convince Council that humane methods can be used successfully.

We need to make sure that the City implements a non-lethal approach to the deer. Please copy, paste and print the letter below to send to the Mayor and Members of Council urging them to implement a non-lethal prevention programme for the deer in Iroquoia Heights and throughout the City of Hamilton.

THANK YOU all again, for being a voice for the animals.

Lia and the AAC crew

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Mayor Mayor Fred Eisenberger and Members of Council
Hamilton City Centre
77 James St. North
P.O.Box 2040, LCD1
Hamilton, ON L8R 2K3

Telephone: 905.546.4200
Fax: 905.546.2340
Email: mayorfred@hamilton.ca

Dear Mayor and Members of Hamilton City Council,

I am writing to ask you not to implement a cull of the deer in Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area. I urge you to implement an integrated human-deer conflict prevention and non-lethal intervention programme for the City of Hamilton. Please consider some of the following suggestions:

Comprehensive prevention and non-lethal intervention programme for Iroquoia Heights deer:

1. Stopping feeding the deer: Visitors to the area bring food for the deer. This encourages the congregation of larger numbers of deer than would occur if food was not provided. The City should educate residents and visitors why feeding deer at Iroquoia Heights may increase conflicts and result in a proposal to kill many of them.

2. Excluding the deer from conflict areas and from specific plants and bushes through fencing: Fencing provides a longer term solution to the impact of deer on landscaping, backyard gardens and bog plants.

3. Using repellents to make plants less palatable and less desirable to deer and deterrents to deter the deer: Repellents and deterrents are options to be used as part of an integrated non-lethal plan.

4. Planting less palatable landscape plants: City staff should consider using native plants that are rarely or seldom damaged when rehabilitating degraded areas of the conservation area. Residents whose yards back on or are close to the area should consider plants that are largely unattractive to deer.

Sincerely,

Signature _____________________________________________

Name _______________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

Prov. and Postal Code ____________________________________