It's good to see so many Kimberley residents discussing Kimberley's deer. It's been verified that there are too many deer in town. This past Tuesday, in my neighbour's back yard I watched two very large 3 - 4 point bucks running at each other and locking antlers. Really interesting to watch but dangerous behaviour in town & more usual out in the bush! But, one seldom sees deer in our green spaces, certainly not in the numbers we see in our neighbourhoods.

The defence of urban deer has been interesting. It's as if we're in Disneyland and these are cute, cuddly, backyard pets. They are not! They're wild, will protect their young and will go after what they want with little hesitation. If a human is in the way, look out!

Build fences, use deer repellent & garden with deer-resistant plants you say? I do all that, but often feel under siege. The deer try to break through the fence and eat the deer-resistant plants. Ask my neighbour about fences. His dog, inside his fenced yard, was gored & almost killed by a large buck. There are many similar cases around town.

To those who say the deer were here first & who protest a cull so vigorously, I have some questions. Do you know that since prehistoric times, long before Kimberley existed, humans hunted deer for food, shelter and clothing? Will you allow predators like cougars, coyotes and wolves, which were also here first, to roam freely around town in search of their natural prey - the deer?

Will you take responsibility for possible injuries & expenses incurred as a result of deer & their predators? Because while you wait, the cost & the risk increases! A cull, with the meat going to the food bank is a reasonable solution.

A final note in response to Monday's letter in the Bulletin: It is threatening and bullying behaviour to write, "If people don't like the deer, maybe they should leave." It has no place in a reasonable discussion & warrants an apology.

Ian Ferrie

Kimberley