Search for food brings deer into city

Putman explained late in the winter deer are still coming into urban areas seeking food. Most of the plants in nature survive the winter months storing nutrients in their bulb or root systems, making it hard for wildlife to get the food they need.

“So they’re coming in to munch on the cedar bushes, or those first spring bulbs that are popping up in people’s gardens,” she said.

They’re most common in areas adjacent to the coulees, but are even known to appear downtown at night. Mule deer from the agricultural areas east of the city may come into eastern neighbourhoods.

“If you’re seeing deer in your yard, or in the more urban environment, the chances are better than not that they’re mule deer. The white tail deer are much more common in the forested part of the river valley, so down where the nature centre is.”

One concern is how comfortable the deer have become around humans. Putman said efforts are underway at Waterton Lakes National Park to unhabituate the deer that enter the town. That’s why it’s important, she explained, to keep your distance from deer and other wild animals and always give them a way to escape.

“Deer — although they’re not normally an agressive species — they are large, and any animal that feels threatened or cornered can become dangerous,” she said.

by Geoff Smith (@smithco on Twitter)

Search for food brings deer into city

What's Happening