The fallow deer were introduced on neighbouring James Island in 1902 by the owner at the time as prey for hunting parties. The spotted deer with impressive antlers invaded Sidney Island in the early 1960s, when ponds were dug and the first standing fresh water became available to sustain them. Their numbers grew to the thousands in the 1980s, causing Sidney Island’s Garry oak meadows, Douglas firs and dozens of native plant species to suffer or disappear. Although controlled hunting and periodic culls over the years have reduced their numbers to an estimated 400 to 500, serious steps are now in the works for a final roundup to destroy all remaining stock. It would likely happen in the fall of 2022, after details of the method of killing have been determined and a consensus with stakeholders reached.
To restore Sidney Islandâs ecology, a push to kill hundreds of fallow deer A coalition of First Nations, property owners and Parks Canada is planning a âfinal eradicationâ of the invasive species that will see up to 500 of the animals rounded up and killed.
Author of the article: Darron Kloster  â¢Â Victoria Times Colonist
Publishing date: May 17, 2021  â¢Â 3 hours ago  â¢Â 4 minute read  â¢Â Fallow deer were introduced on neighbouring James Island in 1902 by the owner at the time as prey for hunting parties, and moved to Sidney Island in the early 1960s, when ponds were dug and the first standing fresh water became available to sustain them. Photo by PARKS CANADA /Times Colonist
VICTORIA A coalition of First Nations, property owners and Parks Canada is aiming to round up and kill up to 500 European fallow deer that have grazed the landscape and trampled ecosystems on Sidney Island north of Victoria. The deer were introduced to neighbouring James Island in 1902 as prey for hunting parties before invading Sidney Island in the 1960s, where they ve wrecked havoc on its meadows, Douglas firs and native plant species. Parks Canada controls about 440 hectares of the island as part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, and another 1,500 hectares of the island in Coast Salish First Nations territory are divided into strata lots.