Deer cull considered for Kennebecasis Valley

Kennebecasis Valley residents are debating whether there should be a deer cull in the area to control the growing population.

A public meeting was held in the region on Wednesday night to discuss what could be done to control the herds population.

Rod Cumberland, a deer biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, said he agrees action should be taken now if local authorities want to curb deer populations.

"Unfortunately if nothing is done, deer numbers are going to increase given that they have good winters and there is still a lot of food in the area," Cumberland said.

But Cumberland said that doesn't necessarily mean taking the controversial measure of killing the animals.

Cumberland appeared in front of a public meeting on the deer issue on Wednesday.

The rising deer population in the area is causing some people in the region to take unconventional steps.

A Quispamsis gardener has built a fortress around her property to protect her hard work from the hungry herds of deer that are roaming around the Kennebecasis Valley.

Judy Whelanhas an abundance of dahlias that are uncommon in southern New Brunswick and she's taken some unusual steps to preserve her precious flowers.

She has a 5.5-metre high cedar hedge equipped with a chain-link fence to secure the perimeter of her property.

"I feel that it's really crazy because this is not your idea of how you should live in an urban area," Whelan said.

Whelan said the deer problem in the Kennebecasis Valley is out of control.

She said herds of them are munching through gardens, attracting coyotes, spreading ticks and creating a safety hazard on the road.

She said the solution to the areas deer problem is clear and unsentimental

"We've talked about it long enough and it has really, really, come to a pivotal point and we now need to move on to solutions - and the solution is to cull the herd," Whalen said.