Oh deer, the population has doubled

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A deer grazes on an Okanagan yard in this file photo.

The City of Penticton has concluded a second deer count.

According to officials city staff and community volunteers managed to count 46 deer within city boundaries earlier this week.

That was more than double the 20 mule deer counted back in the spring.

Penticton is conducting the counts as part of its deer cull program approved by council nearly a year ago.

"Conducting deer counts twice annually is important due diligence under the city's urban deer management strategy and consistent with the approaches taken by other municipalities dealing with this issue," says Anthony Haddad, Director of Development Services.

"City staff has to provide council with as many details and background information as possible to inform their decision."

Staff is expected to provide council with updated information following this latest deer count.

Follow-up counts may also be conducted because other municipalities with large urban deer populations have found counts at different times of year have resulted in varying numbers.

Fall counts are typically higher than those in the spring.

Penticton has been working on a plan to manage their growing urban deer population since September of last year.

Earlier this year council approved a $10,000 budget item for the culling of deer in the 2012 budget.

To date, no deer have been culled.

The city has also passed a bylaw prohibiting the feeding of deer.