Deer population in Grand Forks is a problem, says Mayor Brian Taylor, and controlled killing – with selling of deer meat – could be the answer.

He says that there is excess white-tailed deer in the area and has been fielding numerous calls from residents that say the deer have been a nuisance.

“People want to know what we’re going to do with the meat if we do end up having to cull (killing to control population) the deer herd and I’m saying that we should market the meat locally,” explained Taylor.

He says that options could include selling to restaurants as well as selling the meat frozen to tourists.

The mayor is quick to clarify however, that the plan to cull, or harvest, deer and market the meat wasn’t city council’s and proposal has not even gone before the deer committee, which is scheduled to meet in September.

If the plan is implemented, it could upset animal-rights activists but Taylor says harvesting the deer might be the only viable option.

“Relocation has a massive mortality rate, people don’t want to see us trying to get drugs that will make females infertile. We’ve reached a point here where citizens’ safety is of concern,” he said.

“What if kid, that thinks its cute, goes to a fawn and the mother goes nuts on the child?”

Candice Becker, manager of the Rock Candy Café, says her establishment won’t offer deer on its menu but agrees that the number of deer in Grand Forks is a problem.

The mayor says residents in Grand Forks pay higher insurance premiums because of deer and Becker knows this first-hand.

“It was night time (around Apr. 2010) and there was a vehicle coming towards me and as it passed, a deer jumped out from behind that vehicle into my mine (Nissan 200SX); I didn’t see it coming at all.”

Exactly after she bought a new car, she was driving down Carson Rd. and another deer ran into the side of her car from out of nowhere.

“I think it’s fair to open the season, I think it’s fair for him to ask restaurants to sell it but for (the Rock Candy Café) we won’t sell it just because we’re a new restaurant and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

Mayor Taylor says that the city counted deer numbers about a month ago and estimates that there could be close to 300 deer, although he also says the method was a “zone check approach” and wasn’t comprehensive.

The number of deer, not only in Grand Forks but other areas in the province, has come to the forefront recently, thanks in part to all the YouTube and news videos depicting deer wandering around populated areas, sometimes attacking pets.

“It was on the news again this morning, the dog being beat up by the deer (in Cranbrook, B.C.), and I’m getting reports from people over the last few days of aggressive deer behaviour all over the place,” said the mayor.

“I think it is time for a decision to be made here on what we’re going to do (about the deer population),” he said.