If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably had a few misadventures over the last few years. That time when your dog had a set-to with a raccoon, say. Or maybe you’ve come closer to the dogs in elk story than you’d like to admit. Some of the most stunning gotcha moments are when you begin [...]
Filed in dogs 8 Comments so far
The problem Gabriola gardeners have with deer eating up garden produce could be worse, I suppose. In Kenya elephants raid crops, and how do you argue with an elephant? Turns out that elephants are afraid of bees, so farmers are using beehive fences to protect crops. Do you suppose deer are afraid of bees, too?
Filed in Gabriola Island,gardening,insects,wildlife Comments Off
From the dog’s perspective, one of the best things about living on Gabriola is the deer – or rather, the venison dinners. A local hunter gave us an awful lot of deer bones last fall. We froze them, and Dog gnaws on deer bones rather frequently. So the good part is that there are deer [...]
Filed in dogs,Gabriola Island Comments Off
There are always dead deer in the Gabriola woods, in various stages of decay. Dog finds them all, thanks to that fine nose of hers, and so I see a lot of dead deer. Today’s find, though, was striking due to these blue eyes. What’s up with that? Is it a baby-deer thing?
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife Comments Off
I see signs like this here and there on Gabriola. Are they in your neighbourhood, too? Most aren’t styled like this, but the key content (please slow down: hidden driveway!) is the same. These signs often seem to be code for We feed the deer. If your route takes you past one of Gabriola’s hidden [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife Comments Off
In the news today: In a new study, University of British Columbia conservation biologist Peter Arcese said deer are throwing off the delicate balance of the ecosystem on B.C.’s Gulf Islands, threatening the natural vegetation. …Arcese said island communities need to look into ways to alleviate the stress on the environment by reducing the number [...]
Filed in wildlife 8 Comments so far
Our hunter friend on Gabriola says the time to hunt deer on the island is between October and December. By the tenth of December, he says, it’s all over. Apparently this is because the bucks aren’t in rut anymore, and are hence not stupid enough to take chances around hunters. For those of us who [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife Comments Off
Not the kind of recipe one comes across every day, is it? From Butter on the Endive: Gabriola Island Deer Sausage. (Link removed as the page is no longer available on the Butter on the Endive site.)
Filed in food,Gabriola Island,wildlife 5 Comments so far
When it’s deer hunting season on Gabriola, that means hunters are in the woods shooting at deer. What else would it mean? Well, here’s a New York Times article about a hunting competition that even a deer can love. The deer hunters returned to the tournament checkpoint tired and hungry, their camouflage clothing soaked with [...]
Filed in wildlife 2 Comments so far
You’ve probably seen Gabriola’s flocks of geese, and you know that Gabriola seems to have huge numbers of deer. A Globe and Mail article talks about what other BC communities are doing/want to do about these creatures. (Link to article removed, as it is no longer available on the Globe and Mail website.) Interesting read. [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island One Response so far
Lots of people on Gabriola feed the neighbourhood deer. I wonder if those folk have seen this Globe and Mail article: Deer, woman faceoff in Victoria. An early morning stroll turned into a harrowing experience for a Greater Victoria woman when she was attacked by a deer just metres from her suburban home Tuesday, the [...]
Filed in wildlife Comments Off
Ah, deer: docile, shy, gentle. Or not, as the CBC points out: Deer attacks B.C. man in city street. The deer head-butted him and then stomped on him, causing a gash on his chin that required eight stitches to close and giving him a black eye, Jones said. [continue] Have you seen the video of [...]
Filed in wildlife 4 Comments so far
If you live on Gabriola, you’ve seen the deer amble into your yard, eat everything, and then amble out again. (Well, unless you’ve fenced everything, that is.) Ever wondered what deer teeth look like? Like this, my dears, like this. I’m hoping that the brown on the teeth has happened recently (after the deer’s death) [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife Comments Off
If you’re looking for a Gabriola-themed Hallowe’en costume, you’ve got several options. In the horror and ick department, here’s today’s inspirational photo for the do-it-yourself costume makers. This is a dead deer in the Gabriola woods. All the fur is gone, the nose has been ripped off and eaten by some other animal, and… well, [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife 4 Comments so far
A woman in Nanaimo wants a bylaw that would prohibit people from feeding deer. The Nanaimo Daily News reports: Kindness may be killing urban deer A big problem with feeding wildlife is they become overly dependent on humans, said conservation officer Ron Heusen. "Being habituated, they cross the same stretch of roads and end up [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,Nanaimo,wildlife Comments Off
