The District of Oak Bay, will be continuing its Urban Deer Project in partnership with HERD Wildlife Management and Consulting, and will be administering immuno-contraceptive (IC) to female deer throughout Oak Bay this fall (2026).
HERD Wildlife Management expects to administer the immuno-contraceptive to female deer beginning in early September until the end of October and will be searching for deer during daylight hours (typically between 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.) on public and private land. All property access is conducted by trained personnel following animal welfare and safety protocols.
If you see field crews in the area attempting to immobilize deer, or encounter an immobilized deer, please do not approach the animal. Trained personnel will be present and monitoring the deer throughout the process and will be happy to answer any questions once the animal has fully recovered and it is safe to do so.
Grant Property Access for Immuno-Contraceptive Treatment
To maximize the number of deer vaccinated, the District is asking Oak Bay property owners to grant HERD Wildlife veterinarians access to private property. Since deer frequently travel through residential areas, having access to private properties provides more opportunities to safely vaccinate female deer.
Property owners willing to grant property access are asked to fill out the consent form. Property owners who filled out the consent form in previous years who wish to continue to provide access, are asked to submit their consent form for access in 2026.
Report a deer sighting
Have you spotted deer in the same place? Report your observations of Oak Bay deer to the project team through INaturalist. This allows the project team to receive this information while out in the field in real time.
Questions?
Questions about the project can be sent to the project team at:
Background
The Oak Bay Urban Deer Management Project was a comprehensive six-year study (2018-2024) undertaken in partnership with the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society (UWSS), that assessed the ecology and management of black-tailed deer in Oak Bay. The project aimed to develop and evaluate a scientifically rigorous, non-lethal method for urban deer population control using immuno-contraception (IC). The key objectives of the project were to:
- Estimate black-tailed deer population and trends over time
- Understand how reproductive status affects habitat selection
- Evaluate the efficacy of IC treatments on population density
- Compare urban deer density with those in natural, non-urban environments
2025
November 2025
On November 27, 2025, Council directed the Mayor and/or staff to discuss the potential for joint deer management service delivery with other municipalities and the Capital Regional District. Council also asked staff to bring forward a budget request for $85K for Council’s consideration during 2026 budget discussions. If the budget is approved, and if, by July 1, 2026, no opportunities have emerged for joint service delivery, then Council directed staff to oversee contracted delivery of deer management services.
May 2025
The District provided the UWSS report to the Province and requested feedback on whether the Province will allow the application of deer immuno-contraception outside the context of a research project.
2023
Funding in 2023 enabled the following work:
- Evaluate BTD habitat-use in (sub)urban environments;
- Determine a precise deer population size estimate and model deer; population change following three years of IC treatment;
- Quantify changes to relative abundance of fawns following three years of IC treatment;
- Monitor BTD population response following pause in IC treatment;
- Continue to develop an evidence-based, systematic, long-term urban deer management program; and
- Provide a science-based standard for effective (sub)urban non-lethal wildlife population control.
A report from UWSS summarizing progress is available here [PDF]. An infographic from UWSS summarizing the report can be found here [PDF].
2022
Work in 2022 will focus on evaluating the deer population response after three years of IC treatment. No Immuno-contraceptive treatment will be applied in 2022. UWSS will undertake the following work:
- Model urban deer habitat-use and distribution patterns based on collected camera data;
- Analyze and compare fawn relative abundance following a second and third year of IC treatment;
- Model the urban deer population density for 2021 and 2022 to quantify population-level response after 2-3 years of IC treatment; and
- Continue with public education, building on citizen engagement undertaken to date, and to ensure that the community knows what to expect going forward.
2020
- The third phase will consist of re-marking the control group and re-boostering deer vaccinated in 2019 as well as administering further primary vaccinations and boosters and collecting and further analyzing data to measure the efficiency of the contraception and impacts of the program on deer population.
2019
- Phase two, undertaken in Fall 2019, consisted of administering immuno-contraception to Oak Bay deer.
- In phase two, 60 does were administered immuno-contraceptive. The deer who received immuno-contraception were marked with coloured tags in both ears and a coloured collar to allow for individual identification. The 20 deer in the control group did not receive immuno-contraception.
- During phase two, over 650 Oak Bay property owners granted property access to the UWSS to administer immuno-contraceptive on their property.
2016-18
- The first phase consisted of public education, data collection and analysis with the goal of better understanding population numbers, deer ecology and migration patterns of the deer population.
- Phase one fitted a control group of 20 does with GPS collars.
Tips for Living with Wildlife and Reducing Risks of Conflict
We coexist with many species of wildlife here in the District of Oak Bay, from bees & birds, to raccoons, deer, and the occasional cougar. Bees, birds and bats are welcome wildlife within our neighbourhoods, partly because they help with pollination and insect control. But deer also provide important ecosystem services within our municipal environment, including:
- pruning, which stimulates plant growth
- decreasing fire risk
- dispersal of native plants
- fertilization
However, deer can also undo the efforts of avid gardeners, and deer behaviour can be unpredictable during spring fawning and the fall rut. The best way to avoid potential conflict with deer is to avoid attracting them in the first place. We recommend:
- don’t feed deer: don’t leave food out for deer, keep pet food indoors, clean up fallen fruit & birdseed, selective deer-resistant planting
- prevent access: repair holes in fencing, use garden barriers around accent plants or fruit trees, repellents, noisemakers, and scarecrows all dissuade use of your yard
- supervise pets: keep your cats inside, and your dogs with you and on a short leash
These suggestions will discourage deer from using your yard for food or bedding down, thus decreasing the likelihood of a negative interaction for you, your pets, or your children. Let’s keep all the residents of Oak Bay safe and happy.
More Information and Additional Resources:
For more information on Urban Deer:
https://uwss.ca/
Specific Information Information on Oak Bay/Provincial/UWSS research projects:
Briefing Note – Urban Deer
https://uwss.ca/our-research
https://uwss.ca/our-blog/
Finding a fawn:
https://uwss.ca/i-found-a-fawn
https://spca.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/baby-deer-2014-rack-card.pdf
Finding an injured deer:
https://spca.bc.ca/faqs/injured-deer/