Strange behaviour afoot in Headingley

Residents say deer more prevalent, less afraid of humans

Jon Stefanson has seen some strange behaviour in his backyard lately — and it’s becoming a cause for concern.

Stefanson is one of many Headingley residents who have noticed that deer are no longer fearful of making contact with their two-legged neighbours.

“They’re becoming less and less afraid of humans,” Stefanson said. “They’re around all the time.”

Stefanson has lived in Headingley for 32 years and says he has recently noticed a change in the behaviour of deer in the area.

“A few years ago, you’d never see them in the yard. Now you see them all the time, day or night, in any season,” he said.

One particular incident this past spring sparked Stefanson’s concern.

His dog, Morley, who often spends time outside, chased a female deer from the yard early one morning.

The deer returned, and once again Morley chased her from the yard.

Later that day, Stefanson noticed the deer standing in the front yard looking at Morley, who was lying near the house. The deer proceeded to stomp her foot on the ground for a continued period of time.

“It seemed that she was saying to Morley, come on and chase me you mutt,” Stefanson said.

The deer stood looking at Morley, who began to walk away, Stefanson said.

The deer then charged Morley, catching her off guard, and almost ran over her.

Stefanson chased the deer away but it returned to the yard a short time later.

Stefanson said he even tried throwing wood at the deer to show her she wasn’t welcome, but that didn’t make a difference.

This pattern continued throughout the day. Finally, at about 6 p.m., the deer disappeared and didn’t return.

“This would indicate that you have to be a little careful with them,” Stefanson said, noting that he is concerned the four-legged creatures could become more aggressive.

Barry Verbiwski, head of Fur, Bear, and Problem Wildlife Management for the province, said people should be careful around wild animals, including deer.

Verbiwski said that it isn’t just Headingley that is experiencing increasingly tame deer populations — it’s a trend communities across North America are experiencing.

“Deer have adapted very, very well to urban environments,” he said.

“They’ve learned to tolerate people because people are a non-threat. The only threat to deer in that area is motor vehicles.”

According to Manitoba Public Insurance, there are an average of 230 people injured in wildlife collisions each year. MPI expects to pay out $135 million from collisions that involved wildlife in the last five years.

Deer are also known for ruining gardens and flower beds, eating plants and vegetables, and can also intimidate family pets.

As deer numbers continue to increase, experts predict the problem will continue to grow.

Verbiwski said people are limited in what they can do to deter deer from coming on to their property.

He said people should refrain from feeding deer, because that encourages them to keep coming back.

If deer do come into your yard, Verbiwski suggests making noise to scare them away. He also recommends buying a deterrent such as a deer pole, which attracts the deer and then sends out a small shock to scare them away.

“The community as a whole has to work to solve the problem,” he said.