B.C. Conservation Officer Service is investigating an incident on Vancouver Island in which a deer had to be put down last week after being blinded by a pellet gun.
Sgt. Stuart Bates, with B.C. Conservation Officer Service, responded to the Dec. 5 call and said a blind fawn was seen wandering into an active construction site in the 5400 block of Bayshore Drive in the Hammond Bay area in Nanaimo, B.C.
The young deer was found to have a pellet gun wound on its head, according to Bates, and although it appeared to be fine physically, it had to be euthanized due to the severity of its injuries.
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Bates said it was difficult euthanizing the fawn and a subsequent necropsy revealed a sa国际传媒渓ittle lead pelletsa国际传媒� which, because it was such a small deer, had penetrated its skull and sa国际传媒渟itting halfway through its brain.sa国际传媒�
In addition, Bates said there have been three adult deer in the Nanoose area, north of Nanaimo, which were hunted legally in the last two weeks, that were found to have previous air gun or BB pellet wounds.
Bates said that while residents may be frustrated by deer foraging for food on their properties and in their gardens, it is illegal to shoot a weapon at wildlife in residential areas.
sa国际传媒淭here is no open season for wildlife within 100 metres of any residencesa国际传媒a国际传媒� said Bates. sa国际传媒淓ven though they didnsa国际传媒檛 kill it, they can still be charged with hunting wildlife out of season. Itsa国际传媒檚 illegal to hunt deer with a weapon that small. You cansa国际传媒檛 even use a .22, you have to use a centre-fire rifle that is capable of killing them humanely and this is why.sa国际传媒�
Anyone with information on any of the incidents is asked to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters line at 1-877-952-7277.
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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