Deer the size of 'small horses' put drivers at risk in Bedford, woman says

A Bedford woman says she's concerned about driver safety — and the well-being of Nova Scotia's wildlife — given that deer have suddenly begun to appear in her residential neighbourhood on a daily basis.

Doreen Cordeiro said she first noticed something had changed on her High Street property when she returned from an extended trip to Newfoundland this spring to find that all of her tulips were gone.

Then, a couple of months ago, Cordeiro said she saw deer in her neighbourhood for the first time.

"I was driving down my street — down High Street — going towards the Bedford Highway, and I had to stop because there were two deer in somebody's front yard just standing there," Cordeiro said.

"They were ready to cross the street so I had to stop and let them cross."

Since then, Cordeiro said she's been seeing deer — usually two does and two fawns — in her backyard almost every afternoon "just walking around the yard, not running, not scared, just walking around and eating the dogwood tree, eating the hostas."

New problem

Cordeiro, who has lived in her current home for about three years, said she's never seen deer on her street before. She said her neighbours on either side have lived in their homes for decades, and they agreed the presence of deer in the neighbourhood was new.

In an email, Bruce Nunn, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources, said Nova Scotia has a healthy deer population and "it is not uncommon for deer to live in woods within urban, residential areas."

They're taking away their habitat and they have nowhere to go, so they come into neighbourhoods like this and obviously they can't live here.- Doreen Cordeiro

Nunn said his department maintains a list of tips on its website for homeowners who wish to discourage the animals. 

But he said relocation is not a good option.

"Deer are abundant and usually on the move so tranquilizing animals to move them to a different zone may not be effective, would be a stress on the animals and would require extensive resources," Nunn said. 

Signs need to be justified

Tiffany Chase, a spokeswoman for the Halifax Regional Municipality, said requests for deer-crossing signs can be forwarded to the municipality's traffic management division by calling 311.

A number of factors go into the decision to grant the request, Chase said. The municipality looks at traffic volume, speed limits and nearby signage, along with deer-collision statistics from the Department of Natural Resources.

"Typically we undertake a conservative approach with respect to installing this signage, partly due to the fact that the signs have not been proven to reduce the speed of motorists in the area," Chase said in an email.

Health concerns

Cordeiro said she worries the deer might introduce ticks — which could carry Lyme disease — to her backyard.

She also worries about drivers and the safety of the animals, given the vehicle traffic in her neighbourhood.

"I hate seeing big, beautiful animals that are being killed by cars," Cordeiro said. "It's like living in a city that has these small horses walking around, because they're that big."

Cordeiro wants to see a yellow road sign installed on her street to warn drivers — which is a municipal responsibility. She has not filed a formal request with the city.

Blames development 

Cordeiro thinks new development on Larry Uteck Boulevard and Nine Mile Drive has pushed the deer into her residential neighbourhood.

"They just wiped out all the woods up there," she said.

"I'm not against development. I'm all for it, and everything, but I hate it when this happens. They're taking away their habitat and they have nowhere to go, so they come into neighbourhoods like this and obviously they can't live here."