Vernon bans spiked deer-killing fences

The City of Vernon has outlawed spiked deer-killing fences. In an unanimous vote today, Feb. 14, Vernon council passed a bylaw that will prohibit anyone from installing such a fence in the future. The fences have resulted in the premature deaths of multiple deer, as the animals attempt...

The City of Vernon has outlawed spiked deer-killing fences.

In an unanimous vote today, Feb. 14, Vernon council passed a bylaw that will prohibit anyone from installing such a fence in the future.

The fences have resulted in the premature deaths of multiple deer, as the animals attempt to jump over the fences but instead get impaled and meet a grizzly end.

Vernon city councillor Scott Anderson put forward the motion to ban the fences last fall.

The move follows the City of Kelowna, which outlawed the fences in 2020.

In 2019, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service highlighted the issue after it had to euthanize multiple deer that had got caught on the spiked fences.

At the time, the conservation officer service said it had euthanized 10 deer within the first 10 weeks of 2019 in Kelowna. It had said dealing with the impaled deer was "horrific."

Vernon's new bylaw won't affect households that already have spiked fences around their yards but prevents any new spiked fences from being installed.

The wording of the bylaw states no fences shall have pickets or finials extending above a horizontal rail.

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