high heels
beta sigma phi
walk a mile in her shoes
Ladies of the year
ThursDAY MAY 30, 2013
Judy Caron and Judy Chorney chosen.
See LOCAL NEWS page 4
See LOCAL NEWS page 5
The Bulletin
Proudly serving kimberley and area since 1932 | Vol. 81, Issue 103 | www.dailybulletin.ca
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Trial deer-hazing in Marysville goes well Deer moved in Marysville on Wednesday
C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
While most people in Marysville were still in bed, or enjoying their morning coffee, two border collies — Bob and Tess — were moving deer. There was no fuss, no muss, no stampede — just a group of deer moving out of town under the guidance of two very well trained dogs. Kimberley’s onetime only trial with aversive conditioning of urban deer took place on Wednesday morning, May 29, 2013. It was kept purposely low-key, with only a few deer committee members, the provincial government biologist Irene Teske, and Coun. Darryl Oakley along to watch as John Zehnder and Margie Jamieson let their dogs do their thing. “It went well,” Zehnder said. “We did a group of deer at Bootleg Gap and then up towards the transfer station. I think the people watching learned a lot and got a good understanding of how it works.” This was a trial only, allowed under special
“These deer saw the dogs, their ears went up and they were ready to move.” John Zehnder Hazing expert
permission from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources. The deer removed today will return to town. A full aversive conditioning program will require repetition of today’s events until the deer understand they will not be bothered out of town. “We condition the deer to know that town is not a good place to be,” Jamieson said. “Out of town is the safe zone and the pressure is off.” “The deer see the town as a shelter from predators and as a food source,” Zehnder. “They feel comfortable here.” “In a sense what you do with the dogs is introduce a predator to their safety zone,” Jamieson said. Both stress that this is a non-traumatic way to move deer. “The deer move from the dogs, but they are allowed the freedom to move in the
Carolyn Grant photo
John Zehnder, with Bob, and Margie Jamieson with Tess, are pictured after a trial deer hazing in Kimberley Wednesday morning.
right direction,” Jamieson said. “We are taking advantage of a natural instinct,” Zehnder said. “These deer saw the dogs, their ears went up and they were ready to
move.” The dogs are off leash, but Zehnder says they are on a ‘verbal leash’. “They have total recall. You can call them off at any point. They
will stop on a dime.” “We can direct their movement right or left,” Jamieson said. “What was evident today was not control over the deer but control over the direction they go. It
works like a funnel with the dogs working the flanks, keeping the deer directed. For the deer, the right direction is the easiest option.” “We want them to feel as if they are being
hunted,” Zehnder said. “That’s why the dogs are off lease. We can put as much pressure on them as required by the situation.” See HAZING, page 3