Residents of Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 Upper Mission are fighting back against what they say is an increasing deer population in the area.

Four residents have gathered more than 1,000 signatures on a petition calling for a deer cull.

Petition organizer Ken Walker moved to the area in the 1980s and said he has seen an increasing deer problem in the last four years.

害羞草研究所淲e were hearing people from the Upper Mission were fed up,害羞草研究所� he said, noting the deer have been destroying gardens and threatening people害羞草研究所檚 animals.

害羞草研究所淏efore you know you have no bush left, it害羞草研究所檚 a bunch of sticks.害羞草研究所�

The deer have grown so accustomed to being around people they害羞草研究所檙e having babies in residents害羞草研究所� backyards, he said.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e really domesticated animals.害羞草研究所�

Walker believes there害羞草研究所檚 no alternative way to control the population.

He referenced the City of Cranbrook, in January and early February and removed as many as 100 deer from the area.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e done nothing in the last four or five years and they害羞草研究所檝e gotten worse and worse,害羞草研究所� said Walker.

The petition will be brought to the city in the next few days.

Mayor Colin Basran said he hasn害羞草研究所檛 heard about the petition and Kelowna hasn害羞草研究所檛 had a deer cull in recent history.

There has been an increase in service requests for deer on private properties in the past few years, said parks services manager Blair Stewart, however the issue is not as large as Cranbrook害羞草研究所檚.

But the number of complaints is increasing. In 2016 there were 29 requests, in 2015 there was six requests and in 2014 there were three, he said.

害羞草研究所淚n the grand scheme of things compared to our service requests, it害羞草研究所檚 low,害羞草研究所� said Stewart.

The requests are also in certain locations in the city, mainly in the Mission, around Knox mountain and in other small pockets across town.

害羞草研究所淲e really need to look at what the petition says and do some research,害羞草研究所� said Stewart. 害羞草研究所淲e have been trying to talk to the communities that have been dealing with something similar, but these other communities have had a lot more complaints and issues than we害羞草研究所檝e had.害羞草研究所�

He suggested another option; providing education to the public.

害羞草研究所淎 cull doesn害羞草研究所檛 get rid of the problem, which is the reason why the deer came here to begin with. It害羞草研究所檚 an area where deer lived before houses were built and it害羞草研究所檚 an area where they will still come back to in the future,害羞草研究所� said Stewart.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a lot of education that needs to happen with the public about planting and vegetation and there害羞草研究所檚 a lot of things that need to change in order for this to be a long-term solution.害羞草研究所�