Just how many deer are in town is a question to which many residents would like the answer. The Town of Okotoks is taking on its second deer count in an attempt to nail down an approximate number of the four-legged creatures in town. It’s a follow-up to the 2015 count, which saw 100 volunteers cover the town on a grid-like system to count the deer within a specific window of time. “When we completed the deer count in 2015, the recommendation from the wildlife experts we talked to at the time said ideally we would perform the count at least once a year, and we found it challenging to get that many volunteers together,” said Christa Michailuck, Okotoks parks manager. To make it easier for the entire community to participate, Michailuck said the Town spent the last couple of years looking for a mobile app that can be downloaded to any smartphone. NatureLynx will allow counters to enter descriptions and location of the animals they find, as well as upload photos of them. The data is then submitted to the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Index database directly from the app. “It actually contributes to biodiversity monitoring for the entire province,” said Michailuck. This year’s deer count is scheduled for Sept. 14 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Residents can participate in either or both counts, and there is no need to check in anywhere before starting out, she said. Those interested should RSVP to the Town via Eventbrite, to give an idea of how many counters are expected to be out and about during each count time, she said. “We also are asking people who are out doing the count that day to wear red, because it can help them know somebody else is already out there counting deer,” said Michailuck. That will help avoid some double-reporting, she said. In addition, because she doesn’t expect to see a large number come in (the 2015 count saw 66 deer within Town limits), Michailuck said it will be possible to check through general data and ensure the same animals haven’t been submitted twice. The success of the deer count relies on how many citizens engage with the program, she said. “Hopefully we’ll see a lot of people out using the app during our count times to ensure we’ve got good coverage of the town,” said Michailuck. Once the official count is done, the app can continue to be used on a regular basis – and not just for deer, she said. Other flora and fauna in the Okotoks area can also be reported through the NatureLynx app from birds to plant life in the river valley, she said. It helps the Town and the Province monitor biodiversity, she said. Of course, deer can also be reported on a daily basis year-round as well, she said. “Ideally we’ll get enough people willing to report them on a daily basis that we can see trends and movement of deer the population throughout the seasons and from year to year quite easily,” said Michailuck. There could come a time when the deer population poses a significant threat in town, she said, though at this time experts say Okotoks isn’t there yet. “I’ve had meetings with our local are wildlife provincial representatives and apparently our deer are not extremely higher than what occurs in this wildlife zone,” said Michailuck. “They’re in a reasonable quantity.” To participate in the deer count, download the NatureLynx app and find the Town of Okotoks group, then join the Deer Count mission to begin reporting. Michailuck recommends testing the app ahead of time by reporting any plant or wildlife outside the count time. [yop_poll id="11"]
