Conservation Services has been called to investigate the suspicious death of a deer in northeast Fernie.
Wildlife conservation officer Ryan Gordon said he was alerted that an individual had used a firearm to scare deer away from their property on Sept. 15, and the following day a doe was found dead on the northeast side of town, in close proximity to Fernie Secondary School and the Fernie Golf Course.
"The death of the deer is deemed suspicious at this point in time. We are investigating how this deer died. It's an ongoing investigation," he said.
Elk Valley RCMP responded to the incident, and quickly passed the case off to Gordon.
Gordon said that if a connection is found between the shooting incident and the death of the deer, the individual involved could face consequences for violating the Wildlife Act and the Criminal Code.
"Under the Wildlife Act, municipalities are classified as no-shooting areas. There's also potentially Criminal Code issues for discharging a firearm within 100 metres of a residence or school, so there's a lot of legislation that could apply," he explained.
"It is hunting season, but you can't hunt within Fernie," he added.
Gordon said that while he has dealt with similar cases of bears being shot after entering someone's property, this is his first case of a suspicious deer death within city limits.
To report a conflict with wildlife, call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-(877)-952-7277.
