Residents of Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淲e were hearing people from the Upper Mission were fed up,91裸聊视频� he said, noting the deer have been destroying gardens and threatening people91裸聊视频檚 animals.

91裸聊视频淏efore you know you have no bush left, it91裸聊视频檚 a bunch of sticks.91裸聊视频�

The deer have grown so accustomed to being around people they91裸聊视频檙e having babies in residents91裸聊视频� backyards, he said.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e really domesticated animals.91裸聊视频�

Walker believes there91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e done nothing in the last four or five years and they91裸聊视频檝e gotten worse and worse,91裸聊视频� said Walker.

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

Mayor Colin Basran said he hasn91裸聊视频檛 heard about the petition and Kelowna hasn91裸聊视频檛 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 Cranbrook91裸聊视频檚.

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.

91裸聊视频淚n the grand scheme of things compared to our service requests, it91裸聊视频檚 low,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲e really need to look at what the petition says and do some research,91裸聊视频� said Stewart. 91裸聊视频淲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 we91裸聊视频檝e had.91裸聊视频�

He suggested another option; providing education to the public.

91裸聊视频淎 cull doesn91裸聊视频檛 get rid of the problem, which is the reason why the deer came here to begin with. It91裸聊视频檚 an area where deer lived before houses were built and it91裸聊视频檚 an area where they will still come back to in the future,91裸聊视频� said Stewart.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 a lot of education that needs to happen with the public about planting and vegetation and there91裸聊视频檚 a lot of things that need to change in order for this to be a long-term solution.91裸聊视频�