Deer are destroying B.C. island ecosystems. Indigenous hunting could be the solution – The Narwhal

Nov. 18, 2025

A new study finds hyperabundant deer are pushing rare ecosystems to collapse, and Indigenous hunting could be the most effective path to recovery

The Gulf Islands around Vancouver Island are beautiful — full of lakes and sheltered bays, and dotted with meadows and deer grazing along the road.

At first glance, most walking through these islands would believe what they see is natural and healthy — but the environment is actually “highly degraded,” Tara Martin, professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia, explains.