Okotoks residents took to social media to share some of the wildest wildlife encounters they've had in town.
A post to the Okotoks Community Discussion Facebook group on Sept. 6 by admin Mike Lockhart, in which members were asked to share which animals they have encountered in Okotoks, has amassed over 2,500 responses so far.
310 voters, or 13 per cent of responses to the post's poll, have reported deer sightings so far, while rabbits and squirrels took second and third place with 255 and 224 votes respectively.
Some potentially dangerous animals were featured, with 204 voters reporting coyote sightings in Okotoks, while 31 bobcat and 28 cougar sightings were tallied in the poll.
While coyote sightings are not uncommon, no reports of wild cats in Okotoks this year have been substantiated — though a Foothills County cougar encounter that left a domestic cat dead was reported at a residence 30 minutes from Okotoks on Sept. 10.
More unique animal sightings were reported, such as skunks, with 119 votes so far, bats, 117, moose, 62, owls, 57, garter snakes, 51, and porcupines, 28.
The comment section of the post is filled predominantly with photos and stories depicting Okotoks' prevalent population of mule deer.
"One time [a deer] was laying in our window well. Another time my wife opened the door a buck was standing at the front steps looking in. Not complaining. They have never been aggressive. They stand there staring at us walking to our vehicle in the driveway and if it is a short trip, they are still there staring at us when we walk back to the house," wrote Facebook user Leroy Slomp.
"My sister in law who lives on a farm has actually written to me saying she is jealous of all the deer we have around our house," added Slomp.
"They don't bother anyone except when they are cornered or threatened. Love seeing them in town. Respect their space and they won't bother you!!!!!!" commented Patty Belding Simr amid controversy surrounding the town's deer population.
"Not true. There have been many documented deer attack cases. None of which had any proof that the deer was cornered due mainly to the fact that they were outside. Soon as they respect our space 'the town' then we can respect them on their space," wrote Okotoks Deer Patrol, a Facebook account that appears to advocate for deer population control, in response to Simr.
"Well I must be different as I have had 5 of them laying in my yard and walked right by them. I leave them alone and give them space. Have come around the corner and there they are. Nothing. So yes odd person gets attacked but there are reasons why. I have never heard of them killing a person from an attack as people will say. Sorry but I love the deer here. They don't bother me like barking dogs in backyard's constantly in this town all day and night long," retorted Simr.
Despite the minor disagreement in the comment section, group member Dolorosa Livingston applauded Lockhart's wildlife-themed discussion post, writing "I like this post
. This is about one aspect of our community, discussing various wildlife we have "
Wildlife in Okotoks continues to be a popular topic of discussion, with many happy to co-exist with the town's animals while others are adamant that animals such as deer are problematic.
Okotoks is home to many unique deer, including a three-legged buck that often frequents the Cimarron neighbourhood and an assortment of other charismatic characters in the deer community.
