Residents on Monday called on Mayor John Stromberg to curb the city's growing deer population by allowing bow hunting and sterilization.
At a community meeting in City Council chambers after a series of aggressive deer encounters were reported over the summer, Stromberg said there is no easy solution to the deer problem. He said city officials will continue to study the issue in consultation with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists.
The problem, according to residents, is the deer are becoming habituated to people and are attacking both residents and pets. This has not lead to any serious injuries yet.
Ashland has seen an increase in deer in recent years, Vargas said. The deer have become less afraid of humans, leading some to become aggressive during breeding and fawning seasons, roughly between May and August, he said.
This summer several residents reported being attacked by deer, especially while walking their dogs, which deer can mistake for predators. Aggressive deer have been known to rear up on their hind legs and try to stomp on people and their dogs. There were no reports of serious injuries from deer attacks in the city this summer.
The issue is polarizing, and even if action is taken, there are no easy lasting solution to this emerging problem.
Source: Ashland Daily Tidings
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