Aggressive deer are prompting renewed concern in Ashland, where city officials say attacks on residents and pets are rising.
Last year, an Ashland woman had to go to the emergency room after she was knocked down and kicked by a doe while walking her dog. Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said it was the first time they’ve seen the deer get aggressive enough that officers considered lethal removal.
Reports from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife show Ashland does not have more deer than nearby cities, but the city has logged a higher number of human safety reports, including deer charging people and attacking people or pets.
During a study session Monday, Mayor Tonya Graham said some visitors mistakenly believe it is safe to feed deer.
"I'm fearful that someday we're going to get that call that a visitor has young children, and they’ve had a problem," said Graham. "Because that's the point where you start to get into the place where someone could lose their life."
Graham added that her neighborhood has become so overrun with deer that at certain times of year she carries a piece of rebar when walking outside.
Wildlife officials say deer are most protective in June and July, when the fawns are born.
Matthew Vargas, a wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said residents should consider installing motion-activated sprinklers and growing deer-resistant plants.
“We've got to have the citizens at their homes do this hazing also to really reinforce that negative experience into those deer,” Vargas said.
Vargas said the agency encourages residents to aggressively deter deer within city limits, guidance that differs from typical advice about how to treat wildlife.
Under an urban deer pilot program launched in 2017, cities may petition ODFW for kill permits if they declare deer a public nuisance and enact laws restricting human behaviors that attract deer, like feeding them.
Vargas said the town of Union in northeast Oregon recently joined the pilot program after a deer killed a dog last year.
"You guys have exceeded what Union felt was a public nuisance at that point," he said. "But you know, every town is different, and their citizens are all different."
Graham said the city would like to avoid killing deer if possible. But she said city officials may be forced to consider that option if conditions don't change.
City Manager Sabrina Cotta, who has worked in other cities with deer problems, said lethal removal isn't a permanent fix.
"It's a temporary fix that you must continue to do on a regular basis, depending on the population," she said. "And so once you start down that route, you're kind of committed, or the problem just comes right back."
The city officials plan to launch a public education campaign urging residents and visitors to scare deer rather than feed them.
O'Meara also mentioned he is working with Oregon State University to identify how often residents feed wildlife. The department plans to send letters to some households to help determine how the city can best educate people on why they shouldn't be feeding deer.
