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September 22. 2014 6:03PM Deer attacks: Should city take a harder line? A young buck poses like lawn-art in the front yard of a south Ashland home. Deer in Ashland are losing their natural fear for humans and becoming more aggresive, especially when they have fawns and in mating season. Daily Tidings / Bob Pennell What's the issue? Deer are more than a common sight in Ashland, where a lack of predators has allowed the local deer population to balloon. Even if many die during the winter, more fawns will survive in the spring without the natural predation seen in the wild. In the spring, deer can become quite violent to protect their young and can become more aggressive in the fall as their breeding season approaches. They also are more aggressive simply because they are accustomed to seeing people and have no fear of them. In June, local resident Amy Flemley was attacked and injured by a deer in her backyard, with the deer's hooves inflicting numerous cuts on Flemley's arms, legs and head.  What's been done After she was attacked, Flemley asked the City Council for a program to sterilize the deer in town or place them on contraceptives in order to control the population. Such programs have been discussed by the city in the past, but were determined to be too expensive and ineffective. Flemley returned to the City Council on Sept. 16 to ask them to discuss a program that educates Ashland residents about the dangers deer can pose. The topic was placed on that night's agenda, but councilors ran out of time for the topic. The item will move to the agenda for the council's Oct. 7 meeting.  What you can do Wireless Deer Fence, a deer repellent company, has some suggestions on how to prevent attacks. Avoiding a situation by keeping your distance is the best prevention. Deer are very territorial during the mating season, so retreating makes an attack less likely than if you were to stand your ground or advance. If all else fails, they suggest making yourself look as big as possible and by shouting to possibly scare the deer away. If you are attacked, the company stresses protecting your head, face and neck however you can. They also say people who find themselves under attack should to try to grab the deer's antlers or front legs if possible. Again, avoiding deer in the first place is the best option. — Reporting and photos by Ian Hand To see comments on the issue from local residents, click on their photos, above. http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20140922/NEWS/140929978 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->