Columbus’ urban deer population has become unavoidable, leading to polarized debates. The city and its suburbs are looking into population control.
Lesley Welch and her family moved into their Worthington home right around Thanksgiving in 2015. As they settled in, the first snowfall arrived, and Welch remembers gathering her kids next to the window to marvel at two stately bucks in the front yard. It was as if the deer were posing for them in the fresh, white powder—a cozy scene fit for a holiday card.
“We pretended they were Santa’s reindeer,” Welch says. “It was so beautiful.” For a while, they enjoyed their new white-tailed friends. But over time, the warm feelings began to fade. The deer grew in numbers and began to linger around the house. Welch’s dog, Dexter, tore ligaments in both hind legs after chasing deer. Later, a doe gave birth in the backyard and defended her fawn by kicking Welch’s other dog, Ruby. Eventually, the family couldn’t let Ruby out at night…