Abingdon Town Council looks to manage town’s deer population after backyard attack

The Abingdon Town Council has advanced two ordinances that it hopes will manage the town’s deer population after an Abingdon couple raised concerns after a deer attack in their yard in July. Thomas Wise told council members he and his wife were hospitalized for multiple days after a deer attacked them in their backyard. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources presented several options for reducing Abingdon’s deer population with officials focused on managing the number of female deer, and they discussed ways to increase participation by hunters. Council held first readings on two ordinances with one prohibiting feeding or attracting deer and the second that would establish deer management and population-control efforts in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Both ordinances were amended, and council waived the second reading. Wildlife officials said that residents may not see a noticeable change in the deer population for two to three years.