SOLON, Ohio -- The thinning of Solon's dear population has become an issue of great contention in the city, sharply dividing those who are for it, and those who are against.

Now, the city has passed an ordinance that will make it illegal for anyone to obstruct in any way the killing of the deer.

This includes making loud noises to scare the deer out of the kill zone. Anyone who violates the ordinance will be guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor.

The city hired sharpshooters from a company called White Buffalo, to shoot 600 deer.

The city believes the ordinance is a necessary move, given the history of protest and activism that follows the company.

Solon grappled with solutions to deer overpopulations two years ago before settling on the plan to cull the deer.

At a public meeting Tuesday, residents on both sides of the issue voiced their opinions.

"Your answers to this are to pass another ordinance turning law-abiding citizens into criminals due to the mess that you created," said Belinda Geiger, who opposes the deer culling.

Elie Murphy was one of the few voices at the meeting that is in favor of the culling. Murphy said he likes deer but believes the uproar over 600 of them is overblown, considering more than 200,000 were killed during the recent hunting season.

"Now someone says, 'We've displaced all their woods.' But how many people here live in homes where the woods were demolished to build their homes? But they went ahead and bought the home," said Murphy.

A judge recently threw out a suit by an animal rights group that would have allowed them to videotape the deer killings.

The group believes the city hasn't done enough to examine other options to shooting the deer.

The city believes the deer are a dangerous nuisance, and says state regulations leave them with few alternatives.