\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBaltimore confronted a major problem with a growing deer population that created issues in parks and neighborhoods \u2014 so the city took action.Wildlife conservation analysts focused on how to best handle the problem and decided on a deer-management program funded by a grant.City officials called the program a success after sharpshooters with the U.S. Department of Agriculture harvested 227 deer from Druid Hill, Hearing Run and Gwynns Falls-Leakin parks.| DOCUMENT: 2026 Deer Management Final Report (PDF)”One of the big things that we had about this program was that 205 deer were able to be donated for human consumption. So, that’s over 6,000 pounds of venison that was taken off the deer,” said Shane Boehne, a wildlife conservation analyst. The meat was donated to food banks around the area.One of the main points for the conservation effort was having quality green space and forest regeneration, and it appears, in some areas after the program, plant life has changed.”We’ve also had a number of people reach out to us saying they’ve seen plants they haven’t seen in decades,” Boehne told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.Some of the rejuvenated plant life includes American beech tree seedlings at the Maryland Zoo.Conservationists did receive some pushback from people who opposed killing the animals, including pregnant deer. Conservationists said they followed state regulations that gave them from Jan. 15 through April 15 to carry out the operation.Boehne said managing the deer population can also help reduce the tick population and instances of Lyme disease, as well as any infectious illness that can be transmitted from a wildlife species to humans.”Being able to bring that deer density down to a more sustainable level is going to help us actually be able to regenerate our forests, but also reduce damage that people experience on their property every single year, reduce the deer-vehicle accidents that we have, potentially reduce zoonotic disease transmission to humans, which is great,” Boehne told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.City officials said they hope to do a similar deer management program in the future.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tBALTIMORE \u2014<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Baltimore confronted a major problem with a growing deer population that created issues in parks and neighborhoods \u2014 so the city took action.<\/p>\n Wildlife conservation analysts focused on how to best handle the problem and decided on a deer-management program<\/a> funded by a grant.<\/p>\n City officials called the program a success after sharpshooters with the U.S. Department of Agriculture harvested 227 deer from Druid Hill, Hearing Run and Gwynns Falls-Leakin parks.<\/p>\n