More Deer Targeted In Md.'s Catoctin Mountain Park
THURMONT, Md. (AP) -- The National Park Service says government sharpshooters are preparing to further thin the deer herd in Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont.
The agency said Tuesday that starting next week and continuing through March, portions of the park will be closed weekend afternoons and evenings to allow for safe shooting. Closed areas will be clearly posted.
Sharpshooters killed 233 deer in the park last February and March, reducing the estimated deer density from 123 per square mile to 87 per square mile. Park officials say the deer density is still six times larger than in healthy forest ecosystems.
Public hunting is prohibited in the 5,770-acre park, which surrounds the Camp David presidential retreat.
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