Deer Hunting At Valley Forge National Park Begins in Nov.
VALLEY FORGE (CBS) - Officials at Valley Forge National Park say they will begin shooting deer at the park next month in an effort to thin the herd.
National Park Service officials voluntarily called off the hunt last year because of a lawsuit that was filed by two animal rights groups. That legal action is still moving through the courts, but the park service says it will begin hunting deer next month.
Natural Resources manager Kristina Heister says the plan is to reduce the herd from its current number of 241 deer per square mile to about 35 per square mile:
"And then once we achieve our target deer density, we'll maintain the population at that level using reproductive control."
She expects that it will take about four years to reach the level they're hoping for. This year's hunt begins in November and ends in March. Heister says the deer meat will be donated to local food banks.
Reported By Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio
