Additions to 2016-2017 Deer Management Program Announced

From Howard County Government:

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks has announced its fall/winter schedule for managing deer through sharpshooting. This program is held to help maintain a stable, balanced white-tailed deer population on county lands where deer browsing has been shown to reduce biodiversity.

The sharpshooting program is different from the managed hunts, which were announced in September. Specially trained and qualified personnel using highly accurate, noise-suppressed rifles, remove deer under a special permit issued by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. All the meat from this operation is donated to charitable organizations in the area, including the Community Action Council’s Food Bank which serves more than 22,000 individuals each year and usually receives almost half of all of the sharpshooting program’s donated venison. Venison is a lean source of protein and has fewer calories and a higher nutrient value than other types of meat. High in iron, B12, B6 and other vitamins, venison is relatively low in cholesterol compared to other meats.

All properties will be closed to the public during the hours of operation, 3:30 p.m. to midnight, unless otherwise noted. The sites and schedule for 2016-2017 are as follows:

Alpha Ridge Landfill: January 10; January 24 (both January dates will occur in the morning in conjunction with a managed hunt in the adjacent park from 5:30 to 11:00 a.m.); March 15

Belmont Park: January 11; February 1

Centennial Park: December 14

Daniels Mill Overlook: November 2 (5:00 am to 11:00 am)

Dorsey Hall Open Space: December 14; December 28; February 22; March 8

Fulton South: November 16

Gray Rock Open Space: December 14; December 28; February 22; March 8

Hollifield Farm: November 2

Mount Hebron: November 2

River’s Edge Open Space: December 7; January 18

Robinson Nature Center: December 28; January 11

Rockburn Park: December 21

Savage Park: December 7; January 18

Timbers at Troy Golf Course: December 21; January 18

Worthington Open Space: February 1

Worthington Park: November 16

Zirn Property: November 16

Since deer population reduction programs (such as the hunts and sharpshooting) are not possible in many areas of the county, the Department of Recreation & Parks has developed a Deer Management Reference Manual to help homeowners and gardeners live in harmony with white-tailed deer. The manual, which is available in all county library branches, contains information on the use of deer repellents, fencing to protect crops and property, how to avoid auto-deer collisions and Lyme Disease prevention. There is also information about the county’s deer management program available on the Department’s website.

The Department of Recreation & Parks and the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service can also arrange to have experts on the topic speak to homeowner associations, schools or other groups. Other Recreation & Parks’ deer management programs include an effort to reduce ticks on deer through the use of “Four-Poster” devices which deliver an approved pesticide to deer attracted to a feeder baited with corn. Developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the devices have been shown to reduce tick populations by 90% or more.

For more information on the deer management program, call the Department of Recreation & Parks at 410-313-1675.

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