Baltimore launches first Deer Management Program, USDA sharpshooters begin March 2026

Baltimore City Recreation & Parks is launching the city’s first Deer Management Program and has secured a $110,442 agreement asking USDA Wildlife Services to remove up to 271 white-tailed deer, with field operations beginning March 9 in Leakin Park. The Board of Estimates approved the contract last month, and city officials say removals will occur after hours while parks are closed to the public.

The phased schedule centers first on Leakin Park, where the city announced closures from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. for the Leakin Park phase, which will run through March 19. City reporting and agency materials identify follow-up phases at Herring Run Park, sometimes called Herring Park in coverage, and at Druid Hill Park, with reporting also giving a broader March 9 to April 9 operational window and the contract noting work continuing through April.

Rec & Parks framed the program as data-driven and aimed at reversing decades of deer overpopulation that officials say has damaged forest regeneration across more than 2,300 acres of natural areas the agency manages. Maryland DNR imagery used in city materials shows a browse line leaving forest understory barren to roughly 4.5 feet, and Rec & Parks said more than 3,700 residents participated in a survey that ranked landscaping plant damage, garden plant damage, and deer-vehicle collisions as top concerns. The program received foundational support from a Maryland Department of Natural Resources Community Forestry Catalyst Fund grant.

Baltimore said it will partner with USDA-APHIS wildlife biologists while the contract specifically asks USDA Wildlife Services to perform removals. The city and media reports say trained USDA sharpshooters will operate at night, using thermal imaging and bait sites to locate deer, and will take shots from 20 to 50 yards to achieve immediate kills. WBFF and other reporting noted police will secure parks before crews enter, with helicopter flyovers and after-hours scheduling used as part of the safety protocols.

Shane Boehne, who leads the city’s deer management program, described the problem and the tactical rationale for sharpshooting: “This problem has been going on for decades. We've let it go for far too long.” He added, “The whole point of sharp shooting is to kill these deer on impact. We don't want to spook, spook these deer and make them flee the area and go out into residential areas.” Recreation and Parks Executive Director Reginald Moore said, “This is the first time Baltimore City has taken a comprehensive approach to managing deer overpopulation,” and called the plan the result of scientific analysis and community input.

City officials say the program aims to reduce deer density to 20 deer per square mile; CBS reporting notes reaching that density would mean more than 100 deer targeted just at Leakin Park. The city emphasizes follow-up management and monitoring, and Boehne warned that reductions require ongoing effort: “If you're able to bring it down to that 20 deer per square mile, and if you basically go hands off for a little while, you'll have an increase back in the population. So we have to do constant management.”

Residents seeking information or to offer input can email deer.program@baltimorecity.gov, call 3-1-1 within city limits or (443) 263-2220 outside the city, or contact City Hall, Room 250, 100 N. Holliday St, Baltimore, MD 21202 during business hours.