Contact: Mel Poole, 301-663-9330
THURMONT, MD –Catoctin
Mountain Park completed the sixth year of white-tailed deer population reduction
as prescribed in the Catoctin White-tailed Deer Management Plan / Final
Environmental Impact Statement.The plan
addressed the consumption of tree and shrub seedlings by an increasing deer
population, which has limited the ability of native forests to regenerate. Herd
reduction took place between November 2014 and February 2015, resulting in the removal
of 119 deer from the park. A total of 4,485 pounds of venison (deer meat) was
donated to the local Thurmont Food Bank, the Help Hotline, and the Lunch Place
soup kitchen. Pastor Sally Joyner-Giffin, with the Thurmont Food Bank, described
the donated venison as "…a special treat for many families.With the high cost of meat it has been a
blessing to have the donation of locally killed deer meat. We have been
providing food for over 300 households each month and there are times when we
can only afford hot dogs or Vienna sausage. The deer meat has been a very
welcome addition. People have remarked on how fresh it tastes and they have
been very grateful for it." "In the past 5 months 'HELP Hotline' based in Blue Ridge
Summit PA, serving four counties in two states, helped 118 local
families needing food assistance.Venison, donated
through the National Park Service at Catoctin Mountain Park, is our main source
of protein and so well received by the families they began to share recipes and
cooking ideas. We most certainly look forward to using this service in the
future." –HELP Hotline staff. Reduction
using firearms will continue annually to reduce and maintain the deer
population at Catoctin.Before the first
season of deer management began in February 2010, there were approximately 123
deer per square mile in the Park.Before the
sixth season of reduction began, the deer population
was estimated by Park Biologists to be 35 deer per square mile. The deer density in a healthy forest is 15-20 deer per square
mile.The
number of deer removed each year will be based on the results of annual
vegetation monitoring and deer population monitoring conducted each fall and
what the weather permits us to take. Catoctin Mountain Park is one of over
400 units administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the
Interior. The Park Visitor Center, located on State Route 77 three miles west
of Thurmont, Maryland, is open Sunday-Saturday from 9:30 am –5:00 pm. Correspondence should be addressed to:
Superintendent, Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont, MD 21788.
Please visit the Catoctin Mountain Park website at www.nps.gov/cato for more information. General information
can be obtained by calling the Visitor Center at (301) 663-9388. -NPS- |
Last updated: April 10, 2015