Baltimore is planning ways to mitigate its growing deer population
Baltimore has seen a recent uptick in its deer population, prompting the city's Department of Recreation and Parks to take action.
What ultimately happens depends on the community input the department gets.
Deer population concerns in Baltimore
The city's growth in deer population has led to more homeowners reporting landscaping and other property damage, according to Shane Boehne, a BCRP wildlife conservation analyst.
However, the concerns go beyond just property damage.
"[There is some concern of] contracting Lyme disease. That doesn't directly come from deer, but it does come from the black-legged ticks that use the deer as a host," Boehne said.
The deer have been eating vegetation at the city's parks as well, which in turn causes environmental concerns.
"A lack of that next generation [of plants] both hurts the forest overstory in the long-term, but it also has real implications right now for amphibians, small mammals, ground resting birds," Boehne said. "They don't have the habitat food resources that they need."
Community input
In June, the city released a survey asking residents where they've seen deer, and their views toward the deer population and deer management.
As of Friday, July 11, more than 3,700 surveys have been returned. Boehne said he and his team are still combing through those surveys.
Starting Monday, July 14, there will be a series of public information sessions to go over what can be done to address the city's deer population.
During those sessions, people can give feedback. Based on that input, BCRP will decide how to handle the deer, which will include lethal options.
"We are making a very hard effort and a concerted effort in order to make good decisions based on best management practices for urban deer management," Boehne said.
Here's a list of the public information sessions; they all run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.:
- July 14, Edgewood/Lyndhurst Rec Center
- July 15, Herring Run Rec Center
- July 16, Microsoft Teams Meeting (email tammy.walters@baltimorecity.gov for a link)
- July 17, Farring Baybrook Rec Center
How to keep deer away
To keep deer off your property, Boehne recommends getting guards for your plants and other property you don't want damaged, and getting a fence that's at least eight feet high.
He also recommends trying scare tactics.
"Think of things like a motion-detecting sprinkler. You can use things like pie tins or mylar tape, hang them over the area that you don't want deer to eat," Boehne said. "You can go out there, throw a tennis ball at them. You can try to scare them off with banging pots and pans together, things like that."