Baltimore to Use Sharpshooters with Night Vision to Cull Deer

Hundreds of deer will be eliminated from city parks before April 15, 2026.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The city of Baltimore, Maryland, will employ sharpshooters equipped with night vision gear to eliminate hundreds of deer from several city parks, including Druid Hill Park, Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, and Herring Run Park. The deer culling operation, which will be carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aims to address increasing deer-related issues such as damage to forest habitats, property damage, and vehicle collisions.

Why it matters

The deer population in Baltimore's urban parks has grown to the point of causing significant ecological and public safety concerns. This deer management program is an effort by the city to address these issues and maintain the health of its natural areas and communities.

The details

Starting in mid-March, trained sharpshooters will enter the designated parks after dark and use silenced weapons and night vision gear to cull the deer population. The deer that are harvested will be processed and donated to the Maryland food bank.

  • The deer culling operation will begin in mid-March 2026.
  • The elimination of deer must be completed before April 15, 2026.

The players

Shane Boehne

Head of Baltimore's recreation and parks deer management program.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The federal agency that will provide the trained sharpshooters to carry out the deer culling operation in Baltimore's city parks.

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What they’re saying

“We have seen evidence of increasing deer-related issues in the city, both damage to our forest understories, creating lots of damage to people's homes and garden spaces, and we've also seen a number of deer vehicle collisions every single year happening in Baltimore City around a lot of our parks that are occupied by deer.”

— Shane Boehne, Head of Baltimore's recreation and parks deer management program (CBS News)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This deer management program in Baltimore's urban parks highlights the challenges cities face in balancing the needs of wildlife and public safety. While controversial, the use of sharpshooters is a common tactic employed by municipalities to control overpopulated deer herds and mitigate the associated environmental and public health risks.