Baltimore Residents Oppose City's Deer Management Program

Residents say the city should use less harsh methods to control deer overpopulation.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Some Baltimore City residents are opposing the city's plan to use sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reduce the deer population in several parks, including Leakin Park, Druid Hill Park, and Herring Park. The city says the deer are overpopulated and the sharpshooting is a cost-effective and less disruptive method, but some residents feel the city should explore more balanced and milder approaches.

Why it matters

The deer management program highlights tensions between the city's efforts to control wildlife populations and the concerns of some residents, particularly in marginalized communities, about the methods used and the lack of community input.

The details

Starting on March 9, sharpshooters will be brought in to kill more than 100 deer at Leakin Park to bring the population down to 20 per square mile. The operation will take place at night when the parks are closed to the public. The meat harvested will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank. Some residents, like Linda Batts from the Hanlon Improvement Association, feel the city should use a more balanced approach and consider the long-standing effects of redlining and economic disadvantages in certain communities.

  • The deer management program will begin on Monday, March 9, 2026.
  • The operation at Leakin Park will continue through March 19, 2026.
  • The program will then move to Herring Park and Druid Hill Park at the end of March 2026.

The players

Shane Boehne

Leader of the city's deer management program.

Linda Batts

Member of the Hanlon Improvement Association, who believes the city should use a more balanced approach to deer management.

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What they’re saying

“This problem has been going on for decades. We've let it go for far too long.”

— Shane Boehne, Leader of the city's deer management program (cbsnews.com)

“I'm more of one who believes in taking a balanced approach, maybe sharp shooting is a percentage of how we get to the attrition, but maybe there are other modest and milder methods.”

— Linda Batts, Member of the Hanlon Improvement Association (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The city plans to continue the deer management program in Herring Park and Druid Hill Park at the end of March 2026.

The takeaway

The deer management program in Baltimore highlights the need for more community engagement and consideration of alternative, less harsh methods to address wildlife overpopulation, especially in marginalized neighborhoods that have historically faced economic disadvantages.