The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
reports that 85 deer were removed from The Wildlife Services
team, which consisted of a driver, spotlighter, and marksman,
worked four nights in the park, using rifles with suppressors to
reduce noise. Parks personnel assisted the team by retrieving
the deer and collecting data. All deer harvested by the Wildlife
Services biologists were processed into ground venison for the
Hunters Helping the Hungry program. Data gathered, such as sex,
age, weight, and overall condition of each deer was given to the
Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries to be used to help
monitor the herd health. Use of the Wildlife Services team was
only part of the long-term process of correcting the deer
overpopulation problems in the park. Conservation officials have
known from the beginning that a continued effort is required to
reduce the herd while improving the park’s habitat. “Culling
this number of deer from the park moves us toward our goal of
bringing the popul