Why did the Park develop a Deer Management Plan?
When Catoctin Mountain Park was established in 1936, it is likely that no white-tailed deer existed within its boundaries. Since that time, however, deer populations throughout the country have rebounded and are now higher than at any other time in their known history. By the 1970s, problems related to an overabundance of deer in the Park were suspected. The National Park Service and other researchers have conducted multiple studies to document the size of the park’s deer population, as well as plant growth in the understory of the mature forest canopy. Data indicate that forest regeneration is nearly absent within the majority of the park due in large part to high deer numbers, resulting in adverse changes to the forest structure, composition, and wildlife habitat. Excessive deer browsing in Catoctin Mountain Park could adversely affect the natural distribution, abundance, and diversity of native species throughout the Park, including species of special concern, and has impacted nativ
