2nd deer cull to begin at Valley Forge park

Marksmen from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are set to return to Valley Forge National Historical Park to kill hundreds of deer that park officials say are devouring plants and crowding out other animals.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the deer cull set to happen between November and March is expected to net about 500 deer. A similar cull last year killed about 600.

Officials say the park was badly overcrowded with white-tail deer. The aim of the cull is to reduce the deer population from about 1,277 prior to the first hunt to less than 200.

Last year’s hunt resulted in the donation of 18,330 pounds of venison to food banks.

Park officials say Valley Forge had about 241 deer per square mile before the cull began.