The county government has announced its schedule for this season's deer hunts, which are intended to achieve a balanced white-tailed deer population in parks.

County officials say the hunts are needed to reduce a large population that they say has led indirectly to more incidents of Lyme disease transmission, damage to vegetation and ecosystems in parks, and added to the danger of collisions for motorists.

The hunts, which are managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks, will include bow and shotgun hunting, with hours from dawn until noon. Each park will be closed for other uses during the hunting times.

The plan for the coming season follows an April phone survey of residents commissioned by the county. The survey of 800 residents found that 81 percent support continuing managed deer hunts if nonlethal control methods are ineffective, county officials have said.

The annual hunts began in 1998, and have been held ever since, with the exception of a brief suspension in late 1999. Since the start, hunters have killed 1,758 deer in the county, officials said.

Over that time, the hunts have reduced the deer population in the 1,000-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area south of Route 108 in Columbia from 100 or more to 23 per square mile, officials said. The ideal would be 15 deer per square mile.

In another effort to manage wildlife, the county operates a sharpshooting program, which uses licensed marksmen and noise-suppressed firearms at night in areas where managed hunting is not possible. The schedule for that program has not yet been finalized, but the county does not anticipate adding to last year's list of sites, which included Alpha Ridge Landfill, Blandair Park, Daniels Mill Overlook, Gray Rock Openspace, Rockburn Branch Park, Timbers of Troy and Worthington Park.

In areas where managed hunts and sharpshooting are not possible, the county offers a Deer Management Reference Manual for homeowners and gardeners. It is available at county libraries.

The Department of Recreation and Parks can also arrange to have experts speak to groups on deer management programs.

For information, call 410-313-1675.

calendar

Alpha Ridge Park Nov. 17 (bow and shotgun)

Blandair Park Oct. 8, Oct. 22, Nov. 5, Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Dec. 17, Jan. 29 (bow)

David Force Park Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Nov. 13, Dec. 18, Jan. 15, Feb. 5 (bow and shotgun)

High Ridge Park Dec. 4 (bow and shotgun)

Middle Patuxent Environmental Area Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 8, Feb. 12 (bow and shotgun)

North Laurel Area Oct. 28, Nov. 20, Dec. 2 (bow and shotgun)

Schooley Mill Park Oct. 13, Oct. 27, Nov. 10, Dec. 1, Dec. 15 (shotgun)