Deer Hunts in Beverly-Triton Beach Park Underway

Beginning Tuesday (today), hunters will be permitted to go into Beverley Triton Beach Park in Edgewater to harvest deer. The hunt will run from sunrise to 11 a.m. on Oct. 4, Oct. 14 and Nov. 18.

The purpose of the hunt, managed by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks, is to cull an oversized herd. Notices for the hunt were sent at the end of summer and discussed at a community meeting in September.

All hunters will check in the morning of the shoot, and will attend a pre- and post-hunt meeting with DRP officials. There is no limit on the number of deer harvested. According to the deer hunt plan, only does (female deer) may be hunted.

According to Adam Smith, deer project manager for recreation and parks, the hunters have already been selected from a pool of hunters they use in other managed hunts in the county.

“We will only be using four hunters on the property at each of the hunts,” Smith said.

Department of Recreation and Parks officials said that the impact of deer overpopulation can cause serious damage to ecosystems.

According to the website:

"We are very concerned about the impact that deer have on native plant and animal communities.  Dense deer populations negatively impact forest regeneration, natural succession and biological diversity. Deer also impact threatened or endangered species by selective feeding which removes some plants from an ecological community while fostering the spread of other, perhaps undesirable species. This environmental damage to forests often goes unnoticed by the public because it takes place gradually over time. The public has spent millions of dollars to purchase natural lands and forests for recreation and to protect the Chesapeake Bay. The Recreation and Parks Department, as the steward of these county-owned parklands, has an obligation to practice habitat stewardship which will protect and preserve these forests for decades to come."

Hunt managers have mapped out four hunting zones at Beverly Triton Beach Park, each 40 to 50 acres in size.  Only one hunter will be permitted in each of the zones. Hunters are only permitted to hunt from stands.

Because Beverly Triton Beach Park is adjacent to a residential area, safety is of “utmost importance,” according to a deer plan posted on the Recreation and Parks website.  A safety zone will be clearly marked.

“It is illegal to either fire into, from, across and over a safety zone or discharge a weapon within 150 yards distance from any structure,” the deer plan states.

The hunt zones and buffer areas are shown in the map that accompanies this story.

Smith said that the window for hunters to join the program is closed.

“The enrollment period has expired. The enrollment time for our hunts is a two-week period in August.”

Hunters were permitted to scout the park last week with the cooperation of the park manager.

Throughout the year, Beverly Triton Beach Park is open only by permit as a community fishing spot. The park is at 1399 Triton Beach Road in Mayo (Central to Shoreham Beach Road to Triton Beach Road).