Fairfax County Calls On SWAT Team To Thin Deer Population

They may look like Bambi, but deer in urban areas destroy natural habitat, and make roads hazardous.

Fairfax county is serious about culling their swelling deer herds. They're sending out the SWAT team.

Plentiful food and a shortage of predators have allowed local deer populations to explode. At Bull Run Park in Centreville alone, there are more than 400 per square mile.

Fairfax County wildlife officer Vicky Monroe says many of them live close to the county's one million plus people.

"Most of the parks are either stream valleys that serve as wildlife cooridors, and if it's a stream valley that means there are houses butting right up into the valley," said Monroe.

In less populated areas, Fairfax county officials will allow hunters with bows and arrows, and muzzle-loading rifles to harvest the deer.

But for areas around people, officials will call out the professionals and they'll be armed with high-tech weapons.

"I'm talking highly trained highly qualified officers" At night, we use thermal imagers, we use night scopes. I have all of the equipment in my inventory.

The hunt begins next month.