The Issue: Should we shoot the deer? The National Park Service (NPS) is trying to decide how to deal with the white-tailed deer population. They’ve been mating like rabbits and eating all the shrubs.

Proponent: Adrienne Colman, Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, says: “It’s just one of the options. Montgomery County has been sharpshooting for some years now…It reduces the deer population fairly quickly.”

As in Montgomery County, the Rock Creek crew would donate the meat to charity. Three words: free venison burgers.

Opponent: John Hadidian, director of the Urban Wildlife Program at the Humane Society of the United States is sticking up for the deer: “We don’t think that the deer should be blamed for something that is natural to them. It doesn’t seem that there is a compelling reason to kill these animals.”

Alexa Fritts, spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, says: “overpopulation of deer can have a devastating effect on…songbirds.”

Next step: The National Park Service is holding a public meeting at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center (5200 Glover Rd NW) on Wednesday, September 2 to debate the options.