Opponents of a plan to kill hundreds of deer at Valley Forge National Historical Park are asking members of Congress to halt the effort before the shooting starts.

Officials at the park want to reduce a deer population now estimated at 1,277 to between 165 and 185 over four years. They say the herd is eating so many plants, shrubs and saplings that the forest cannot regenerate.

Under the plan, the animals would be lured to areas baited with apples and grain, and federal employees or contractors would hunt them with high-powered rifles equipped with silencers. Officials have said that the first hunt will take place between now and March but have refused to say exactly when.

After four years, officials say, a smaller herd will be maintained through contraceptives and additional shoots. They estimate that the shoots will cost between $2 million and $2.9 million over the next 15 years.

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