Two more undercover deer accidentally killed during Valley Forge Park hunt

Above: A CIA file photo of Daffney and Rhubarb soon after their arrival at Valley Forge.

Valley Forge National Historical Park, PA--Park rangers confirmed yesterday the death of two more undercover deer agents in this sprawling 3,600-acre park 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Last October, National Park Service officials approved a deer hunt to reduce the dense herd and thwart the "ecological devastation" the animals were inflicting on the fragile landscape. To facilitate the cull, fifty undercover deer, actual deer trained by the CIA, were hired to "mingle" with the estimated 1500 deer currently calling the park home. "Daffney and Rhubarb will be sorely missed," said NPS official Duncan Mahoney, pausing to collect himself. "They knew this was dangerous work and ... my heart goes out to their families." Rhubarb burst onto the undercover deer scene in 2009 by luring hundreds of unsuspecting park deer into open fields during a planned hunt at Gettysburg National Military Park. Sharpshooter error also claimed the lives of Peanut Butter and Nice Rack in early December of last year. The sharpshooters have been suspended with pay.