Fairfax County let loose its archery program aimed at controlling the local white-tailed deer population this past Saturday (Sept. 7).
The Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program allows qualified bowhunters to hunt deer in areas where firearm use is restricted or not an effective or sustainable method. The program started in 2010 to minimize the impacts of an overabundance of deer.
“These impacts include deer-vehicle collisions, potential spread of diseases, and environmental damage attributed to deer that can impact the ecosystem,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release.
While most of the 100-plus properties involved in the program haven’t changed, County Club View Park in the Braddock District will transition to the sharpshooting program for deer management, the FCPD told FFXnow.
The county says archery is the preferred method of controlling the deer population due to its proven safety, noting that no bystander has been injured since Virginia began tracking hunting injuries in 1959.
“Archery is a compatible use with residential areas and community parks, allowing for deer population management in urban and suburban areas,” the FCPD said.
During the program, county wildlife staff will monitor the health of the deer herds, including surveilling for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurological disease fatal to deer. Although no new cases were detected during last year’s season, the disease was found in a deer shot in Fairfax County for the first time in October 2022.
According to the program’s standards, all archers must meet state hunter licensing, education and safety requirements and pass qualifications demonstrating skill and marksmanship. Additionally, they must pass a background check and carry program identification.
“Only hunters that have gone through this screening and selection process with the Fairfax County Police Department may hunt within the designated parks,” the FCPD’s press release said. “All archers must comply with state and federal game laws and regulations, local ordinances, and program rules.”
During the season, parks will remain open to the public, and fluorescent orange signs will be posted in parks where hunting is authorized.
Archers can hunt at designated sites Monday through Saturday during legal hunting hours, which start 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. Hunting is not allowed in county parks on Sunday.
“Hunters can only take shots at deer from elevated tree stands; hunting from the ground level is prohibited in county parks. Tree stands must not be located closer than 100 feet from property lines or closer than 50 feet from established park trails,” the release reads.
The FCPD oversees the program in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority, NOVA Parks, and other public landholders.
Last year, the county harvested 703 deer through the program. This year’s iteration will run until Feb. 25, 2025.
