The Fairfax County government’s annual deer-management archery program is slated to run from Sept. 11 to Feb. 19, conducted in parks and other locations throughout the county.
The program is overseen by the Fairfax County Police Department in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) and other agencies. The goal is to reduce the number of white-tail deer in the local area to a manageable level.
Last year, more than 800 deer were harvested through the use of archery in the program, which accounted for 94 percent of the total deer harvested in the management program.
Only archers who have gone through a screening and selection process are eligible to participate.
Parks remain open during the hunting process. Bright signage alerting the public is posted in archery program areas, at park entrances and trailheads.
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. Archers are not allowed on private property without permission of the owner or tenant.
For additional information, see the Website at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/wildlife/deer-management-program.