Bowhunting in parks starts tomorrow
Bowhunters will be allowed to kill deer in designated Fairfax County parks beginning on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program is aimed at reducing the white-tailed deer population with the goal of stopping the spread of disease, preventing deer-vehicle collisions, and minimizing environmental damage. The deer season continues through Feb. 15, 2025.
The Fairfax County Police Department oversees the program in collaboration with the Park Authority and NOVA Parks
Parks remain open to the public during the archery program.
The deer management program is conducted on more than 100 properties countywide. Last year, bowhunters killed 703 deer.
Deer hunting during the 2024-25 season is allowed in these parks in the Annandale/Mason District area:
- Accotink Stream Valley Cluster – Accotink Stream Valley Park, Eakin Park (Mantua section), Sally Ormsby Park, Eakin Community Park, Brookfield Park, Carrleigh Parkway, and Hunter Village Park.
- Holmes Run Cluster – Holmes Run Stream Valley, Lillian Carey Park, Mason District Park, Roundtree Park, Deerlick Park.
- Lake Accotink Cluster – Lake Accotink, Wakefield Park, Americana Park, Long Branch Stream Valley.
Bowhunters must meet state licensing, education, and safety requirements; pass a criminal background check; and complete additional training.
Archery must be conducted from tree stands located at least 100 feet from property lines or 50 feet from park trails. Hunting is only allowed from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset Monday through Saturday. Deer baiting and removal of trees is prohibited.
You write this as if killing the deer is bad. The population is unstable in Fairfax County. It has destroyed the undergrowth and understory of the parks and forests in the area. Also since the population management effort has taken effect, deer and car related crashes have decreased.
Awful! It’s a barbaric and cruel way to kill an animal. And you know these hunters will not be adhering to the rules.
Shame on the lawmakers who allowed this.
Agreed! I have submitted a longer response but it is indeed barbaric. We don’t need “deer Management” in my area of Oak Hill in Herndon. We see them, unfortunately, very infrequently now due to some noisy construction. I thínk the more information there is about this County-sponsored practice, the better it is
Your comments are emotional and untrue. Hunters in the program follow the rules closely; if you have actual first hand knowledge otherwise, I suggest you report it.
Just because you aren’t seeing deer in one isolated location doesn’t mean that the county doesn’t suffer from a severe overpopulation of deer. Fairfax County has some of the highest deer population density in the State. An overpopulation of deer results in severe habitat damage that hurts a multitude of other species. Funny, considering the political leaning in Fairfax county you’d be all about locally sourced free range organic meat.
How would you suggest they cull the over population of deer? This is much more humane than allowing the to die of disease, vehicle, and starvation.
This would not be an issue if our parks had natural predators.
I think the hours would better be described as 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. The way it’s written above makes it sound like the hunting will be done in the day, and I don’t think that’s the case.
Bowhunting happens during the day. The county’s archery program website states: “Legal hunting hours in Virginia are 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.”
I stand corrected, thank you. And now I’m a little worried that this is happening in broad daylight.
You want bowhunting to happen at night? You won’t last in the boogaloo!
Are you afraid of being shot? Don’t be. Shots are taken at about 20 yards. I’m sure you can tell the difference between a person and a deer at 20 yards, and the hunters are even better at it. Go to the county’s web sight and read about the program, it’s very highly regulated.
I agree with Sara S that it is a barbaric practice. I emailed the woman in charge of the Fairfax County program & gave me some song & dance about ethical treatment, yada yada. Then she replied that she gave my name to some kind of law enforcement in my area as if they would be looking for me. We don’t need “deer Management” in my area – most of the deer have been scared of by all of the residential construction going on & have gone deeper into another part of the woods. I hope I don’t get shot by an arrow if I legally protest
Barbaric? How exactly do you think deer die “naturally”? Seriously, how? There’s no hospice in nature. Natural death in nature? Old age, teeth wear out (deer teeth wear quickly), blindness (their eyes go quickly), other injuries from fighting, vehicle collisions, disease. All of these are slow ways to die. Before they die, coyotes like to begin eating them; coyotes like playing with their food. Long, lingering, painful ways to die. Now bow hunting, most deer I’ve shot over the past 40 years have died in 15-30 seconds. Since you allude to know something about bow hunting, if you’ve had poor results, I’d be happy to evaluate your techniques and offer advice.
Are you afraid of being shot? Don’t be. Shots are taken at about 20 yards. I’m sure you can tell the difference between a person and a deer at 20 yards, and the hunters are even better at it. Go to the county’s web sight and read about the program, it’s very highly regulated.
Thanks for the details. Knowledge is helpful.
Sure does seem to be a lot of mansplaining going on in the comments on this item.
Bottom Line for me: Don’t kill Bambi!!!
Any way of murdering Bambi is barbaric and cruel!!!
And yes, killing Bambi is B…A…D BAD!!!
Explanations by Don S. are very helpful to folks who know very little about bow hunting and this program; sounds like they are better than Fairfax County’s. Thank you Don for educating folks. For any hunters in Mason District Park, I live a half mile away and there is a spectacular buck that spends the night in my yard occasionally. I’ve never seen him in the park but it would not surprise me if he resides there. Only a 6-point, but his antlers are nearly 24″ tall and 18″ wide. I’m rooting for you because he’s ruined several young trees I’ve planted by rubbing them. Go hunters!