Landowners with any parcel size in Great Falls have the option to use archery hunting for deer management on their private property, directly addressing the cause of deer damage: too many deer.

Katherine Edwards, Ph.D., is a Certified Wildlife Biologist® Wildlife Management Specialist with Fairfax County Police Department. She said that the deer population within Fairfax County is still considered to be high and Fairfax County is identified as an area for deer herd reduction in the state-wide Deer Management Plan. “However, deer do not obey property lines and the majority of land within Fairfax County is private land. In order to more comprehensively address concerns related to deer and public safety, environmental damage, and residential property conflicts, a broader approach that includes deer population control and mitigation measures on both public and private lands is necessary. Generally speaking, archery hunting provides a safe, economical and effective method to reduce the local deer population in suburban areas and allows residents the ability to address conflicts associated with deer on their properties.”

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