Wildlife

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 9AM-5PM M-F
703-246-6868 TTY 711
4500 West Ox Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
Dr. Katherine Edwards
Wildlife Management Specialist

Department Resources

Archery Program

Deer Management iconArchery is the primary deer management tool used in Fairfax County to help manage high density deer herds.  Archery has been shown to be a safe and effective deer management tool to control deer populations on public lands in Fairfax County and other high-density jurisdictions.

Qualified bowhunters with superior skill, ethics, and experience are able to efficiently and discreetly hunt deer in areas where firearm use is restricted or prohibited, or not an effective or sustainable deer management tool.

Authorized archery hunting is conducted in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and other public landholders. All archery activity is closely monitored by the Fairfax County Police Department with assistance from the Park Authorities.

Since Virginia began tracking hunting injuries in 1959, no bystanders have been injured by an archer hunting deer anywhere in the Commonwealth. 

Archery Program Season

Dates: Saturday, September 7, 2024 - Saturday, February 15, 2025

Archery Groups are permitted to conduct deer management at their assigned site Monday through Saturday during the Archery Program Season. Legal hunting hours in Virginia are 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. Sunday hunting is not allowed in the parks.

If you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact:

Dr. Katherine Edwards, Wildlife Management Specialist, 703-246-6868, katherine.edwards@fairfaxcounty.gov

Sergeant Earit Powell, Program Manager, 703-324-0280, earit.powell@fairfaxcounty.gov

Archery Program Locations

The list of archery program clusters and parks for the 2024-2025 season will be updated and posted in June 2024. 

County Deer Management Program GIS Map

screenshot of GIS Deer Management Map

View the Full Map

Park list for the 2024-2025 archery program season will be updated in June 2024.

*Denotes a park addition for the 2023-2024 season.

Archery Cluster

Parks

Acres

Accotink Stream Valley Cluster

Accotink Stream Valley Park

656

 

Eakin Park (Mantua Section)

72

 

Sally Ormsby Park

40

 

Eakin Community Park

33

 

Brookfield Park

19

 

Carrleigh Parkway

10

 

Hunter Village Park

20

Bull Run Marina Cluster

Bull Run Marina

258

 

Hemlock Overlook

392

Bull Run Regional Park Cluster
 

Bull Run Regional Park

839

Clifton Cluster

Confederate Fortifications

150

 

Johnny Moore Stream Valley

342

 

Bull Run Regional Park South

447

Colvin Run Cluster

Shortened archery season at
Lake Fairfax due to sharpshooting in late season. Archery will end at Lake Fairfax ONLY on Saturday, 1/13/24.*

Colvin Run Stream Valley

44

 

Difficult Run Stream Valley

285

 

Colvin Run Mill Park

58

 

Wolftrap Stream Valley

48

 

Lake Fairfax

244

Cub Run Cluster

Cub Run Stream Valley

626

 

Ellanor C. Lawrence Park

458

 

Flatlick Stream Valley

60

 

Rocky Run Stream Valley

190

Elklick Cluster

 

Elklick Preserve 

1388
  Halifax Point District Park        282

 

Mountain Road Park

201

 

Sully Historic Site 

31

 

Poplar Ford Park

441

 

Hickory Forest Park

95

 

Horsepen Run Stream Valley

64

 

Merrybrook Run Stream Valley

11

 

Rock Hill District Park

169
  Cub Run Stream Valley North        138

Fairfax Station Cluster

Patriot Park

122

 

Piney Branch Stream Valley

179

 

Popes Head Park

38

 

Willow Pond

66

 

Rocky Run Stream Valley (Portion)

30
  Fairfax Villa* 60

Fountainhead Cluster

Fountainhead Regional Park

2075

 

Sandy Run Park

330

Great Falls Cluster

Riverbend Park

394

 

Scotts Run Nature Preserve

379

 

Hickory Run School Site

11

 

Lexington Estates Park

15

 

Langley Oaks Park

102

 

Windemere Park

24

 

Pimmit Run Stream Valley

41

Huntley Meadows Cluster

Shortened archery season at Huntley Meadows and Dogue Creek SV due to the addition of sharpshooting in late season. Archery will end at Huntley Meadows and Dogue Creek SV ONLY on Saturday, 1/6/24.*

Huntley Meadows

933

 

Woodlawn Park

9

 

Dogue Creek Stream Valley

21

 

Amberleigh Park

18

 

Island Creek Park

96

 

Fairchild Property

8

 

John Byers Park

25

 

Little Hunting Creek Park

10

 

Mount Vernon District Park

19

Holmes Run acreage does not include Luria Park.

Holmes Run Stream Valley

80
 

Lillian Carey Park

54

 

Mason District Park

80

 

Roundtree Park

61

 

Deerlick Park

19
  Lee District Park 76
  Ridgeview Park* 22
  Pole Road Park* 47
  Loisdale Park* 37
  Gristmill Park* 48
  Groveton Heights Park* 12
  Paul Springs Stream Valley (portion)* 20
  Kirk Park (portion)* 7

Lake Accotink Cluster

Lake Accotink

407

 

Wakefield Park

161

 

Americana Park

4

 

Long Branch Stream Valley

90

Laurel Hill Cluster

Laurel Hill Park & Golf Course

1149

 

Old Colchester Park & Preserve

144

 

Newington Heights

47

 

Mason Neck West

44
 

Pohick Bay Regional Park

525

 

Noman Cole Plant

103

 

BOS Mount Vernon

135
  Occoquan Regional Park 200
  Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area 649

Pohick Stream Valley Cluster

Burke Station Park

15

 

Pohick Stream Valley

570

 

West Springfield Village Park

10

 

Kings Park West

19

 

Shannon Station Park

13

 

Crooked Creek Park

12

 

Middle Run Stream Valley

169

 

Huntsman Lake

26

 

Cherry Run Park

4

 

Greentree Village Park

19
  Country Club View Park* 39

Reston Cluster

Difficult Run Stream Valley

258

 

Fred Crabtree Park

208

 

Garnchayne

21

 

Little Difficult Run Stream Valley

135

 

Foxvale Park

25

 

Waples Mill Meadow

18
  Oak Marr Park 58
  Tattersall Park 35

South Run Cluster

Burke Lake Park

323
 

Lake Mercer Park

195

 

South Run District Park

115

 

South Run Stream Valley

319

 

Sandy Run Stream Valley

39

 

Brimstone Park

5

 

Poburn Woods Park

11

Sugarland Run Cluster

Sugarland Run Stream Valley

200

 

Shaker Woods Park

14

 

Folly Lick Stream Valley

32

 

Upper Potomac

646

 

TNC Fraser Preserve

233

Vienna Cluster

Clarks Crossing Park

124

 

Difficult Run Stream Valley

237

 

Lahey Lost Valley Park

23
  Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley*    33
  Raglan Road Park*     8

 

Tamarack Park

21

Excerpt from a letter sent to a Fairfax County resident by Molly Joseph Ward, Secretary of Natural Resources of the Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia on August 27, 2014.

“Regulated hunting is considered to be the most practical and cost-effective means to control free-ranging deer populations in most settings. Hunting is also strongly supported by the public (75%-80% in recent national surveys). Since 1960, there have only been five archery incidents statewide involving a victim other than the hunter, the last one occurring in 1996.

Archery hunting is compatible with other land uses, including parks and residential areas. No safety incidents have been reported during the urban archery season, which started in 2002 and now includes 42 cities, towns, and counties throughout the Commonwealth. It is noteworthy that several of the larger, more populous localities participating in this season (e.g., the City of Richmond, Fairfax County) have reported no safety incidents despite having no acreage or distance minimums for discharge of archery equipment. Fairfax County allows archery hunting on private parcels, resulting in over 1500 deer killed each year and utilizes archery hunting in community parks because of the inherent safety of this method. Last year, 848 deer were safely removed from the parks by over 800 hunters that participate without the need to close the parks to the public during the hunts.

Hunters utilize tree stands which allow the hunter to engage the target from above. The resulting downward trajectory of the arrow means that the ground acts as a natural backstop. Additionally, archery tackle is only effective at short range, which means that the hunter is close to the target, allowing clear views and easy identification of the target. These two factors combined result in the exceptional safety record archery hunting has amassed.”

Close
Fairfax Virtual Assistant