Wildlife Alert:
Archery 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.
Learn more about the Fairfax County Deer Management Program and why deer management is conducted.
Dates: Saturday, September 12, 2026 - Saturday, February 13, 2027
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. Safety measures have been put in place to allow parks to remain open to the public for continued park visitation and recreation while the archery program is conducted. Archery hunters go through a screening process and qualifications with their bows to be eligible for the Fairfax County Deer Management Program, and must follow strict rules of engagement, standards of conduct, and reporting requirements. Archers must comply with all requirements for licenses, permits, and Hunter Safety Education as mandated by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Only archers that have gone through this special screening and qualification process and are selected for the program by Police Department staff may hunt within the approved county parks in accordance with program rules.
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
