Department Resources

Deer Management Program

The Fairfax County Deer Management Program is implemented each year to manage the abundant local white-tailed deer population (Odocoileus virginianus).

The primary objective of the Fairfax County Deer Management Program is deer population control on public parklands. Management actions reflect a variety of interests: protecting human health and safety, reducing environmental damage, conserving biodiversity and maintaining healthy deer herds.

The first fatal deer-vehicle collision in Fairfax County occurred in October 1997. This tragic accident highlighted the concern of many residents that, without natural predators and sufficient hunting pressures, the local deer population had become overabundant.

In January 1998, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors mandated development of the Fairfax County Deer Management Program in response to concerns of county residents about the growing number and conflicts posed by overabundant deer. The program is implemented by the Fairfax County Police Department in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority and Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

An integrated deer management plan was developed using wildlife management program models in other jurisdictions, deer census data, deer behavioral research and ecological impact studies. Each year, an operational plan is developed to implement sustainable hunting pressures at selected parks based on these approved strategies.

Fairfax County and Virginia Deer Management Programs

Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council. 2014. Chapter VII-Ecological Resources. 2014 Annual Report on the Environment: 295-352
Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council. 2014. Chapter VIII-Wildlife and the Environment in Fairfax County. 2014 Annual Report on the Environment: 255-406
Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council. 2010. Chapter VIII-1: Impacts of deer in Fairfax County. Annual Report on the Environment Chapter VIII: Wildlife and the Environment in Fairfax County: 277-300
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Wildlife Division. Virginia Deer Management Plan: 2006 – 2015. Wildlife Information Publication No. 07-1, June 2007
Knox, M., N. Lafon, and J. Rohm. An open letter to landowners and deer hunters in Bedford, Fairfax, Fauquier, Franklin, Loudoun, Patrick, Prince William, and Roanoke Counties

Deer Biology

Potapov, E., A. Bedford, F. Bryntesson, S.C. Nyholm, and D. Robertson. 2014. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) suburban habitat use along disturbance gradients. The American Midland Naturalist 171(1):128-138
Potapov, A., E. Merrill, M. Pybus, D. Coltman, and M.A. Lewis. 2012. Chronic wasting disease: possible transmission mechanisms in deer. Ecological Modeling 250:244-257
Sachs, J.S. 2010. A Dose of Diversity - Scientists are discovering that species extinctions fuel the rise and spread of infectious diseases and hinder medical research. National Wildlife Federation
Stolzenburg, W. 2008. Where the wild things were: life, death, and ecological wreckage in a land of vanishing predators. Bloomsbury, New York
McShea, W. J., H. B. Underwood, J. H. Rappole, eds. 1997. The science of overabundance – deer ecology and population management. Smithsonian Books, Washington
McCullough, D. R. 1979. The George Reserve deer herd: population ecology of a K selected species. Ann Arbor Univ. Michigan Press. 271 pp.
Caring for Deer & Forests- a Resource Center for Eastern North America

Deer Population Concerns/Issues

Deer-Vehicle Accidents

Lobo, N. and J.S. Millar. 2013. Summer roadside use by white-tailed deer and mule deer in the Rocky Mountains, Alberta. Northwestern Naturalist 94(2): 137-146
DeNicola, A. J., and S. C. Williams. 2008. Sharpshooting suburban white-tailed deer reduces deer-vehicle collisions. Human-Wildlife Conflicts 2(1):28-33, Spring 2008
Huijser, M.P., P. McGowen, J. Fuller, A. Hardy, A. Kociolek, A.P. Clevenger, D. Smith and R. Ament. 2008. Wildlife-vehicle collision reduction study – report to Congress. Report No. FHWA-HRT-08-034. Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
McShea, W. J., C.M. Stewart, L.J. Kearns, S. Liccioli, D. Kocka. 2008. Factors affecting autumn deer–vehicle collisions in a rural Virginia county. Human–Wildlife Conflicts 2(1):110–121, Spring 2008. Also see several other articles devoted to deer/vehicle accidents in this issue of Human-Wildlife Conflicts
Deer Vehicle Crash Information Clearinghouse
Rutberg, A. T., and R. E. Naugle. 2008. Deer–vehicle collision trends at a suburban immunocontraception site. Human–Wildlife Conflicts 2(1):60–67, Spring 2008
COG Animal Services Committee Wildlife, Vehicle Collision Reduction Working Group. 2006. Deer-vehicle collision report. September 2006. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

Environmental Impact

Jenkins, L. H., M. A. Jenkins, C.R. Webster, P.A. Zollner, and J.M. Sheilds. 2014. Herbaceous layer response to 17 years of controlled deer hunting in forested natural areas. Biological Conservation 175:119-128
Bressette, J.W., H. Beck, and V.B. Beauchamp. 2012. Beyond the browse line: complex cascade effects mediated by white-tailed deer. Oikos 121(11): 1749-1760
Greenwald, K. R., U.J. Petit, and T.A. Waite. 2008. Indirect effects of a keystone herbivore elevate local animal diversity. Journal of Wildlife Management 72(6):1318–1321
Rawinski, T.J., 2008. Impacts of white-tailed deer overabundance in forest ecosystems: an overview. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Gorsira, B., C. R. Rossell, Jr, and S. Patch. 2006. Effects of white-tailed deer on vegetation structure and woody seedling composition at Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia. ParkScience, 24:1, Summer 2006. Natural Resource Program Center, National Park Service
Latham, R. E., J. Beyea, M. Benner, C. A. Dunn, M. A. Fajvan, R. R. Freed, M. Grund, S. B. Horsley, A. F. Rhoads and B. P. Shissler. 2005. Managing white-tailed deer in forest habitat from an ecosystem perspective: Pennsylvania case study. Report by the Deer Management Forum for Audubon Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Habitat Alliance, Harrisburg, PA
Rossell Jr., C.R., B. Gorsira, and S. Patch. 2005. Effects of white-tailed deer on vegetation and wood seedling composition in three forest types on the Piedmont Plateau. Forest Ecology and Management 210: 415-424
Horsley, S.B., S.L. Stout, and D.S. DeCalesta. 2003. White-tailed deer impact on the vegetation dynamics of a northern hardwood forest. Ecological Applications 13(1): 98-118
McShea, W. J. and J. H. Rappole. 2000. Managing the abundance and diversity of breeding bird populations through manipulation of deer populations. Conservation Biology 14:1161-1170

Lyme Disease

Kilpatrick, H. J., A. M. Labonte, and K. C. Stafford, III. 2014. The relationship between deer density, tick abundance, and human cases of Lyme disease in a residential community. Journal of Medical Entomology 51(4):777-784
Ostfeld, R. S. 2011. Lyme disease – The ecology of a complex system. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA
Stafford, K. C. III. 2007. The Tick Management Handbook – An integrated guide for homeowners, pest control operators, and public health officials for the prevention of tick-associated disease, Revised Edition. Bulletin No. 1010, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
U.S. Communicable Disease Center: Lyme Disease

Deer Management Tools

Non-lethal Control Methods

Rutberg, A. T., R. E. Naugle, and F. Verret. 2013. Single-treatment porcine zona pellucida immunocontraception associated with reduction of a population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 44(4):75–83
Boulanger, J.R., P.D. Curtis, E.G. Cooch, and A.J. DeNicola. 2012. Sterlization as an alternative deer control technique: a review. Human-Wildlife Interactions 6(2): 273 -282. http://canuck.dnr.cornell.edu/research/pubs/pdf/sterile-review.pdf
Rutberg, A. T., and R. Naugle. 2012. Immunocontraception of white-tailed deer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland: 2012 Progress Report. The Humane Society of the United States
Gionfriddo, J. P., A. J. DeNicola, and K. A. Fagerstone. 2011. Efficacy of GnRH immunocontraception of wild white-tailed deer in New Jersey. Wildlife Society Bulletin 35:142-148
Gionfriddo, J. P., J. D. Eisemann, K. J. Sullivan, R. S. Healey, L. A. Miller, K. A. Fagerstone, R. M. Engeman, and C. A. Yoder. 2009. Field test of a single-injection gonadotrophin-releasing hormone immunocontraceptive vaccine in female white-tailed deer. Wildlife Research 36:177-184
Predl, S., C. Kandoth, J. Buck, eds. 2009. An evaluation of deer management options. The New England Chapter of the Wildlife Society and The Northeast Deer Technical Committee
Rutberg, A. T., and R. E. Naugle. 2008. Population-level effects of immunocontraception in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Wildlife Research 35(6) 494–501
Rutberg, A. T. 2007. Birth control is not of everyone: a response. Human–Wildlife Conflicts 1(2):143-144
Miller, L.A., J. Rhyan and G. Killian. 2004. GonaCon, a versatile GnRH contraceptive for a large variety of pest animal problems. Proc.21st Vertebr. Pest Conf. (R.M. Timm and W.P. Forenzel, Eds) Univ. Calif. Davis. pp. 269-273
Naugle, R. E., A.T. Rutberg, H.B. Underwood, J.W. Turner Jr., and I.K.M. Liu. 2002. Field testing of immunocontraception on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at Fire Island National Seashore, New York, USA. Reproduction Supplement 60:143–153

Lethal Control Methods

Predl, S., C. Kandoth, J. Buck, eds. 2009. An evaluation of deer management options. The New England Chapter of the Wildlife Society and The Northeast Deer Technical Committee
Pedersen, M. A., S.M. Berry, and J.C. Bossart. 2008. Wounding rates of white-tailed deer with modern archery equipment. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildlife Agencies 62:31-34
Fulton, D.C., K. Skerl, E.M. Shank, and D.W. Lime. 2004. Beliefs and attitudes toward lethal management of deer in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Wildlife Society Bulletin 32(4): 1166-1176
Kilpatrick, H.J., A.M. LaBonte, and J.T. Seymour. 2002. A shotgun-archery deer hunt in a residential community: evaluation of hunt strategies and effectiveness. Wildlife Society Bulletin 30(2): 478-486
DeNicola, A. J., K. C. VerCauterren, P. D. Curtis, and S. E. Hygnstrom. 2000. Managing white-tailed deer in suburban environments: A technical guide. Cornell Coop. Ext., Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y. 52pp
McDonald, J. E., M. R. Ellingwood and G. M. Vecellio. 1998. Case studies in controlled deer hunting. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. 16pp
Kilpatrick, H.J., and W.D. Walter. 1999. A controlled archery deer hunt in a residential community: cost, effectiveness, and deer recovery rates. Wildlife Society Bulletin 27(1): 115-123
Ellingwood, M. R., and S. L. Caturano. 1996. An evaluation of deer management options. Publication No. DR-11. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Concord, NH
Deblinger, R. D., D. W. Rimmer, J. J. Vaske, and G. M. Vecellio. 1995. Efficiency of controlled, limited hunting at the Crane Reservation in Ipswich, Massachusetts. in J.B. McAninch, ed. Urban deer: a manageable resource? Proc. Symposium 55th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, 12-14 December 1993, St. Louis, Mo. North Central Section of The Wildlife Society

Community Programs

Fairfield County, CT, Municipal Deer Management Alliance
DeNicola, A. J., K. C. VerCauterren, P. D. Curtis, and S. E. Hygnstrom. 2000. Managing white-tailed deer in suburban environments: A technical guide. Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Wildlife Society- Wildlife Damage Management Working Group, and the Northeast Wildlife Damage Research and Outreach Cooperative. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/

Harvest Totals

Additional Data

Dr. Katherine Edwards
Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist
(703) 246-6868
katherine.edwards@fairfaxcounty.gov

Sergeant Earit Powell
Animal Protection Police – Deer Management Program
(703) 324-0280
earit.powell@fairfaxcounty.gov

Fairfax County Animal Protection Police – Dispatch
(703) 691-2131

Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline
(toll-free), 8:00AM-4:30PM, Monday through Friday
(855) 571-9003

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR)
https://dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/

VDWR Region 4 Office (Fredericksburg)
540-899-4169

VDWR Region 4 Office (Verona)
540-248-9360

VDWR Conservation Police
https://dwr.virginia.gov/conservation-police/

Virginia Department of Transportation
1-800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623)
Online work request form (for non-emergency work such as animal removal from roadway)

https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/

Wildlife

Wildlife Alert:

Department Resources

Deer Management Program

Fairfax County and Virginia Deer Management Programs

Deer Biology

Deer Population Concerns/Issues

Deer-Vehicle Accidents

Environmental Impact

Lyme Disease

Deer Management Tools

Non-lethal Control Methods

Lethal Control Methods

Community Programs

Fairfax Virtual Assistant

Wildlife

Wildlife Alert:

Department Resources

Deer Management Program

Program History

Bibliography

Fairfax County and Virginia Deer Management Programs

Deer Biology

Deer Population Concerns/Issues

Deer-Vehicle Accidents

Environmental Impact

Lyme Disease

Deer Management Tools

Non-lethal Control Methods

Lethal Control Methods

Community Programs

Deer Management Program Data

More Contacts & Resources

Fairfax Virtual Assistant