Deer Archery Hunting at Huntley Meadows
September 12 – February 20
From September 12 to February 20 (except Sundays) there will be archery groups working with the Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist to hunt deer at Huntley Meadows Park as part of the county’s deer management program.
The goal is to reduce the park’s un-naturally large deer herds.
No section of the park will be closed and archery hunting will be compatible with normal visitor-use of the park. No trails are closed.
Hunting will be confined to the blue areas outlined in the map below. Hunters have five parking areas also depicted in the map below.
All archery hunting in the park is done from above-ground tree stands.
Over-populated deer herds eat large amounts of native vegetation, having a seriously negative effect on forest ecosystems. Native fruits, seeds, flowers and leaves essential as food sources for pther wildlife are drastically reduced, or even eliminated. A park Huntley’s size should have approximately 60 White-tailed Deer - our most recent surveys indicate a herd of over 150. These over-populated herds are caused by the removal of deer’s natural predators and also the abundance of “free” food found in suburban yards. Archery hunters help replace absent predator populations and reduce deer numbers to more natural levels – this encourages a healthier forest ecosystem, with more plant and animal diversity.
Questions? Please ask to speak to Huntley’s Park Manager, (703) 768-2525,or The Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist, (703) 246-6868.