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 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. 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
The list of archery program clusters and parks for the 2024-2025 is found below.
Park List for the 2024-2025 Archery Program 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 |
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
|
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 |
Franconia 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 |
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 |
Oakmont 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.”