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

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

Deer Biology

Deer Population Concerns/Issues

Deer-Vehicle Accidents

Environmental Impact

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

Community Programs

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/ 
 

Fairfax Virtual Assistant