Virginia Deer News
 Shenandoah park seeks to stop deer disease spread May 15, 2013 Virginia, San Francisco Chronicle ... Deer in Frederick and Shenandoah counties have been quarantined. But Wildlife Center of Virginia president Ed Clark says the disease likely will spread beyond the quarantine area. Virginia's first case was detected in Frederick County in 2009 ... Chronic wasting disease in deer likely to move farther east in Virginia May 14, 2013 The Daily Progress ... Chronic wasting disease, a progressive condition that can remain idle for years before killing the infected animal, has been found in deer 25 miles from the Shenandoah National Park’s northern border, said park biologist Rolf Gubler. The park stretches northeast from outside Waynesboro to Front Royal.... a plan to contain the infection. That could include thinning the heaviest populations of whitetail deer in the park. [not found to be effective in other states] Deer Hunts Eyed At Ashburn Parks May 10, 2013 Virginia, Leesburg Today Since 2011, the county has held managed deer hunts at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve ... If the full board adopts the committee recommendations, bow hunters will be permitted at Ashburn’s Bles Park, located off Riverside Parkway, and Edgar Tillet Memorial Park, located of Belmont Ridge Road. ... Disease could threaten Shenandoah National Park deer May 9, 2013 Virginia, The Daily Progress Chronic wasting disease just 25 miles from Shenandoah National Park's border poses a looming threat to whitetail deer there, ... The disease first was identified as clinical "wasting" syndrome in 1967, when it struck mule deer in a wildlife research facility in northern Colorado, according to the USDA... State plan thins county white-tailed deer population May 1, 2013 Virginia, Chesterfield Observer (subscription) ... During the 2012-13 fall/winter hunting season, there were 1,424 white-tailed deer killed in the county, a decline of almost 27 percent compared to the 2011-12 season when 1,949 were killed... The county’s decreasing deer harvest is the result of an effort to stabilize the population as part of the Virginia Deer Management Plan... The department develops its management strategy based largely on the public’s tolerance of deer... Chesterfield citizens voice approval of deer hunting in parks April 3, 2013 Virginia, wtvr.com ... Some members claim it was a bit of a surprise how one sided the room was after their email traffic tended to lean the other way. “Most of the emails we’ve received have been against the bow hunting so this was a bit of a surprise,” said commission chair Tim Mick... Deer dog hunts alive March 30, 2013 Virginia, Delmarva Now ... The issue generated vociferous debate back in 2003 when, after a crowded public hearing, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to recommend the state continue to allow the practice in Accomack County, but prohibit it during the first 10 days of deer season and also extend the season by 10 days... Accomack County Attorney Mark Taylor recommended the Board of Supervisors consider holding a public hearing either this summer or next summer on the issue ... Loudon County Considers Expanded Deer Hunts March 13, 2013, Virginia, Leesburg Today Since 2011, the county government has held managed deer hunts at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve and now the Board of Supervisors is eyeing expansion of that program as a way to help address the county's deer overpopulation and Lyme disease [deer density not correlated to Lyme] ... there were many reasons to increase managed hunts. Helping to curtail Lyme disease—the ticks that carry the disease ride on white-tailed deer—was top of the list, but it was not the only one... The hunts at Banshee Reeks bring in about $3,000 in revenue a year for the county... Deer, Bear and Turkey Harvest Data March 9, 2013 Virginia, The Crozet Gazette ...213,597 deer were reported killed ... down 8 percent from the 233,104 deer reported killed in 2011 and below the 10-year annual average of 232,573. Total deer kill levels were down across most of Virginia, including the northern Piedmont, down 9 percent. Female deer kill was down 13 percent from 2011. Archers, not including crossbow hunters, killed 15,791 deer, 7 percent of the total kill. Crossbows resulted in a kill of 10,596 deer, or 5 percent of the total. Muzzleloader hunters harvested 26 percent of the total kill... Accomack Supervisors to revisit deer dog issue March 2, 2013 Virginia, Delmarva Now The issue generated emotionally-charged debate in 2003, when, after a crowded public hearing at which more than 30 speakers spoke, supervisors voted 4-2 to recommend the state continue to allow the practice but prohibit it during the first 10 days of deer hunting season and also extend the season 10 days... Park service trying to combat disease plaguing deer population March 1, 2013 Virginia, Examiner.com Southampton County saw a 22 percent drop in its deer harvest this year February 28, 2013 Virginia, Tidewater News ... Southampton County had the third highest deer harvest out of Virginia’s 95 counties for 2012-13, yet saw a 22 percent drop from the previous season... Glen Askins, terrestrial wildlife biologist for Southeastern Virginia, called the decline in Western Tidewater a “fluke” and attributed it to disease, the tremendous availability of food and coyotes killing fawns... Virginia deer, bear, turkey harvest data announced February 27, 2013 Smith Mountain Eagle ... During the past deer season 213,597 deer were reported killed by hunters in Virginia. This total included 96,712 antlered bucks, 18,061 button bucks, 98,781 does, and 43 unknown/sex not documented. The fall 2012 deer kill total was down 8% from the 233,104 deer reported killed last year, and below the 10-year annual average of 232,573. ... Virginia 2012 deer kill total drops 8% from year before February 25, 2013 WFIR News Talk Radio ... The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries reports Virginia’s fall 2012 deer kill total was down 8% from the year before. The department’s deer project coordinator says over the past five years, the deer population has decreased but the lower population and kill numbers are not a big concern right now and eventually things will stabilize. Tunnel use by wildlife aids driver safety February 10, 2013 Virginia, Charlottesville Tomorrow ... The financial savings were most recently documented in a 2005 study by the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research ... The study, “The Use of Highway Underpasses by Large Mammals in Virginia and Factors Influencing their Effectiveness,” recommended that the Virginia Department of Transportation consider constructing wildlife crossings when building roads. Bridget Donaldson, a senior research scientist at the innovation center and study author, said that no wildlife crossings have been built in Albemarle since the article’s publication. KR Lovely, WJ Mcshea, NW Lafon, DE Carr - Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2013 The parcelization of exurban landscapes creates a matrix of intermediately sized and privately managed land parcels, presenting a unique challenge to wildlife managers. During 2010–2011, we studied the correlates between land parcelization, deer density, and hunting patterns in exurban northwestern Virginia, USA. .... Our results suggest that development processes that subdivide rural lands can significantly increase deer populations. The mechanism for this increase may be restricted hunter access to smaller property parcels and-or increased probability of deer refuges nearby. Henry and Patrick counties, Deer kills are lower in area January 28, 2013 Virginia, Martinsville Bulletin ... Preliminary data from the state shows the number of deer harvested in Henry County fell 13 percent ... The decreased number of deer harvested “is huge in Patrick County” where the DGIF already has a process in place to reduce the deer herd due to agricultural issues, [Matt Knox, a coordinator for the department’s deer project] said. It “is a ‘wow’ number, but it is not an unexpected number.” That is because the conditions were ripe for an outbreak of hemorrahagic disease ... Virginia deer hunters get updates on studies January 18, 2013 Allegheny Mountain Radio The Appalachian Members of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association gets updates on hunting season numbers and on a study about predators ... the declining deer population in the Bath County area... from the reports from our members, the deer count is down anywhere from 45 percent to 15 percent... The study is primarily on coyotes, to find out how many of them there are, where they are and what they are eating ... Hunting is big business for Virginia December 27, 2012 Loudoun Times.com ... “White-tailed deer garner more interest than any other wildlife species in Virginia. Many Virginians relish the chance to hunt, watch, or photograph this graceful mammal,” Lee Walker, outreach director for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said. ... the deer population in the state is about 1 million deer. Hunting season averages about 200,000 to 250,000 deer harvested a year throughout the state...The economic impact of deer hunting in Virginia is over $250 million annually ... There may be fewer deer out there December 21, 2012 Virginia, Daily Progress The word along the hunting trails is that no one is seeing a lot of deer... In some areas, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) may have taken a toll on deer populations ... Coyotes are unrivaled predators. With a keen sense of smell, a coyote is able to detect the birth of a newborn fawn and can make quick work of these helpless creatures ... In recent years, the number of deer herd in Virginia has stabilized. The final number for the 2011/12 deer harvest was 231,454 deer. Over the past 10 years, the average kill has been about 232,000 ... Disease outbreak affecting deer harvest December 12, 2012 Virginia, Fredericksburg.com ... Matt Knox, deer project coordinator for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, confirmed that several nearby counties likely will see the deer kill down significantly this year. He said DGIF surmises most of this decline is due to hemorrhagic disease. “The interesting thing is that we did not get a lot of HD reports from this area of the state back in the fall,” ... Virginia hunters impacted by chronic wasting disease in Pennsylvania November 19, 2012 WSLS Due to the detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Pennsylvania last month, hunters may not bring back whole deer carcasses from Adams, Clearfield, Cumberland, Franklin, Lycoming, McKean, and York Counties, Pennsylvania, into Virginia... also continuing several management actions in the northern Shenandoah Valley in response to the presence of CWD in Frederick County, Virginia. Within the containment area, these measures include mandatory sampling of deer killed on the first three Saturdays of the general firearms season (Nov. 17, 24, and Dec. 1, 2012) ... Deer season begins Saturday November 16, 2012 Virginia, Suffolk News-Herald ... Regular gun season for deer hunting begins on Saturday for the part of Suffolk that lies west of the “Dismal Swamp line.” ... the Box Elder Hunt Club ... First of all, a hunter must generally have a shotgun of his or her own. A hunter must also have a license... Deputies resign, hunting incident under investigation November 11, 2012 Virginia, Northern Virginia Daily ... it involved allegations of deer hunting in town limits. The town code requires sportsmen to receive specific permission from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries under a management plan adopted by the agency and the town for the hunting of deer... Elk reintroduction a success November 8, 2012 Virginia, Staunton News Leader ... In Virginia, elk were killed off, and disappeared in 1855. In the 20th century there were some efforts to restore herds, but that failed... this May, five bulls and 11 cows were reintroduced into Virginia after being rounded up in Kentucky and transported to Virginia ... Good and bad news for deer October 18, 2012 Virginia, The Daily Progress ... there is a bumper crop of acorns this year. The trees are loaded and acorns are dropping by the thousands. This is good news for deer, bear, turkeys and squirrels — should we happen to have a harsh winter... But the deer should put on weight and be able to withstand a hard winter if it comes. There are more acorns this year than I can ever recall. The bad news: There is really no bad news for the deer, but the heavy mast crop could mean slim pickings for deer hunters ... Annandale VA: DeerDeter system prevents deer-vehicle collisions October 18, 2012 Virginia, By Around Annandale ... in Fairfax County, a non-profit group called 21st Century Deer Management is teaming up with a private company to urge the county to adopt a humane, high-tech system to keep deer off the roads... The DeerDeter system consists of a series of small, solar-powered devices attached to poles along a road. They would be automatically activated when it starts to get dark, the time when deer are most active and are harder to see. Oncoming headlights would set off a strobe light and whistle that would distract a deer heading for the road until the car has passed... Tiny gnat is big trouble for white-tails October 17, 2012 Virginia, The Free Lance-Star (blog) An outbreak of hemorrhagic disease ... Matt Knox, deer project coordinator for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said calls about deer killed by HD have been common in Amherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Henry, Franklin and Patrick counties, with some individual properties reporting more than 30 dead deer. Wildlife biologist Mike Dye, who manages terrestrial species in and around Culpeper, said he has heard of impacted areas in Culpeper and Caroline counties. Virginia Motorists Warned to Watch Out for Deer October 3, 2012 Patch.com Lee Walker, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said deer are out hunting for food for the winter and potential mates.... Matt Knox, deer project coordinator for Game and Inland Fisheries, said deer account for about 50,000 car accidents a year in Virginia. He said as traditional wooded areas become developed, deer end up in residential areas that usually also carry a high volume of vehicle traffic. To thwart that problem, Knox said, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties have a seven-month hunting season ... Deer come in a variety of colors September 28, 2012 Virginia, The Daily Progress A friend recently sent me a picture of a black deer ... not just sort of black, but jet black except for the tail... Early in the 20th century, when whitetail deer had nearly vanished from our state, a stable population existed at Gathright in Bath and Allegheny counties. Many of those deer were very dark in coloration, so the blackness is likely in the blood of most every Virginia deer. Deer management banquet set September 28, 2012 Virginia, Chatham Star Tribune The Quality Deer Management Association of Pittsylvania County will hold its annual banquet Friday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. at Dry Fork Volunteer Fire Department. The association promotes sustainable, high quality white-tailed deer populations ... Williamsburg, Deer nuisance fix waits for winter September 25, 2012 Virginia, Virginia Gazette ... Last winter the city culled 116 deer during December and January, up from an average of 67 a year since the hunts began in 1993.... A spokesman for the College of William & Mary said no deer are culled from College Woods. Contrary to perception, the hunts in Williamsburg are not conducted with bows or deer rifles, since that risks an errant shot hitting people. Instead, the hunts are conducted from elevated tree stands with shotguns. Majestic animals return to Southwest Virginia - Elk September 23, 2012 TriCities.com ... The elk reintroduced in the state through a restoration project in Buchanan County caused a bit of a stir, as this is the first herd brought intentionally into Virginia since the last native elk was killed more than 100 years ago. Supporters wanted to bring them in to generate tourism money and provide hunters with bigger game. Those in opposition were concerned about the potential for destroyed farmland and damage. Deer face deadly disease September 21, 2012 Virginia, Martinsville Bulletin A disease [EHD] that is unusual in this part of the state has killed dozens of deer in this area... “I know of at least 50 deer reported dead on two properties” in this area,... according to Matt Knox, deer project coordinator for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF)... Knox said 2007 was the last year HD was found in this area. Hey, it's illegal to feed deer this time of year September 14, 2012 Virginia, WTVR ... it is illegal to feed deer after Sept. 1 in Virginia. Most hunters, and some non-hunters, began feeding deer over the past couple of decades... the law is designed to slow the increasing deer population. It also aims to curb the spread of disease and reduce deer-car collisions. Loudoun County, Managed Deer Hunts Set at Banshee Reeks September 10, 2012, Viriginia, Patch.com Personnel from PRCS and the Virginia Department of Game ... have determined that deer health is declining as a direct result of overpopulation... The October event is an archery-only hunt .. lottery registration fee costs $10/ticket for Loudoun residents and $15/ticket for non-residents... For more information about the managed hunt program, call 703-669-0316 or visitwww.loudoun.gov/prcs. Virginia deer-feeding ban begins Saturday August 31, 2012 GoDanRiver.com Virginia's annual deer feeding ban begins Saturday, which will be in effect through the first Saturday in January ... Deer hunting over bait is illegal in Virginia. Virginia’s deer herds could be described as overabundant ... Leesylvania, Deer hunt coming to Leesylvania State Park August 19, 2012 Virginia, Inside NoVA ... The shotgun hunt at Leesylvania is part of the state Department of Recreation and Conservation's efforts to manage the deer population at the 542-acre park off Neabsco Road... A $5 non refundable application fee must be submitted for each hunt... Input sought on plan to tackle deer disease in Shenandoah National Park August 15, 2012 Virginia, Staunton News Leader With the discovery of chronic wasting disease among deer less than 30 miles from Shenandoah National Park, the National Park Service has drafted a detection and assessment plan to guide park officials should the disease be detected within the park.... A draft of the plan can be found at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SHEN_CWD_Detection_Assessment. Comments can also be posted online at that web page ... The public has until Sept. 14 to offer comment on the plan... Deer caught in soccer goal, waits to be freed August 8, 2012 Virginia, WTVR A game warden with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries had to tranquilize a deer that had gotten tangled in a soccer goal. The deer was discovered caught in the net behind a building on Old Wagner Road ... Deer | George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens August 7, 2012 Virginia, MountVernon.org During the 1780s and 1790s, George Washington transformed the area just below the lawn overlooking the Potomac into a park for tame deer. ... Washington was very fond of the deer, admitting in a letter that he had given up his beloved pack of hounds because the deer were afraid of them... Reflecting on the 27 years of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association July 26, 2012 Virginia, Roanoke.com What about deer management. How has it changed? ... In 1988, the VDHA worked alongside the DGIF and put together a new plan that allows hunter and landowners to take an active role in Quality Deer Management (QDM) on their property. The program is called the Deer Management Assistance Program or DMAP. Today there are 850 DMAP cooperators managing over 1.4-millions acres statewide... Bedford City, Hunting with bow and arrow now allowed in Bedford City July 24, 2012 Virginia, Lynchburg News and Advance ... City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday allowing for such hunting but restricts the use of bows and arrows and crossbows in the city for any other reason. The ordinance passed on a 5-2 vote with Mayor Skip Tharp and Vice Mayor Bob Wandrei voting against it.... The city’s ordinance was modeled after Lynchburg’s, where urban archery for hunting is allowed ... Deer Impaled on Fence, Alexandria-Arlington Animal Watch July 18, 2012 Virginia, Washington Post ... Animal control officers responding to a report of a deer impaled on a fence found ... a parking enforcement officer trying to remove it from the fence. ... Two days later, a bleeding deer was seen in a resident’s garden but it ran away before an officer arrived... Web site is www.alexandriaanimals.org . Documenting Tinker Mountain wildlife one picture at a time June 26, 2012 Virginia, Roanoke Times Ben Shrader of Bedford County uses four Cuddeback wildlife cameras to capture the diversity of wildlife on Tinker Mountain up close and personal.... "If we didn't have a reason to get outdoors, we might just sit around and get fat," Shrader said.... Roughly once a month, the two men... head up the mountain ... to check the cameras. Shrader brings a laptop and a duffel bag. He downloads photos from the cameras into the laptop. [He uses Cuddleback trail cameras] What is the Real Killer of Deer in Virginia's Forests? June 20, 2012 Hunter Outlet ... The available number of deer for hunting has been decreasing steadily over the past decade.... Virginia biologists set out to explore the possibility by targeting fawns and their survival rate.... The biologists believe an aging forest and other predators[beside coyotes] could largely be deer killers. Quantico uses tracking devices to study coyote impact on deer June 18, 2012 Virginia, Inside NoVA ... In 2003, a record 1,200 deer were taken ... since 2005, it has held at around 600 to 650 ... As of last year, 54 fawns had been tracked ,,, seven [collars] came off ... Of those remaining, 64 percent had survived the summer. Nine died after being abandoned, most likely because their mothers couldn’t feed them. Five died of unknown causes, and only three were definitely eaten. Two of the 14 [this year] determined to be victims of predators.... “So far, anyway, we’re not showing predation that some studies, like in North Carolina and South Carolina, are showing,” [Tim Stamps head of Fish, Wildlife and Agronomy at Quantico] Elk release is the start of what wildlife officials hope will grow to a herd June 8, 2012 Virginia, TriCities.com ... In all, 16 adult elk – 11 cows and five bulls – were caught and quarantined in Kentucky, then brought in by trailer. They were kept for several days in an “acclimation pen” before being released into the wild, in a spot that overlooks much of what’s considered the elk restoration area: High Knob, Black Mountain, Pine Mountain and Big A.... While Wise and Dickenson counties opposed the release of elk ... Wild Elk Return To Southwest Virginia May 18, 2012 WCYB ... "Many of the sportsmen here, when they were young there were no deer, turkey or bear in this county," ... Allen Boynton ... Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Elk Restoration Project ... the first wild elk to be released as part of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Elk Restoration Project. County Launches Project To Combat Lyme Disease May 10, 2012 Virginia, Virginia Connection Newspapers ... the county set up 20 deer feeding stations ... that use corn to bait deer and treat the deer with a pesticide (10 percent permethrin) to kill ticks before they infect humans. ... called "4-Poster" deer treatment station, are part of a pilot study to control tick infestations on white-tailed deer ,,, It’s a program that Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) has been lobbying for since 2009 ,,, Fort Royal: Early try at shrinking deer population deemed a success May 8, 2012 Virginia, Northern Virginia Daily, By Joe Beck ... A one-month trial ended March 31 with 25 deer killed by archers with Suburban White Tail Management of Northern Virginia, Inc., a non-profit deer management and culling organization ... the deer population is in no danger of running out of food sources, but the high numbers constitute a nuisance to town residents "who don't want their flowers eaten" or the traffic hazards posed by wandering animals.... The Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist Office maintains a '4-Poster' treated  deer recording system and would like to be informed of any pink deer, or other wildlife, ... If you observe animals marked with pink dye, please call 703-246-6868 or contact Wildlife Biologist Staff by email. The information residents provide is very important for us to maintain a record of deer, and other wildlife, treated with the pesticide from a ‘4-Poster’ deer treatment station and to observe the movement of treated deer in the county during the pilot study.How To Submit A Pink Deer Sighting Report By Email
Keeping Deer Wild in Virginia April 30, 2012 Virginia, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries ... people find white-tailed deer beautiful and wish to rescue or keep them as pets. However, keeping wild deer is ... illegal ... it is illegal for individuals to hold or confine deer or other wild animals without a permit (Code of Virginia §29.1- 521, 4 VAC 15-30-40). The only facilities allowed to possess native or exotic deer in the state are permitted by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) for research, educational, or rehabilitation purposes ... ... Even Virginia Deer Plan Coordinator Matt Knox, who leads a team of wildlife biologists, doesn’t sugarcoat what he sees.“There is no good news on the national forest,” Knox said. “If there’s any good news, it’s possibly that it didn’t get any worse.” ... That data continues a falling trajectory on public lands west of the Blue Ridge that began in the early 1990s, according to VDGIF data. Fall 2009 and fall 2010 were the worst years of the trend—primarily due to a poor forage crop in 2009 and a hard winter in 2010. Fairfax County Feeding Deer to Control Ticks March 29, 2012 Virginia, Virginia Connection Newspapers ... a new method of controlling tick infestations, the Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist’s Office has deployed deer feeding stations in 20 locations across the county. These stations are used to attract deer, using corn as bait. When the deer come to feed, they rub up against rollers treated with a pesticide used to kill ticks. A non-toxic dye is added to the rollers that will leave a pink streak on the deer that come in contact with the stations. The pink dye fades in three to four days... Pink-striped animals? Don't be alarmed, it's for research March 26, 2012 Virginia, Washington Examiner The Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist's Office has deployed deer feeding stations as part of a study that looks at a new way to control tick infestations. When deer approach the stations to eat corn, they rub up against rollers that contain a pesticide as well as a non-toxic dye that will leave a pink streak, officials said... | Search for news and information by keyword above or find links to state news stories organized by topic.
Other useful links: - Virginia Wildlife Regulations - Virginia Wildlife Action Plan - Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's - Virginia Department of Environmental Quality - Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries - Deer Information Page, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' mission is: To manage Virginia's wildlife and inland fish to maintain optimum populations of all species to serve the needs of the Commonwealth; To provide opportunity for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish, boating and related outdoor recreation and to work diligently to safeguard the rights of the people to hunt, fish and harvest game as provided for in the Constitution of Virginia; ... Deer Management Objectives: Deer were plentiful and widespread when Jamestown was settled in 1607. By 1900, over-harvest of deer for food and hides had nearly extirpated the species. Since the 1930s, Virginia's deer population has rebounded as a result of protective game laws, restocking of deer into areas where they were absent, and land use changes. Since the early 1990s, deer management objectives have switched from restoring and increasing to controlling and stabilizing populations over much of the Commonwealth. |
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