DWR biologist says the state is looking at ways to thin the deer population March 27, 2025 Virginia, Daily News-Record
... With almost 1 million deer in the Commonwealth, according to DWR, and growing development across the state in areas like Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, interactions between deer and humans are becoming more and more common..,
White-tailed deer tests positive for Chronic Wasting Disease at Manassas National Battlefield Park March 24, 2025 Virginia, NPS.gov
... one deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) at Manassas National Battlefield Park. The animal was from the Prince William County, Virginia portion of the park. This is the first CWD-positive detection at Manassas National Battlefield Park..,
Arlington County to Launch Drone Deer Survey with Federal Approval March 10, 2025 Virginia, Hoodline
... The drones will use high-tech tools like thermal imaging, visual spectrum imagery, and GPS to collect data. Officials have assured the public that the low-resolution imagery used to verify deer populations will not capture detailed images of people...
Arlington deer-culling efforts come with $151K price tag in budget proposal March 10, 2025 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... Almost all the $151,000 funding was designated as one-time ... designed to allow for more analysis on the deer population and, starting at the end of 2025, to fund sharpshooters. Funding also will support fencing and deer-repellant efforts...
Deer culling efforts unlikely in Falls Church as leaders plan hunting ban February 5, 2024 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... Falls Church leaders plan to enact a comprehensive ban on hunting on public or private lands within the city’s 2.2 square miles... While complaints about hunting in the city have been minimal, the issue “creates potential liability and public-safety concern,” Rojas said...
Arlington leaders approve plan to use sharpshooters to reduce deer population November 18, 2024 Virginia, FOX 5 Washington DC on MSN
... Arlington County leaders voted unanimously to have these skilled shooters come in and remove the deer from public land... the next step is to roll out a deer management plan which includes a drone survey ...
Arlington Co. to hold final vote on whether to use sharpshooters to reduce deer population November 14, 2024 Virginia, WTOP
... board members will be voting on whether to amend the code “to exclude the discharge of firearms for county supervised deer management activities from the prohibition of firearms on county property.” ...
Fort Belvoir wildlife crossing touted as solution to animal-vehicle collisions November 4, 2024 Virginia, FFXnow
... Constructed in the 1990s and still one of the state’s few such installations, the 192-foot-long, 20-foot-high structure facilitates safe migration for species from deer and bears to snakes and turtles... “There’s something like 9,000 deer collisions in Virginia every year,” ..,
Virginia board votes to reject changes to hound hunting regulations October 25, 2024 WHRO
... The right to retrieve law lets deer and bear hunters go onto other people’s property to get their dogs, which hunters use to scare up game. The Supreme Court of Virginia recently upheld rulings pointing to right to retrieve as an exception to trespass criminal law...
Chronic wasting disease remains prevalent in local deer population October 17, 2024 Virginia, The Winchester Star
... Virginia’s first case of CWD was found in Frederick County in 2009... Last year, out of 72 positive cases of CWD found in Virginia, 41 were from Frederick County. In 2022, 24 of 47 positive cases came from Frederick County ... “About 25% of the deer that we test from Frederick County end up being positive,” ..,
'Right to retrieve' legal challenge dismissed as state considers new rules October 11, 2024 Virginia, Virginia Mercury
... state officials will soon consider changes to the measure that allows hunters to go onto private property to get their dogs. ... sued the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources in April 2022 in Henrico County Circuit Court over a challenge to the law, stating that it amounted to the government turning their private property into a public use, which is known as a “taking.” ...
Autumn brings deer mating season, additional dangers to roadways in Virginia October 8, 2024 Virginia, Augusta Free Press
... Last year, 42 percent of crashes involving deer in Virginia happened in October and November, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Of the 7,335 total crashes involving deer reported to law enforcement, 690 involved reported injuries...
Hunter Stripped of Hunting License, Sentenced to Prison for Facebook Pic of Deer He Shot October 6, 2024 Virginia, The Western Journal on MSN
... The animal was a local legend known as the Hollywood Buck... Walters was hit with 20 misdemeanors ... He was sentenced to 80 months in prison, but the judge suspended 76 of the months. He is also responsible for paying back $13,000 in fines and fees...
Chronic wasting disease gets further entrenched in Virginia September 23, 2024 Cardinal News
... CWD was first detected in Virginia in 2009, in Frederick County ... It has since been detected in 15 Virginia counties, including Floyd, Montgomery and Pulaski. Of the 71 positives found in the past year — out of nearly 8,000 tested samples — 54 were in northern Shenandoah Valley counties, including a high of 40 in Frederick County..,
Latest update on Arlington deer plan shows no major change September 18, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... A community survey conducted for the county government earlier in 2024 showed a sentiment that leaned toward use of non-lethal means for controlling the deer population. A second survey, released more recently, showed majority support for lethal methods...
Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program Begins Saturday September 4, 2024 Virginia, Fairfax County Police Department News
... The program was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2000 ... Last year, 703 deer were harvested ...
Virginia man who killed famed Hollywood Buck sentenced to jail, loses hunting license for 100 years August 16, 2024 KVIA
... pictures posted on a public Facebook group... People were telling him they believed the buck in the photo was a beloved deer that had roamed Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery for many years... DWR will be working with the outdoors community and our partners to determine the best way to memorialize this incredible animal...
Roanoke City leaders approve $40,000 to reduce deer population July 24, 2024 Virginia, WSLS 10
... “We’re really making an effort to implement more native plants. Plants that tend to be more deer resistant. So, it’s hard to go back and fix the plants that we’ve already planted but moving forward we’re really trying to be mindful about things that are more resistant, and that deer just don’t find as tasty,” ...
Two Fairfax County teens are trying to prevent deer-vehicle collisions July 15, 2024 Virginia, WTOP News
... The devices Karan and Jain are developing would recognize vehicles and deer through computer vision and then send out pulses and bio-sound to turn the deer away...The two have received a ... $15,000 grant from the Animal Welfare Institute ...
Animal-welfare group affirms opposition to culling deer July 2, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... Animal Welfare League of Arlington officials have a supporter in Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), who said sharpshooters would be problematic. “There are non-lethal methods of deer management ...
What to do about Arlington's deer issue June 27, 2024 Virginia, DC News Now
... “We recommend sharpshooting to reduce deer numbers and associated impacts on Arlington County lands. If sharpshooting is not feasible for some Arlington parks, we recommend surgical sterilization or a hybrid approach using a combination of methods to reduce deer populations,” the project consultant continued...
Arlington County staff recommend sharpshooting to cull deer, despite some criticism June 26, 2024 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... draft recommendations ...follow a new consultant report on potential deer management methods... Guidance to have sharpshooters fire down on deer from tree stands at night comes despite ongoing opposition from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington and other advocates of non-lethal population control methods, such as surgical sterilization...
Blasting away at Bambi could be on the horizon in Arlington June 19, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... A survey conducted of residents ... on the issue of using sharpshooters: 30 percent of the roughly 2,300 respondents said they were “very supportive” of the proposal, 13 percent supportive, 4 percent neutral, 7 percent unsupportive and 44 percent very unsupportive...
DWR opens public comment period over hunting hounds on May 22 May 18, 2024 Virginia, Yahoo
... a proposal to require hunters to use a GPS collar for any dog used in deer or bear hunting if the animal is not restrained... proposal would require a hunter to exercise ‘reasonable efforts’ to prevent their dog from entering a landowner’s property ...
To keep its coyote population in check, this county offers hunters cash prizes for kills May 1, 2024 Virginia, Cardinal News
... Coyotes are not native to Virginia... in the early 1980s, they were just starting to arrive ... studies have found that bobcats and bears are much more significant predators for deer, particularly fawns, than coyotes are... “Modeling suggests that you need to kill about 50% to 60% of the population every year over multiple years to really have an impact on coyote numbers,” ..,
Chronic Wasting Disease Detected for the First Time in Tazewell County April 18, 2024 Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
... confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in an adult male deer legally harvested in Tazewell County in November of 2023. This marks the first confirmed case of CWD in Tazewell County. The deer was brought to a taxidermist in December, and DWR obtained the sample shortly thereafter as part of the Department’s proactive statewide CWD surveillance efforts..,
Virginia wildlife officials propose regulations to help manage hunting dogs April 3, 2024 The Virginian-Pilot
... The Board wants to hear from the public about a proposal to require use of GPS dog collars for any dog used in deer or bear hunting, if the animal is not already restrained. These collars are estimated to cost between $250 to $350...
Williamsburg seeks to curb deer population March 19, 2024 Virginia, Daily Press
... City Council voted unanimously last week to ... take steps to enroll the city in the Department of Wildlife Resources’ Urban Archery hunting season... The deer population in Virginia hovers around 1 million, according to DWR estimates. This number is much higher than the population’s nadir in the 1930s, when experts estimate there were about 25,000 in the entire state..,
The Virginia Appalachian Deer Study: Conclusions to Understanding Population Trends of Whitetails in the Allegheny Mountains March 7, 2023 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
... the VADS crew observed a final 12-week fawn survival rate of 31 percent (0.310; 0.210-0.457). Similar to the previous update, black bears accounted for most fawn mortalities (n =18; 48 percent of all mortality), followed by bobcats (n = 5) and coyotes (n = 3)... Elevation was the most important predictor of fawn survival, with fawn mortality risk increasing as elevation increased..,
Man arrested for killing ‘Hollywood Buck’ facing 19 total charges for poaching, trespassing February 9, 2024 Virginia, WRIC on MSN
... killing Richmond’s beloved “Hollywood Buck” ... Trespass after forbidden, Killing a deer; exceeding bag limit, Trespassing to hunt, fish or trap, Hunting regulation: failure to report ...
Deer, Bear, and Turkey Harvest Numbers February 8, 2024 Virginia, WKRG.com
... Deer harvest numbers were up 12%. The DWR reports 206,586 deer were taken. That is a rebound from the year prior when numbers were down...
Four young elk were killed on a new highway. Virginia is trying to help the growing herd. February 8, 2024 Virginia, Cardinal News
... The elk herd in Southwest Virginia now numbers more than 250. The large animals often congregate around highways, where they find tasty plants to eat and salt to lick... yellow elk crossing signs ... will be installed..,
Suspect charged in killing of Hollywood Cemetery buck January 30, 2023 Virginia, Richmond
... charged with 19 separate wildlife violations ... several people who saw the Dec. 14 [Facebook] post recognized the animal as a frequent visitor of Hollywood Cemetery in the Oregon Hill neighborhood and reported the post to the DWR ...
Arlington, No consensus emerges on how to address deer population January 24, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... responses to the county-government poll ... Surgical sterilization (non-lethal): 32 percent very supportive, 31 percent supportive, 11 percent neutral, 9 percent unsupportive, 15 percent very unsupportive...
Blacksburg PD resumes targeted hunting to reduce deer-related crashes January 8, 2024 Virginia, WFXR
... Over the last 20 years, the Town of Blacksburg has conducted deer culling operations in an attempt to help reduce deer-related crashes ...
A rare deer became legendary in Richmond. Then poachers showed up December 27, 2023 Virginia, The Washington Post
... Facebook photos of a deer ... the images did resemble the famous deer ... the Hollywood buck, Prince, a legendary deer in Richmond’s urban wilds ... “We were able to determine that the deer was killed illegally, based on that recovered evidence ...” said Maj. Ryan Shuler of the Department of Wildlife Resources...
Famous Richmond deer allegedly killed by poacher: ‘Such a punch to the gut’ December 15, 2023 Richmond-Petersburg WWBT
... had a lot of fans in the river city, and now those fans were heartbroken... was killed by a poacher... has been around for at least 10 years. She described him as friendly and often allowed people to get close to him for pictures...
Deer populations in Virginia's cities and suburbs are increasing while the number of hunters declines December 11, 2023 Cardinal News
... Using in-depth population reconstruction, the department estimates that Virginia’s whitetail population currently stands at about a million animals... estimated population of 25,000 in 1931, a point at which deer had started recovery from being nearly completely wiped out due to over-exploitation that started soon after the arrival of European settlers 300 years earlier..,
‘Oh deer’; Virginia Department of Transportation receives $600K to identify roads with the most wildlife collisions December 6, 2023 Virginia, WRIC
... the funding will allow for the construction of wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, as well as increased fencing, improved tracking and mapping tools and more...
Survival, cause‐specific mortality, and population growth of white‐tailed deer in western Virginia - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2023
... . In the central Appalachian Mountains, deer are part of a largely forested ecosystem that supports 3 carnivore species thought to be capable of influencing white-tailed deer recruitment: black bears (Urus americanus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and bobcats (Lynx rufus). Yet little is known about predation, how other environmental factors influence recruitment, or the importance of neonate survival to white-tailed deer population performance in the region ... While predation, largely influenced by black bears, was the leading cause of neonate mortality and contributed to low neonate survival, we observed little evidence of population decline, and suggest there is opportunity for a modest increase in harvest of female deer...
For Love of Nature: Hunters needed to control deer population November 8, 2023 Virginia, The News & Advance
... Virginia may be home to as many as 1 million deer, a remarkable comeback after European settlers nearly wiped them out by the early 1900s. It’s hard to imagine that 4,264 deer had to be imported or translocated within the state between 1926 and 1992... [an interview with Matt Knox, a deer project coordinator with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources based in Bedford]
Virginia deer collisions top 6,100 in 2022 October October 11, 2023 Richmond Times-Dispatch
... Fall is deer-mating season, so the animals are more active and therefore, more likely to dart into the roadway ... over 6,100 such collisions last year in Virginia ...
Virginia 2023 Deer Season Forecast September 29, 2023 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries News
... 2022 gave us an above-average acorn crop across most of the state, making hunting a bit tougher but allowing deer to really pack on the fat for winter. It looks like it’s going to be a different story for 2023 for much of the state. Preliminary reports from our annual mast surveys indicate a pretty poor mast crop, especially for white oaks and chestnut oaks..,
Chronic Wasting Disease, Virginia Tech leads effort to stop disease threatening Virginia deer herds September 20, 2023 Virginia, WAVY-TV
... Because there is no cure or vaccine, containment is vital. Escobar says the key is figuring out the way the disease is spread geographically... “Virginia is just starting, we have infections in areas in the north of Virginia and on the border with West Virginia.” ... [see video below]
