Deer Hunting in Northern Virginia (Haymarket, Middleburg: houses, live in, average cost)

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Artsywoman

It is horrible to kill deer.

That's your opinion and it really has nothing to do with the OP's question.

[Nebat]

It's far out and though the town itself is suburbanizing, Culpeper county has tons of open land that I'm sure deer hunting would be doable. Might want to check out the farmers there to see if you could hunt their land. The mentality there probably is more attuned to it as well, so maybe less opposition. Just more old school country people there. At least for now.

[BillHoo]

For those who do not know about it. Northern Virginia has an Urban Archery deer hunting season with special restrictions.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/urban-archery/#general-information

If you want to join a group that gets landowner or city permission (parks and public land), you have to register and pass an archery proficiency test.

http://www.deerdamage.org/

Testing here
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/animals/wildlife/archery/archery-program.htm

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by BillHoo

For those who do not know about it. Northern Virginia has an Urban Archery deer hunting season with special restrictions.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/urban-archery/#general-information

If you want to join a group that gets landowner or city permission (parks and public land), you have to register and pass an archery proficiency test.

http://www.deerdamage.org/

Testing here
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/...ry-program.htm

I didn't know that. With the restrictions we have on the discharge of firearms in the county I thought the only option was to jump down from a tree on one and smother it. Anyone wishing to sit out on the back of my 1/2 acre and play Robin Hood would be more than welcome. We're being overrun and my hostas take a real beating.

[tigger37708]

Originally Posted by Artsywoman

It is horrible to kill deer.

because deer are cute, but cows are ugly so..........

[vermonter16]

I am a hunter as well. But - it isn't the deer that are dangerous to people - it is us who are dangerous to them. We built roads through their habitats FORCING them to cross roads for water and or food, etc. And then we are like 'there are too many deer'. What do we expect? Maybe there are way too many people....

And I LOVE venison. I would never hunt around here even with the starving population but I am GLAD that others do so to prevent more suffering among the population. The deer here are so tiny....they are more like big dogs than anything.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by vermonter16

The deer here are so tiny....they are more like big dogs than anything.

They look to be pretty average size white tail where I live. Perhaps you're used to seeing a different species?

[normie]

Originally Posted by vermonter16

I am a hunter as well. But - it isn't the deer that are dangerous to people - it is us who are dangerous to them. We built roads through their habitats FORCING them to cross roads for water and or food, etc.

Not exactly true. Actually, we are sustaining their lives (much more than we know). They thrive near people because they get very healthy from eating landscaping plants. Deer that eat garden plants are much more likely to produce lots of fawns.

Many people don't know that deer were almost extinct in northern Virginia before development arrived. This was not their habitat at all. But after developments started to be built, the deer herds multiplied rapidly.

The people at the Wildlife Federation say it's because deer are attracted to roads and land that is cleared for housing developments. They congregate near roads and tend to give birth next to roads because they confuse them for long stretches of meadowland (which deer like to run through).

[vermonter16]

Originally Posted by normie

Not exactly true. Actually, we are sustaining their lives (much more than we know). They thrive near people because they get very healthy from eating landscaping plants. Deer that eat garden plants are much more likely to produce lots of fawns.

Many people don't know that deer were almost extinct in northern Virginia before development arrived. This was not their habitat at all. But after developments started to be built, the deer herds multiplied rapidly.

The people at the Wildlife Federation say it's because deer are attracted to roads and land that is cleared for housing developments. They congregate near roads and tend to give birth next to roads because they confuse them for long stretches of meadowland (which deer like to run through).

This explains the history of the White Tailed Deer in Virginia.

Deer in Virginia

I am originally from Vermont....deer definitely do not congregate near roads because there is plenty of habitat for them so they don't have to congregate near 'fake meadowland'.

And yes, the White-Tailed Deer there are MUCH LARGER than the Whtie-Tailed Deer here. The deer here all look like they are starving...which they are....but folks still complain about them eating their plants. The situation is unfortunate. It's amazing how times have changed; people used to get upset about animals eating crops that we needed to survive on. Now they complain because their ornamental plants are being eaten. Yes, a pain in the butt maybe...but this is also the area we live in.

[hilsmom]

Interesting stuff - all I know is I was thinking "Wow, I have seen at LEAST 5 dead deer on the side of Fairfax County Parkway today" while doing my drive from Reston to Lorton. I'm not big into hunting or guns in general, but this is a dangerous situation for drivers AND the animals who are being hit.