Arlington’s deer culling operations began this month with sharpshooting in parks along the Potomac River and Four Mile Run corridors.
For security reasons, the county doesn’t announce the specific dates and times of the culls in advance. However, Jerry Solomon, spokesperson for the Department of Parks and Recreation, told ARLnow that they will continue through March at eight natural land parks:
- Potomac River Corridor
- Fort C.F. Smith
- Gulf Branch
- Pimmit Run
- Potomac Overlook (NOVA Parks)
- Four Mile Run Corridor
- Barcroft
- Glencarlyn
- Bon Air
- Upton Hill (NOVA Parks)
Park rangers and the Arlington County Police Department secure parks during the operations. ACPD also deploys an aerial drone team to monitor operations from above, Solomon said.
“Professional sharpshooting outcomes will be reported after operations are complete,” she said. “To learn about the program’s progress, community members are encouraged to sign up for updates on the County’s website so they receive information as it is shared.”
Operations take place at dusk and at night, after the parks have closed, according to a county FAQ. Some parks may close a few hours early as a sharpshooter gets set up.
Sharpshooters fire downward from tree stands at short range, using sound-suppressed rifles and non-lead-based ammunition. All the deer that are killed are tested for chronic wasting disease, and the meat from healthy deer is donated to Arlington food banks, according to the FAQ.
The program is intended to prevent deer overpopulation and protect the health of Arlington’s forests.
The county’s contract with Bridgewater, Va.-based Wildlife Resources, LLC requires all sharpshooters to have at least two years’ experience in similar operations “in sensitive urban/suburban environments.” Sharpshooters hunt both bucks and does, “but a strong emphasis should be placed on the killing of antlerless deer.”
