Arlington Co. considering hunting to control deer population, Animal Welfare League pushes back

ARLINGTON, Va. — There are too many deer in Arlington – that is the narrative the Animal Welfare League of Arlington says the county has been pushing for years. Now, the shelter is pushing back against a plan they say "advocates for the killing of deer in our backyards."

According to the Arlington County website, the Deer Management Project aims to decrease the amount of deer in the county because there is a lack of predators to keep deer levels from growing too quickly and upsetting the balance of nature. 

"White-tailed deer are native to Arlington, belong here, and are an essential part of the ecology," the website reads. "However, when there are too many deer, they can harm the environment by eating certain plants faster than they can grow back and will compete for food which can lead to malnourishment, disease, and increased mortality rates."

There is an opportunity for project feedback on the website, which includes management options the county is considering. Two of those options include professional sharpshooting and public archery hunting. However, there are two non-lethal options also under consideration: Surgical sterilization and fencing entire parks. 

"Currently, the most effective and fastest method for controlling overabundant deer is lethal removal," the survey reads. 

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is pushing back against the program, saying there are more non-lethal options that exist and can deter deer that also pose less danger to the general public. 

"Deer culls are expensive and they don’t work," the shelter said in a release. "Once started, a deer cull must be continued year-over-year. Neighboring jurisdictions have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and killed countless deer, and yet these programs have continued for decades with no end in sight." 

AWLA claims that given the density of Arlington and how close people live to county park lands, these deer will be hunted in people's backyards. 

"Deer not killed on a first shot will pose a danger to any person or animal in their vicinity, and even a mortally wounded deer can still live on adrenaline for many seconds and cover hundreds of yards," said Samuel Wolbert, President & CEO of AWLA. "It will not be uncommon for residents to find evidence of dead deer in their backyard."

Those who are interested in giving feedback on the project and the options the county is considering may participate in the County survey. AWLA has created an example survey response as well.