Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Vienna council on deer overpopulation; police say county will lead management
Summary
Residents told council Jan. 27 that deer are overrunning yards and damaging property; the police chief said Fairfax County’s deer‑management program is leading the town’s response and an interjurisdictional MOU is being prepared.
Several Vienna residents told the Town Council on Jan. 27 that local deer populations are causing property damage, vehicle collisions and animal suffering and urged the town to consider adding or allowing archery programs. Speakers cited Fairfax County data and the county’s archery program as a successful model.
Maryam Dowska and other residents recommended archery as a humane and effective management tool, and multiple speakers said sharpshooting and bow hunting had helped control deer elsewhere in Fairfax County. Katherine Wiseman described a recent collision in which her car struck and fatally injured a deer and said she was unable to reach animal control in a timely manner.
Police Chief Jim Morris told council the town is coordinating with Fairfax County’s deer‑management program and that several practical constraints exist: some Vienna parks are too small to accommodate safe daytime bow hunting, county sharpshooting is not limited to the hunting season and the county would lead operational details. Morris said the town contracts for dead‑deer pickup and that roughly 40 deer per year are removed from roadways, though formal crash reports for deer strikes are rare because not all drivers request an accident report. He said staff are working on memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the county to clarify roles and options.
Council members said they want more information and asked staff to place a detailed deer‑management update on a forthcoming work session agenda to review options, rules about feeding wildlife, public education and potential code changes to discourage feeding.
What happens next: Staff will discuss options with Fairfax County, prepare necessary MOUs and return with a work‑session briefing with potential program designs and any required town‑code revisions.
