Large swaths of Fairfax County, Virginia allow bow hunting of deer in park spaces very close to where people live. One writer wonders if the benefits of "urban archery" are worth the risks.
Mike Grinnell reports on the legally sanctioned "urban archery" as a deterrent for the deer found in large numbers in the area.
"Called 'the most practical and cost-effective means' to control the deer population in a 2014 letter from Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources," writes Grinnell of urban archery, "it essentially means that bow hunting is allowed in many parts of Fairfax that are very close to where people live."
"More specifically, if park land is on an annually-published list of places, (about 19,125 of Fairfax County’s roughly 250,000 acres), bow hunting is allowed there between September and February, Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes prior to sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset," adds Grinnell.
After examining the legal grounds for bow hunting in populated areas, Grinnell goes on to examine data about hunting injuries before taking a stand on the side of choosing other options for controlling the deer population.
Read the full story: Bow hunting in a suburban neighborhood: Is it wise? Safe?
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