Fall 2023 11 concerns. Deer that occupy these refugia during the regulated hunting season are free to disperse into and repopulate adjacent zones when the hunting season closes. It becomes harder to meet population goals when this population reservoir quickly counters efforts to reduce or stabilize the population of an area. The growing number of deer in these suburban residential neighborhoods where it is not safe to use traditional hunting present a serious challenge: How do you meet population goals where the most reliable and cost-effective method is not available? New and innovative alternative strategies, such as managed hunts on large acreage tracts, encouraged use of urban archery, and special tactical population reductions, provide options to address these growing populations, but they often require special authorization and are much more costly to implement than reliance on the tradition of using regulated hunting. Outlooks for Hunting Despite the litany of concerns expressed, for those with interest in hunting deer there is no shortage of opportunity to do so in many areas of the state. Deer populations remain strong and overall herd health is good. Although there may be local impediments in some regions, most hunters should be able to gain access to viable hunting lands. That said, unless current trends in both human demographics and landscape characteristics of our forests change for the better, hunting success as was experienced in the 1980s through the early 2000s very likely will not be seen again in some parts of the Commonwealth in the near future. Jim Parkhurst is Associate Professor of Wildlife Science and Extension Wildlife Specialist in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech. Table 1. Declining trend among Virginians claiming to participate in deer hunting. (FROM DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES 2015-2024 DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN) YEAR Virginia Population Licensed Deer Hunters % of Population 1995 6,618,358 289,838 4.4% 2000 7,079,030 267,067 3.8% 2005 7,540,027 253,399 3.4% 2010 8,001,024 231,037 2.9% 2013 8,260,405 225,574 2.7%
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