Bowhunting Equipment

Urban Archery Season


Additionally, many jurisdictions have enacted local ordinances to prohibit the discharge of firearms. Additionally, urban archery seasons have been used as an effective deer management option for numerous years in several Midwestern states. Agreement must be made between the participant and landowner in reference to field dress. Antlered deer may be taken during these traditional seasons, provided that the locality of interest allows archery hunting then. Any city, town, or county no longer participating in this season shall submit by certified letter to the department prior to April 1 notice of its intent not to participate in the special urban archery season. Any disabled hunter unable to hunt from such a platform must comply with all regulations established by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Any locality participating in the urban archery season will remain in the program until it notifies the Department otherwise. Archery deer hunting is an effective, quiet method for harvesting deer in urban settings. Archery equipment can only be discharged from temporary platforms elevated at least seven feet above the ground. Archery hunters wishing to assist must be specifically named on the kill permit. Because many urban archers may be hunting on small acreages and/or near dwellings during, they are reminded to be very careful with respect to trespassing and to notify adjacent landowners or tenants as a courtesy. Bucks that drop antlers prior to the conclusion of the urban archery season are considered "antlerless" and may be legally harvested and tagged with an antlerless-only deer tag. Carcasses should be double bagged and will be taken by the local landfills. Crossbows are defined by law as a type of bow and are therefore legal during urban archery season. Deer carcasses must be disposed of appropriately. Discharge of an arrow is permitted only in order to take a deer. Due to the small size of parcels and proximity of residences, you or the landowner should notify adjacent property owners or tenants, as a courtesy, before hunting. Except for target shooting, archery equipment can only be discharged from an elevated stand with a minimum height of 12 (twelve) feet.Hunters must dispose of deer carcasses appropriately. Except for target shooting, archery equipment can only be discharged from elevated stands. Except for target shooting, discharge of archery equipment is prohibited within 500 yards of a school or dwelling. However, to use a crossbow during any special archery season, you must also purchase a crossbow license. Hunters in Fairfax County may wish to contact Suburban Whitetail Management of Northern Virginia, Inc. Hunters must abide by all applicable sections of the Virginia State Code and Virginia Hunting Regulations (including bag limits and tagging/checking requirements).Please consult Blacksburg Town Code § 14-110.5 for complete details on Blacksburg's hunting ordinance. Hunters must abide by all other applicable sections of the Virginia State Code and Virginia Hunting Regulations (including bag limits and tagging/checking requirements).TazewellArchery deer hunting in Tazewell is restricted to the urban archery season. Hunters must carry written permission from individual property owners to hunt. Hunters must receive written permission from the property owner. In addition to the urban archery season, archery deer hunting is also allowed during the early archery season, the general firearms deer season, and the late archery season (i.e., from the first Saturday in October through the first Saturday in January). In many cases, more favorable habitat conditions for white-tailed deer populations have resulted, and deer populations have flourished. License and tagging requirements for the urban archery season are the same as for the other archery seasons in Virginia. Most localities participating in the urban archery season also allow archery hunting during other traditional deer seasons; i.e., early archery season, general firearms season, and late archery season (see below). No acreage minimums are required for issuance of kill permits. No person shall discharge a bow from, over or across any street, sidewalk, alley, roadway, or public land or public place within Town limits or toward any building or dwelling in such a manner that an arrow may strike it. No person shall discharge a bow within 100 yards of any dwelling, building, street, sidewalk, alley, roadway, public land or public place within Town limits. No person shall hunt deer in the city by use of dog or dogs. No person shall hunt deer within the City limits by use of a dog or dogs. No person shall hunt deer within the Town by use of dog or dogs. No pursuit of an injured or wounded deer shall be permitted upon the land of neighboring landowners unless the hunter has first obtained permission from that landowner. Numerous cities, towns, and urbanized counties have requested assistance regarding damage caused by deer to vehicles and personal property. Remember that only antlerless deer may be taken during the urban archery season. Residential, commercial, and industrial development has altered the landscape of Virginia. State law does not allow a hunter to follow a wounded animal on to another person's property without the landowners' permission. The concept is modeled after a successful urban archery season initiated several years ago in West Virginia. The hunter and the landowner(s) shall agree in reference to field dress. The landowner - not the hunter - must annually apply for the appropriate permit.Where property damage from deer is verifiable, a kill permit may be issued to the landowner if the Chief Animal Warden deems the property safe for the discharge of archery equipment or shotguns. The objective of the urban archery season is to reduce human/deer conflicts in urban areas by concentrating archery-hunting pressure in urban/suburban areas. The regulation that establishes this season is permissive, and the season was made available to every incorporated city and town in Virginia and to Fairfax and York counties. The season bag limit for deer cannot be exceeded unless bonus deer permits are purchased. The urban archery season gives localities a means to reduce deer populations within their limits while at the same time providing hunting recreation. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries established an urban archery season during 2002 to assist towns and cities across the Commonwealth with urban deer management issues. Therefore, the season is only "open" in those towns, cities, and counties that requested to participate in writing. This creates large tracts of land that act as refuges (sanctuaries) for unregulated growth of deer populations. This season does not authorize the use of firearms for hunting deer within the City.It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge arrows from a bow or crossbow in any street or public alley of the City. To find available properties, visit with or contact local landowners, hunters, or check stations. Urban Archery Season is restricted to hunting antlerless deer only. We as an agency are very pleased with this season that provides a permissive proactive approach for urban deer management to local governments. You must also obtain permission to pursue or retrieve deer from neighboring landowners. You must obtain permission to hunt from the landowner. You must purchase an archery license to hunt during any special archery season.