GMMAT

I've been talking to some guys here about a business they've started up....and I'm likely going to become a part of. It's basically a business that gives businesses and municipalities an option when it comes to overpopulated areas (as far as deer and other animals are concerned). It allows hunters to hunt in lieu of "other" methods ...including depradation permits.

These guys began the business on paper.....then took it to several groups. There's a VERY STRICT membership policy (extensive background check/hunters' educ./bowhunters' educ./proficiency test).....but the reason I posted this....is it seems like something that could benefit everyone in every area of the country. Some of you may want to look into starting something like this. EVERY time I hear of depradation permits being issued or municipalities and companies hiring "shooters".....I've wondered why this doesn't occur.

It can also extend your seasons. The group I'm talking about is STILL hunting one of these permits.....and our season ended 12/16.

Just an FYI.

Charlie P

I honestly don't think I'd enjoy killing them at this time of year the fawns have to be getting devolped right now, gutting them could really suck.

GMMAT

Heck I've never enjoyed killing them, Charlie.....and I think your concern has merit. I wouldn't feel any better if they hired sharpshooters and dumped the entire carcass in the landfill, either.

It's a choice that the businesses and municipalities didn't have until now. NC also is considering allowing cities and municipalities to allow urban archery seasons. If that passes.....it'll also be after the standard archery season.....and it'll be subject to the same game laws (bag restrictions) as the normal season.

BOTH of these endeavors are good for NC Hunters AND the overall health of our herd.

Charlie P

Hey just stating my opinion.

GMMAT

Charlie.....I agreed with you. I've not had to deal with it, but I'v eseen photos of fetuses posted on here that were taken fromdoes harvested late.

Not pretty.....but it's REAL.

George Cowan

This is off of Virginia Game and Fisheries Hunting Regs on Urban Hunting

Urban Archery Season
September 16-October 6, 2006 and January 8-March 31, 2007 within the incorporated limits of the cities of Colonial Heights, Danville, Emporia, Franklin, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Radford, Richmond, and Winchester, and the towns of Altavista, Amherst, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Farmville, Independence, Rocky Mount, Tazewell, West Point and in Fairfax County. This season is open only in the localities just named.

This page is organized into the following sections below:

General restrictions for all participating localities,
Restrictions and other information specific to each participating locality,
Background information about the urban archery season.
General Information (for all localities)
Only antlerless deer may be taken.
Lists of properties available for hunting are not maintained by the Virginia Department of Game of Inland Fisheries or local governments. To find available properties, visit with or contact local landowners, hunters, or check stations. Hunters in Fairfax County may wish to contact Suburban Whitetail Management of Northern Virginia, Inc.
You must obtain permission to hunt from the landowner. You must also obtain permission to pursue or retrieve deer from neighboring landowners. 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.
License and tagging requirements for the urban archery season are the same as for the other archery seasons in Virginia. You must purchase an archery license to hunt during any special archery season. See "License Requirements".
NEW: Crossbows are defined by law as a type of bow and are therefore legal during urban archery season. However, to use a crossbow during any special archery season, you must also purchase a crossbow license. See "License Requirements".
The season bag limit for deer cannot be exceeded unless bonus deer permits are purchased. See "Bonus Deer Permits".
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). Antlered deer may be taken during these traditional seasons, provided that the locality of interest allows archery hunting then. Remember that only antlerless deer may be taken during the urban archery season.
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.
Deer must be checked by calling 1-866-GOT-GAME or at a big game check station.

Background Information
Human-deer conflicts are increasing in urban areas throughout the Commonwealth. Numerous cities, towns, and urbanized counties have requested assistance regarding damage caused by deer to vehicles and personal property. Residential, commercial, and industrial development has altered the landscape of Virginia. In many cases, more favorable habitat conditions for white-tailed deer populations have resulted, and deer populations have flourished. Additionally, many jurisdictions have enacted local ordinances to prohibit the discharge of firearms. This creates large tracts of land that act as refuges (sanctuaries) for unregulated growth of deer populations.

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. Archery deer hunting is an effective, quiet method for harvesting deer in urban settings. The concept is modeled after a successful urban archery season initiated several years ago in West Virginia. Additionally, urban archery seasons have been used as an effective deer management option for numerous years in several Midwestern states.

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. The urban archery season gives localities a means to reduce deer populations within their limits while at the same time providing hunting recreation. 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. Therefore, the season is only "open" in those towns, cities, and counties that requested to participate in writing.

Any locality participating in the urban archery season will remain in the program until it notifies the Department otherwise. 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. On the other hand, a locality that is not currently participating, but wishes to do so, shall submit by certified letter to the department prior to April 1 notice of its intent to participate in the urban archery season.

To make this season a success, urban archery deer hunters are asked to be extra careful with respect to safety, to respect the property rights of all landowners, and to report any questionable behavior or violations they may witness. 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. State law does not allow a hunter to follow a wounded animal on to another person's property without the landowners' permission.

We as an agency are very pleased with this season that provides a permissive proactive approach for urban deer management to local governments. Hunters or citizens who have questions or comments about the urban archery season are asked to call Nelson Lafon, Deer Project Coordinator, at [email protected] or (540) 248-9295.

atlasman

I have been offered the opportunity to be a part of these types of "crowd control" for years now through friends at my gun club and a large local processor. I never had much interest at all because I knew what it was gonna be like but one of the guys talked me into tagging along one day anyways..........after watching him shoot 8 deer that day from the ground I wished I had never went. It was borderline nauseating.

There are jobs that need to be done.........and one of them is controlling the deer populations in areas that have no pradators other then cars. I understand that completely, and I also understand that a valuable resource can be provided to hunger shelters at the same time. I am all for these measures..........however, there are reasons these kinds of "jobs" are left to police departments and "shooters"..........because that is what needs to be done......a bunch of deer need to be shot. When we try to blow smoke up people's butts and pass it off as hunting it hurts our image and embarrasses our great sport.

It's nothing more then killing a bunch of tame deer (many of which are carrying a fetus at this time) and that is a disturbing task. When most people look at that "job" they would shutter at the thought of having to do it........now enter a group that is not only volunteering to do it, but want to pass it off as hunting. This gives us all a black eye to the general public IMO. No matter how you spin it you are never gonna convince an intelligent adult that the deer that was staring at them yesterday on the 8th tee box needs to be "hunted". It just makes us look foolish.......and even worse it makes us look like the EXACT thing we do not want to be perceived as........guys who simply like to kill stuff. We preach non stop about how we all love the sport and challenge of the hunt. Jobs like these do not fall under that umbrella and everyone knows it. When a city or town gets over run with rats they don't plan rat hunts............and when the cops or a team of snipers are used to knock down the numbers somewhere they don't say they are hunting.

I have no desire to kill tame deer (possibly pregnant).........but I do realize that the job needs to be done. I have no problem with the deer being shot, I just wouldn't want to be the one doing it.

My last point is that whenever a bait and shoot or sniper event is needed.........no matter how bad it is needed there is ALWAYS extremely volitile opposition to such actions. Some of the town meetings I have been to were down right scarey. These people see the deer every day in their yards and around town and on the golf course and they enjoy that sight............no amount of common sense will sway their opinion because deer are so visually "cute" and the thought of putting a bullet or arrow through one is ghastly to many. So when the hammer finally falls and the deer get shot because they have to........those same people's opposition now turns to hatred and disgust. I don't want that aimed at bowhunters or hunters in general because those people don't soon forget.

It's a job that needs to be done but it should be done by a nameless, faceless group that has no dog in the fight. People who don't want these deer shot will be even more angry if they find out they are being shot by hunters.........I don't want that as part of our reputation.......and god forbid word or pictures get out about a bad shot. It's just not worth it. One deer running around town with an arrow sticking out of it can be disasterous.

JMHO

Austin/WI

Very well put, I see your point on this. I can and probably does make hunters look really bad in some areas. In my area, its not a problem because the majority of people hunt/did hunt/ are friends of hunters.

I guess I'm up in the air as to making this kind of deal an acutal biz. I think it depends on the type of area as to deciding how it will do in the community.

jmbuckhunter

There is a group of hunters like this in the St. Louis area. I thinkl they are called The St.Louis Bowhunters. It costs $300 to become a member and then they set you up with landowners who they have signed up. Some of these guys kill 60-70 deer a year. They donate a lot of the meat to the share the harvest program.

I know they are providing a needed service to many areas, but I don't think I would enjoy that as much as regular hunting. I hunt in an urban area around my house, but I don't have a deer parade go by me every day.

Nothing wrong with it , just not for me.

drhntr178

Jm, the one in st. louis is throught the Missouri bowhunters council. The hunters in the group are called urban bowhunter specialists. I have permission to hunt in wildwood and was going to join last year but ironically I was on an out of town bowhunt during the first class.