Arlington's Sharpshooting Plan to Kill Deer is Moving Quickly
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| May 5, 2025 Arlington County Deer Kill Update |
Arlington's White-tailed Deer are in critical danger. The Arlington, Virginia Sharpshooting Program to control deer population is moving forward at a frightening pace.
On Monday May 5, 2025, the Arlington Natural Resources Joint Advisory Group held a public meeting at The Arlington Trades Center in South Arlington.
The Arlington Natural Resources Division is rushing to simultaneously procure sharpshooters this summer, release the March 17-21 Deer Drone Survey data, and create a public website to present their inhumane and ineffective plan to kill Arlington deer in January - February 2026 and beyond.
John Marlin, Deer Management Program Coordinator, Arlington Parks and Natural Resources Division Deputy Division Chief, presented the Arlington "Deer Management" Implementation Update.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY TO
THE DETAILS, TONE, AND NUANCES OF THE
LETHAL ARLINGTON DEER MANAGEMENT UPDATE.
My three minute personal statement to the Natural Resources Joint Advisory Group is at the very beginning of the meeting.
The 20 minute Kill Update begins at 1:20:00 and ends at 1:40:00 in the video recorded meeting.
In brief, the raw data from the March-17-21, 2025 Deer Drone Survey is being analyzed for public release as soon as possible. They will “package it and communicate it in a way that’s constructive and digestible.”
At the same time, The Arlington Natural Resources Division is creating a website to release the interconnected components of Arlington’s Lethal Deer Management Program.
Components of the Deer Killing Program include: methods and procedures for browse surveys, management thresholds, developing maps for service areas, and preparing to hire sharpshooters and outline killing operations.
The Arlington County Natural Resources Division's primary goal is to kill deer by sharpshooting. Minimal fencing and repellents for small areas to protect priority plant species will be used.
The Deer Kill Staff will write a formal management plan to guide operations in 2025 and beyond. They are working on specifics of deer meat donation (testing, processing, distribution) with both Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and food security staff.
John Marlin would not commit to a specific timeline for all these elements to be made public. However, it is recorded in the meeting video and reported in the April 2025 Old Glebe Civic Association Newsletter that the Deer Management Plan is "currently scheduled for a July 1st release."
In summer, July 2025, fencing to protect conservation areas and the minimal use of repellants is expected in Bon Air Park.
In Fall 2025, browse impact assessments will track and capture deer browsing specifically focusing on "woody plants."
In January and February 2026, sharpshooting deer is scheduled to commence.
They hired a firm to do a deer drone survey to pin down where deer are highest in density so that sharpshooters will have a primary focus.
According to the May 13, 2025 Parks and Recreation Commission Staff Report, they are waiting on random locations from their GIS (Geographic Information System) folks for the setup of deer browse surveys. Additionally they are working on the details of deer meat donation (testing, processing, distribution) with both Virginia DWR (Department of Wildlife Resources) and Food Security staff. Click here to read the Arlington Parks and Recreation Commission May 13, 2025 Staff Report online.
At the same meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission briefly mentioned the data plots to monitor "deer browse damage" at specific areas. Then, they will compare protected and unprotected areas to see if killing deer is successful.
It was said that Arlington County hired a firm to do a deer drone survey to pin down where deer are highest in density so that sharpshooters will have a primary focus. Click here to listen to the recorded video meeting on YouTube. The killing discussion is very brief and begins at approximately 1:25:00.
The Arlington Natural Resources Division's plans and protocols are modeled after The Rock Creek Park Lethal Deer Management Plan created in 2013 and the Fairfax County Lethal Deer Management Plan created in 1998.
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MY WRITTEN PUBLIC STATEMENT TO THE NRJAG ON MAY 5, 2025
Esteemed Members of the Natural Resources Joint Advisory Group,
My name is Jeannette. I’m a lifelong Arlington County resident.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak this evening.
While running errands today, I came across a sign I’d never seen before. It read: Silence is Violence.
It gave much meaning to the purpose of my presence tonight.
An enormous diversity of people oppose violence. We advocate for peace among people. Equally, we champion peaceful co-existence with animals, including Arlington’s deer.
What some humans proclaim as our splendid and well cared for local parks, many species including native deer call home.
Those of us lucky enough to live by a local park, like myself, welcome deer into our neighborhoods and yards. As drivers, we are alert to avoid deer-car collisions. As gardeners, we know how to effectively and humanely keep deer from eating our vegetables and plants.
It’s alarming to experience our progressive and educated community being divided by the cruelty of culling, in this instance, sharpshooting deer, as it is in cities around us and across the United States.
We are equipped with science-based resources and experts, innovative tools to make compassionate and educated decisions, to ultimately develop and implement a non-lethal deer management plan that will benefit all in Arlington, including our forest’s health.
We must learn from and establish rapport with American localities that have successfully and humanely managed deer populations, our local experts at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, distinguished veterinarians, revered behavioral ecologists and urban wildlife specialists like Dr. Allen Rutberg at Tufts University, and prominent organizations like Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. All of whom will gladly share their knowledge and expertise.
Culling deer is the beginning of a never-ending cycle of killing.
As we human animals are free to live and breathe. Deer in Arlington also deserve the freedom to live - safely - in their natural habitat.
Silence is violence. I speak for myself, I speak for many Arlington residents. And I speak for deer in Arlington.
Thank you for your valuable time.
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Click here to email The Arlington County Board and Department of Natural Resources.
1. Oppose sharpshooting deer. Urge the Arlington County Board and The Arlington Parks and Recreation Natural Resources Division to develop and implement successfully proven, science-based, humane, non-lethal strategies that respect deer and protect Arlington's entire ecosystem.
2. Urge the County Board to repeal their amendments to the Firearms Ordinance and the Miscellaneous Offenses and Provisions of the Arlington County Code to ensure the safety of residents from guns near homes located in close proximity to Arlington Parks.
Pressure Arlington officials to establish peaceful coexistence with deer in Arlington. Together, we can protect Arlington's deer, ensure the safety of residents from guns, and promote non-lethal strategies that benefit humans, deer, and our forests.
Please be polite and professional with your communication.
