Licensed hunters began hunting white-tailed deer at Lake Fairfax Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, opening Fairfax County's annual archery season. The program covers more than 100 properties countywide.

The season runs through Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027, though Lake Fairfax will close to archers early on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027. The Fairfax County Police Department will shift to nighttime sharpshooting operations at the park after archery ends there, FFXnow reported.

The program comes as deer-vehicle collisions in Fairfax County have climbed every year since 2021, rising from 75 crashes that year to 105 in 2025, according to an August county presentation on deer management. Four crashes have been fatal since 1993.

FCPD oversees the archery program in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority, NOVA Parks and other public landholders. The department said in a Sept. 9 press release that archery is the county's preferred method because it can be used safely near homes and parks.

The program has recorded zero safety incidents since it began.

What park visitors should know

Parks stay open during archery season. Fluorescent orange signs mark areas where hunting is authorized. Hunters shoot only from elevated tree stands, which must be at least 100 feet from property lines and 50 feet from trails. Hunting is allowed Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. No hunting occurs on Sundays in county parks.

All archers must hold a state hunting license, pass a marksmanship test, complete the International Bowhunter Education Program and clear a criminal background check.

Harvest data and disease testing

Archers killed 686 deer during the 2025–2026 season, up from 547 the year before. Archery accounted for 91% of total deer harvested through the county's program last season.

County staff collected Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) samples from 505 deer across 104 properties. One tested positive: a 2.5-year-old buck killed in the Vienna area of Difficult Run Stream Valley. CWD was first detected in Fairfax County in October 2022. The disease is fatal to deer but is not known to be dangerous to people.

Sharpshooting and venison donations

FCPD sharpshooting operations are planned at 13 locations between November 2026 and March 2027. The operations take place at night when parks are closed. Deer harvested through sharpshooting are processed into venison and donated to food banks through the nonprofit Hunters for the Hungry.

An interactive map of all 2026–2027 archery locations is available on the Fairfax County archery program website.