The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) recently posted two new proposed regulation amendments on its Regulatory Processes on the DWR’s website (https://dwr.virginia.gov/regulations). Both of the recently proposed amendments would affect Botetourt County.
4VAC15-90-89: The proposal is to add private lands in Augusta, Botetourt, and Page counties to the earn a buck regulation and establish a single requirement for all counties to earn a buck regarding the number of antlerless deer (one) that must have been taken before hunters can take their second antlered deer of the season.
Within a license year and within in each individual county listed in this subsection, a hunter must have taken at least one antlerless deer on private lands in that county before taking a second antlered deer on private lands in that county. In those counties listed in the subsection east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a hunter must have taken at least two antlerless deer on private lands in that county before taking a third antlered deer on private lands in that county.
The counties subject to the provisions of this subsection are Accomack, Albemarle, Amherst (west of Route 29), Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Floyd, Franklin, Frederick, Grayson, Greene, Hanover, Henrico, James City, Madison, Montgomery, Orange, Page, Prince George, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockingham (east of Routes 613 and 731), Shenandoah, Stafford, Warren, Wythe, and York.
Within a license year and within each individual county listed in this subsection, a hunter must have taken at least two one antlerless deer in that county before taking a second antlered deer in that county. A hunter must also have taken at least three two antlerless deer in that county before taking a third antlered deer in that county.
The counties subject to the provisions of this subsection are Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William (except on Department of Defense lands).
Within a license year and within any city or town, except the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, a hunter must have taken at least one antlerless deer in that city or town before taking a second antlered deer in that city or town. In those cities and towns east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a hunter must have taken at least two antlerless deer in that city or town before taking a third antlered deer in that city or town.
The Earn A Buck Program does not apply to the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.
Private land deer population indices for Augusta, Botetourt, and Page counties have exceeded population objectives in the department’s deer management plan despite having full-season, either-sex firearms regulations already in place. Adding the earn a buck requirement is the next step to increase the harvest of antlerless deer. In addition, establishing earn a buck in Page County will make it consistent with all the other counties in Disease Management Area 2 (DMA2).
The earn a buck requirement has resulted in increased antlerless harvest and reductions in deer populations in most areas where it has been in effect. However, there has been little to no measurable difference in deer harvest or population impacts in counties having the requirement that two antlerless deer (i.e., Arlington, Fairfax, James City, Loudoun, Prince William, and York) vs. one antlerless deer (i.e., 27 other counties) must have been taken before hunters can take their second antlered deer of the season. This proposal would simplify and standardize this provision of the earn a buck regulation, requiring hunters in any locality with earn a buck to harvest only one antlerless deer prior to harvesting a second antlered deer.
4VAC15-50-11: The proposal is to add two weeks of general firearms season in 35 counties in southern and eastern Virginia and remove the three-day early firearms season from 26 counties in northern and western Virginia, including Botetourt.
This proposal is designed to address both recent and longer-term black bear population trends to achieve objectives in the Black Bear Management Plan, which is under revision. Besides certain counties in southwestern Virginia, where the draft population objective is to slightly reduce bear populations, draft objectives for the rest of Virginia are to stabilize the bear population at 2020 levels. Increasing black bear populations in several southern and eastern management zones supports stepwise approaches to increase bear harvest in order to stabilize bear populations. In contrast, recent and ongoing bear population declines observed in several western and northern management zones necessitate reductions in harvest. Specific changes are recommended in both the general firearms seasons (Nov. and Dec.) and early three-day firearms seasons (Sept.).
~ Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources