Big Deer Blog

On July 1, 2022, it will be legal to hunt on Sundays on public land In Virginia, per a bill signed this week by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In Virginia, a ban on Sunday hunting has been in place in one form or another since 1643, when it was passed by the House of Burgesses. Several years ago, state legislators passed a law allowing hunting on Sunday on private lands in Virginia, but not on public. Starting with the 2022-23 fall seasons, people can also hunt on state WMAs and national forests anywhere in the Commonwealth. “This legislation encourages Virginians to take full advantage of the many outdoor opportunities our great Commonwealth has to offer,” said Youngkin in a statement. “This legislation [...]

On this Earth Day I refer you to a passage written a few years ago by two of America’s top deer biologists, Drs. Larry Marchinton and Karl Miller: In the United States roughly 3 million white-tailed deer are harvested each year… This translates to about 150 million pounds of meat. Add to this the amount of elk, turkey, squirrel, rabbit and other game as well as wild fruits, nuts, and vegetables that is consumed. To produce this amount of beef, chicken, or vegetable crops in addition to that which is already produced would be ecologically devastating. Acres and acres of wild places would have to be destroyed to accommodate this increased agricultural production. More wildlife habitat would have to be [...]