Arlington leaders approve plan to use sharpshooters to reduce deer population

ARLNIGTON, Va. - Sharpshooters are on their way to northern Virginia to help with deer overpopulation.

Arlington County leaders voted unanimously to have these skilled shooters come in and remove the deer from public land.

The county board members voted 5-0 to allow professional sharpshooters to help them with the deer over population problem that they are experiencing in the area.

Now that the plan has been approved, the next step is to roll out a deer management plan which includes a drone survey and then the actual hiring of the sharpshooters.

The county has debated how to address the deer overpopulation for some time. They considered other management options like fertility control, fencing and repellants but sharp shooting is the fastest and most cost-effective.

RELATED: Professional sharpshooters could be the answer to deer overpopulation in Arlington County

Organizations like the Animal Welfare League of Arlington want leaders to still consider non-lethal options.

FOX 5 had a chance to speak with residents who live areas that are starting to see an overpopulation of deer.

"I don't know if we feel it but we have seen an increase over the years," said Lisa McGlone. She and her husband have been living in the area for over 20 years.

"We have five of six that hang out and it's not a problem. I like having them," Arlington resident Stephanie Connolly told FOX 5.

Some county leaders also add that too many deer also impact the environment and reduce the ability for forests to reproduce themselves.

The county plans to launch a public awareness campaign next year before professional sharpshooters put down a number of deer in the winter of 2026.