Replace Myth with Fact

Bowhunting is the safest, most effective and humane form of deer herd management.

Most people who live in suburban Virginia have never seen a bowhunter. Usually, when the subject of bowhunting is raised within the general public, the first images that come to mind are the traditional bows and arrows. However, today’s archery equipment is significantly more advanced and therefore more accurate and lethal. In the hands of our members, each one of whom is a highly skilled and experienced bowhunter, they are absolutely safe and effective management tools.

Treestand Hunting

While there are several methods for bowhunting, treestand hunting is the primary method used on SWM-managed properties.

Treestand hunting is performed from a perch at least 12 feet above the base of the tree. Typically, the combination of elevation, the tree’s canopy, and the hunter’s camouflaged clothing allow the bowhunter to evade the keen eyes of the deer.

When properly placed, the treestand’s location – usually within 10 to 20 yards of a known travel route – allows for a short, accurate shot. In addition, in order to consistently perform a quick, humane kill, SWM archers will only take shots inside of 20 yards. Finally, treestand hunting allows for a greater margin of safety with the ground serving as a natural backstop for all shots.

Affordable and Effective

Historically, gun hunting filled the major role of deer management for Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. However, today all that is changing. Many of Virginia’s suburban areas are now too densely populated with people and deer for gun hunting to be practical or safe. In these areas, bowhunting has taken on the lead role of deer management. Managed bowhunting is an affordable, proven effective tool for reducing the Whitetail Deer population in suburban Virginia.

Safety and Liability

Statistics prove bowhunting is an extremely safe sport. Surprisingly, the greatest risk a bowhunter faces is during his trip, to and from the hunt, by car! The risk to non-participants – children, pets or stray animals – is near zero.

Suburban Whitetail Management, Inc., carries all necessary insurance coverage. In addition, Virginia law states that as long as the property owner is not paying the hunter, the hunter assumes all risk and liability.

SWM Members – A Cut Above the Rest

Suburban Whitetail Management, Inc., is an all-volunteer, nonprofit corporation that trains and qualifies bowhunters specifically for suburban deer herd reduction. We verify and monitor every member’s qualifications, experience and shooting skills. Less than half of those who apply for membership meet our strict qualifications requirements. We individually train our members using a program that sensitizes them to the unique challenges of hunting within a suburban setting.

We will make every effort to operate in accordance with the desires of property owners on all issues including days and times of operation, parking locations and even possibly removing other problem animals. A SWM representative will periodically contact our property owners to ensure that they are happy with the way things are proceeding on their property. Our most successfully managed properties are those where the property owners and the SWM member work together.

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