When I recently published my post on Virginia's Sept. 26 Youth Deer Hunt, I mentioned that my home county of Loudoun and two other Northern Virginia jurisdictions had been excluded from the event. I assumed that was because we already have an archery season in progress at that time, but one reader suggested to me that perhaps it was because of anti-hunting sentiment in this part of the state.
I told the young deer slayer that I don't get much of an anti-hunting vibe from anyone around here, but I checked with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries anyway to find out for sure. According to DGIF media relations coordinator Julia Dixon, the early bow season was in fact the reason for the exclusion.
"Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William were excluded as they already have an early antlerless only archery season that overlaps with this date," Dixon wrote in an email.
As relieved as I was to find out it didn't have anything to do with a negative view of hunting among my NoVA neighbors, I still think it's a shame that Northern Virginia youth will not have the opportunity to participate in this hunt, which allows them to use not only archery tackle but also modern and muzzle loading firearms. Other states, including Arkansas, hold youth hunts during bow season; the only difference between those days and a normal archery hunting day is that bow hunters are required to wear blaze orange.
And if doing it that way was not an option, why not just suspend the archery hunt for one day? I mean, come on; adults in my county can hunt deer seven months out of the year. You mean to tell me we can't give up one day of that for the kids?
I hope that the youth deer hunt is a statewide success; that everyone is safe and that lots of kids get started on a lifetime of hunting. I also hope that the regulations are modified and the youth in my part of Virginia get to participate next year.

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