DWR Urges Eastern Shore Hunters to Prioritize Doe Harvest as Deer Numbers Rise

Virginia wildlife officials are urging hunters to place greater emphasis on harvesting does, warning that growing deer populations on private lands are increasing pressure on forests, farms, residential areas and highways.

In a recent article, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Deer Project Leader Justin Folks said recreational hunting remains the state’s most cost-effective method of controlling deer populations. However, declining hunter participation and an increasing number of properties where hunting is unavailable are making that job more difficult.

The message is particularly relevant on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where hunters reported harvesting 4,448 deer during the 2025-2026 season.

Accomack County’s harvest totaled 3,192 deer, including 1,764 does, 1,140 antlered bucks and 288 male fawns. Northampton County hunters reported taking 1,256 deer, including 619 does, 546 antlered bucks and 91 male fawns.

Does accounted for 55 percent of Accomack’s harvest and 49 percent of Northampton’s.

Folks said reducing deer density can limit crop and landscape damage, decrease deer-vehicle collisions and relieve browsing pressure on young trees, including oaks that provide acorns for deer and other wildlife.

A smaller herd can also leave more forage available for each animal. According to Folks, improved nutrition can help bucks recover from the breeding season and devote more resources to antler growth. Healthier does can also produce larger, stronger fawns.

A more balanced ratio of does to bucks may help shorten the breeding and fawning periods, reducing stress on bucks and making it more difficult for predators to take a large percentage of newborn fawns.

The department reported that Virginia hunters harvested 227,302 deer during the 2025-2026 seasons, an increase of approximately 10 percent from the previous year. DWR said 58 percent of the state’s deer-management units remain above their population objectives.

At the same time, participation is declining. DWR recorded 177,541 deer license holders during the most recent season, a 19 percent decrease over 10 years and a 34 percent decline over 25 years. Officials say fewer hunters could result in greater reliance on agricultural kill permits and other population-control measures.

The state’s 2026-2027 deer regulations reflect the emphasis on antlerless harvest. Accomack County remains subject to Earn-a-Buck requirements on private land. Before taking a second antlered deer in Accomack, a hunter must first take an antlerless deer in the county. A second antlerless deer is required before taking a third buck.

Northampton County is not included in the private-land Earn-a-Buck program. However, both Eastern Shore counties have a general private-land firearms season running from Nov. 14 through Jan. 2, with deer of either sex permitted throughout the season.

Folks also warned that high deer densities could accelerate the spread of chronic wasting disease. DWR reported earlier this summer that the fatal neurological disease has reached the Delmarva Peninsula, following detections in Sussex County, Delaware.

In his article on the importance of doe harvest, Folks asked private-land hunters in counties above their population objectives to harvest more does and recruit new hunters.

Without sufficient participation, he said, deer management could increasingly shift away from recreational hunting and toward kill permits, vehicle mortality and other less desirable methods.