Got Deer? Bath County Doesn’t

Hot Springs, VA – There’s been concern in recent years over the apparent decline in the deer population in Bath County and the surrounding area. Bath County Supervisor Bart Perdue has organized a meeting for Saturday evening in Hot Springs to discuss the problem and get suggestions on how to turn it around.

“Well there’s a lot of people concerned about the deer population in the county and the area,” says Perdue. “The snow a couple years ago took its toll. Coyotes are taking their toll, bears, lack of food. I mean there are so many reasons. Everybody has something they want to do about it, but we need to get organized and see what we can really do about it.”

In Highland County, the Quality Deer Management Association, or QDMA, has been meeting to address the issue there. And another group in Bath, all members of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association organized last summer to discuss the problem. Representatives from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries attended their initial meeting.

“I’ve been in contact with the Virginia Deer Hunters Association,” says Perdue. “I am a member of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association. No so much with QDMA or anything like that, but we’re going to see what we want to do and try to link in with these other groups and maybe have a regional approach to this.”

Perdue wants to meet and see what actions those concerned may want to take before approaching the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

“I’d like to see where everybody’s at and what they think and share with them what I think,” says Perdue. “Just mainly hear what everybody has to say and hear some of the horror stories about deer season. I’d love to see some Highland County people there. I’d really love to see some Alleghany County people there. Pocahontas people might be involved too and maybe Augusta. We’d like to see whoever there and I’m bound to hear anybody’s ideas at this point.”

The meeting for those concerned about the deer population is Saturday evening January 28th at 6 at the Hot Springs Fire Department. For more information contact Bart Perdue at 540-839-3371.