Campbell Co. considering allowing some gun use to control deer in certain residential areas

A delicate plan to allow using firearms to control the deer population in certain rural residential areas heads to public hearing Monday in Campbell County.

The proposal, which is part of the county’s semi-annual code updates, would permit homeowners associations that have permits from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to use firearms to help reduce the deer population in areas zoned residential.

Lots in the residential areas must be at least five acres in size and be managed by a homeowners association, County Administrator David Laurrell said.

“The homeowners association has to assume liability and they have to have a valid kill permit from DGIF,” he said. “It’s not like you can go in there and do general hunting or open shooting in your backyard.”

The proposal came from a request by the Runaway Bay subdivision at Leesville Lake, where residents are concerned that a burgeoning deer population has increased the number of deer ticks, Laurrell said.

Using firearms to shoot deer currently is allowed on land zoned agricultural, where lots are at least three acres. State and county law allow a process for homeowners associations to use bow hunting in a residential subdivision meeting certain criteria.

Laurrell said there already have been positive and negative comments regarding the proposal. “There might be some folks out there who think there might be a safety issue,” he said.

Code updates also will clarify the zoning code’s definition of sand and gravel extraction and allow it to be done on land zoned agricultural with a special use permit. That request came out of last year’s request by Boxley Materials Co. to permit a rock quarry in Evington, Laurrell said. By requiring a special use permit for sand, gravel and rock extraction, Laurrell said, it tightens restrictions.

“By clarifying it, it provides more oversight ability by the county.”

The public hearing will be Monday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in Rustburg’s Haberer Building.