Summary

Description

Refuge hunting for the 1998 season included whitetailed deer and feral hogs only. The State of Virginias Department of Game Inland Fisheries VDGIF maintains a policy of permitting deer hunting on an established deer herd. The presence of the deer herd requires hunting of that herd, especially if the habitats supporting that herd are lowquality poor soils and limited forage. The Refuge supports this State policy. The current hunting areas at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge meet this policy standard. An established deer herd has been existing within very limited, substandard barrier island habitats. This herd has been open to hunting since 1986. The feral hog is also open to hunting. It is not a naturally occurring wildlife species here. Instead, it is often considered a pest that consumes valuable wildlife food, disrupts wildlife habitat and threatens the dike system slopes with erosion damage where they root.