U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir and the U.S. Army Installation Management Command have approved the regulations governing the 2013-14 hunting season on post.

All hunting activities on Fort Belvoir are authorized and controlled by the garrison commander in compliance with applicable Federal, Commonwealth of Virginia, Fairfax County and Fort Belvoir laws and regulations. Hunters are reminded that failure to strictly adhere to these rules may result in the revocation of hunting privileges on Fort Belvoir and/or criminal prosecution.

The current regulations focus on the approved dates during which hunting is allowed, the legal methods of hunting, the authorized game-harvesting areas, restrictions regarding hunters' proximity to buildings and public facilities, training and certification, personal hunting credentials and the special hunting requirements established by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

All hunters must register each year with the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and

Recreation Outdoor Recreation to hunt on Fort Belvoir. This process must be completed at least one calendar day prior to hunting on post and each hunter must provide ODR staff with a copy of current and proper Virginia State licenses and permits, proof of having attended a Hunter's Safety Course and an International Bowhunters Education Program safety course, as well as a completed application for a Belvoir Hunting Permit.

Additionally, all hunting reservations must be made through HunTrac, the telephone reservation system put in place in 2011.

"The HunTrac reservation system is a database system and every hunter gets a pass number after they complete registration," said Brianna Kipper, ODR manager. "Then they call the system and enter their number and the area they wish to hunt in and they can find out if it's available or not. Before, the system was all manual; we had employees with sheets that hunters had to sign in and out on. It wasn't fast or accurate and hunters could only sign in if we were open. Now they can sign up anytime; they can call at night or early in the morning to find out if an area is open and make a reservation right then."

No reservation will be taken in person or over the phone by an ODR staff member.

For HunTrac instructions see link in the On the Web box.

Hunters are reminded that archery tackle is the only legal means for hunting on Fort Belvoir and compound and recurve/longbows are the only bows authorized. Crossbows are only authorized for use by persons with a Medical Disability Waiver on file at ODR and youth 15 years of age and younger. Arrowhead widths must be at least 7/8-inch wide and bows must be capable of propelling a broad head arrow at least 125 yards. It is unlawful to use arrows to which any drug, chemical or toxic substance has been added or explosive-head arrows. The rules also state no archery tackle is allowed in the hunting areas except when in possession of a currently permitted hunter and that no firearms are allowed in the hunting areas under any circumstances.

The rules state that hunters must operate only in areas specified by the rules and regulations and designated as authorized on the hunting area map. The regulations also state certain areas are governed by a subset of special rules. Areas F-1, F-2, T-1, T-4, T-6B, T-7, T-8, T-9A, T-9, T-10, T-17, W-1, W-2, W-3, W-5, W-6 and W-7 are designated as Quality Deer Management areas with the following conditions and/or regulations: harvested bucks must have at least four points on a side or an outside antler spread of at least fifteen and one-half inches. Point length must be at least one inch. This antler restriction for QDM areas will not apply to hunters 15 years of age or younger.

Hunting in areas H-1, H-2, H-4, H-5 and H-6 is restricted to Monday-Friday from 30 minutes before sunrise to 3 p.m. These areas are closed to hunting whenever Fairfax County public schools are closed. Only elevated stand hunting is permitted.

The N-1 hunting area is governed by a specific rule: each hunter is required to harvest one antlerless deer prior to each antlered deer in this area. All harvests must be in compliance with the Virginia State Earn a Buck Program.

For the specific requirements and restrictions which apply to the hunting areas on Fort Belvoir, see the link in the On the Web box.

The Earn A Buck program is new to Fort Belvoir for the 2013-2014 year.

During a license year, it shall be unlawful to take a second antlered deer in Fairfax County prior to taking at least two antlerless deer in Fairfax County, and it shall be unlawful to take a third antlered deer in Fairfax County prior to taking at least three antlerless deer in Fairfax County. This program is in effect on Fort Belvoir during all seasons. Additionally, hunters must be aware of this change to harvesting multiple antlered deer on Fort Belvoir as Fort Belvoir is part of Fairfax County. Antlerless deer that are harvested on Fort Belvoir count toward your total for the County of Fairfax. The first deer killed may be an antlered buck or an antlerless deer (a doe or button buck). Bucks and does will no longer "carry over" from county to county under EAB. Deer killed in an EAB county will not affect the type of deer you can kill in non-EAB counties or in other EAB counties.

The regulations stress that there will be no hunting within 100 yards of any building, recreation site, airfield, work place or paved road including all property adjacent to Fort Belvoir. Hunters will park in designated parking areas only. Furthermore, hunters are responsible for demonstrating good sportsmanship by taking every precaution to avoid upsetting the sensibilities of the non-hunting public. While hunting, tracking wounded game, field dressing, transporting game, or at their residence on Fort Belvoir, hunters will avoid disruptive public contact whenever possible.

According to the rules, all hunters are also required to abide by applicable U.S. Army regulations relating to speed limits, consumption of alcoholic beverages, littering, trespassing and natural resources protection. Training areas are off limits to unauthorized personnel.

The Fort Belvoir Directorate of Public Works notes the conditions of the rules and regulations are subject to change at any time during the season and that changes will be posted on the hunter information board located at the Fort Belvoir Archery Center in Building 778.

The full hunting season regulations and associated reference maps are available online at www.

belvoirmwr.com/Facilities/ODR/hunting_archery.php in the Documents and Information section.

Additional information regarding hunting on Fort Belvoir is available from Brianna Kipper at (703) 805-1488 or brianna.m.kipper@us.army.mil., or by contacting Outdoor Recreation at (703) 805-3081.

• General hunting information: www.belvoirmwr.com/docs2013/ODR_FinalBowhuntingMemo_Aug29_2013.pdf

• Official Documents: www.belvoirmwr.com/Facilities/ODR/

hunting_archery.php#docsNinfo

• Hunting Restrictions: www.belvoirmwr.com/docs2013/ODR_Hunting Areas_SpecialRestrictions2013-2014.pdf

• HunTrac Instructions: www.belvoirmwr.com/docs2013/ODR_HunTrac Deer_2013.pdf

• Belvoir Bowhunters Official Website: http://belvoirbowhunters.com/