Virginia Hunting Season Dates
Recorded hunting windows for Virginia, including historical and unverified entries.
Recorded dates, not hunting permission
Status assessment: 2026-10-14 UTC (static build snapshot). Static activity badges and day counts use this build assessment, not a live check. Interactive finder results show their own UTC assessment day.
1 of 8 recorded windows have date-review evidence. Other rows remain unverified. Historical records are retained and are not a current-season promise.
Check your current agency regulations, GMU or zone, hunt code, license and access restrictions before hunting. An agency link or successful publication fetch does not verify a row. Reviewed base dates do not cover every license-specific exception.
Date evidence: Official date source. Review dates apply only to the stated row scope, not an entire state or current license eligibility.
Virginia Hunting Season Calendar
Find all hunting season dates for Virginia including deer, elk, turkey, and waterfowl. Filter by species and hunting method.
Coming Up in Virginia
Seasons opening in the next 60 days
Nov 14 - Dec 12, 2026
Opens in 31 days
Recorded Season Windows
All Virginia hunting seasons organized by species
Deer 6 seasons
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct 4 - Nov 14, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Early archery | |
| Archery | Dec 1, 2025 - Jan 4, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Late archery | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 14 - Dec 12, 2026 Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions Official date source | Bath private outside incorporated city/town limits ordinary non-exempt adult four-point-on-one-side antlered bolt-action centerfire still hunt | Upcoming | Actual current official online deer rules/current2026–27 quick guide printed16/PDF18: Bath private outside incorporated city/town limits Nov14–Dec12, not National Forest Nov14–28 or town-limit Nov14–Jan2 calendar. Only ordinary non-exempt adult antlered buck with at least four one-inch points on one side, valid unused either-sex tag/privileges, bolt-action centerfire still hunt/no dogs, not individual permission. Bath two-buck condition: if two bucks killed license-year at least one has four≥one-inch points on one side, not universal four-point first-buck minimum; selected subset satisfies it. West base two daily/five license-year/no more than two antlered, not east six/three or special antlerless/urban exceptions. Bath either-sexNov21/27/28 not antlered date cutoff; no youth/apprentice/antlerless/public/town/other-method/special permit/other-county coverage or later muzzleloader bridge. Actual weapons HTML .23 caliber or larger for rifle;350ft-lb pistol requirement not rifle minimum, air/muzzleloader rules separate. Sunday allowed only outside 200 yards of worship house/accessory structures and no dog-aided deer; sunrise/sunset±30minutes. Current hunting/deer privileges/tag/eligibility/bag/permission/orange/reporting/transport/CWD/local/rifle/ammunition/closures/amendments need checks. Seven histories/license metadata retained/unverified. Online rules official full text/most current;2026–27 simplified PDF dates/bags only, not complete regulation certification. Weapons/general/index/change explainer read manually, not monitored; no semantic parser/renewal. | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 15-29, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Firearms season | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 1-14, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Early muzzleloader | |
| Muzzleloader | Dec 6, 2025 - Jan 4, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Late muzzleloader | |
Turkey 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Apr 11 - May 16, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Spring season | |
Bear 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Oct 4, 2025 - Jan 4, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Varies by zone | |
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Virginia Hunting Regulations
License year, species, and agency information
- License Year
- Jul 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2026
- Available Species
-
- Bear
- Deer
- Turkey
- Hunting Methods
-
- Archery
- Rifle/Firearm
- Muzzleloader
- Any Legal Method
- Wildlife Agency
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
This information is for reference only. Always verify regulations with your state wildlife agency before hunting or fishing.
Important Note for Virginia
Only Bath private outside incorporated city/town limits ordinary non-exempt adult four≥one-inch-point-on-one-side antlered bolt-action centerfire still hunt Nov14–Dec12 reviewed, not National Forest Nov14–28/town Nov14–Jan2. Four points one-of-two-bucks condition, not universal first-buck minimum; west two-daily/five-license-year/two-antlered base, not east/urban/bonus rules. Rifle≥.23, pistol350ft-lb not rifle minimum. Sunday only outside200yards worship/accessories/no dog-aided deer; no antlerless/youth/public/special/later-muzzleloader/other hunts bridge. Current license/tag/bag/permission/orange/reporting/CWD/local/amendment checks needed; seven histories/license metadata unverified, not individual permission. Online full rules/current2026–27 simplified guide read, not PDF-only regulation certification.
Hunting Method Legend
Virginia Hunting FAQ
Common questions about hunting seasons in Virginia
What are the hunting season dates for Virginia?
Recorded Virginia entries cover Bear, Deer, Turkey. Dates include history and unverified records; the recorded license-year metadata is not current verification. Check row evidence and current agency regulations and your license.
When does deer season start in Virginia?
Recorded windows, not one continuous season: 2025-10-04 to 2025-11-14; 2025-12-01 to 2026-01-04; 2026-11-14 to 2026-12-12; 2025-11-15 to 2025-11-29; 2025-11-01 to 2025-11-14; 2025-12-06 to 2026-01-04. Historical and unverified records may be included. Check each row's evidence and your current GMU/hunt code and license before hunting.
Does Virginia require a draw for hunting?
Draw requirements depend on species, GMU or zone, hunt code and license type. Recorded date windows do not establish eligibility. Check the current Virginia agency rules and your actual license.
Which recorded windows include the assessment date 2026-10-14 UTC in Virginia?
The next recorded window is Deer starting Nov 14, 2026. Check its row evidence and current regulations; the record may be unverified.
What should I know about hunting in Virginia?
Only Bath private outside incorporated city/town limits ordinary non-exempt adult four≥one-inch-point-on-one-side antlered bolt-action centerfire still hunt Nov14–Dec12 reviewed, not National Forest Nov14–28/town Nov14–Jan2. Four points one-of-two-bucks condition, not universal first-buck minimum; west two-daily/five-license-year/two-antlered base, not east/urban/bonus rules. Rifle≥.23, pistol350ft-lb not rifle minimum. Sunday only outside200yards worship/accessories/no dog-aided deer; no antlerless/youth/public/special/later-muzzleloader/other hunts bridge. Current license/tag/bag/permission/orange/reporting/CWD/local/amendment checks needed; seven histories/license metadata unverified, not individual permission. Online full rules/current2026–27 simplified guide read, not PDF-only regulation certification.
Other States
Compare hunting seasons across states
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