Virginia.gov

What's New for 2011-2012

General Information

Hunting Licenses and Fees

  • License fees for hunting and trapping have increased (see Licenses and Fees).
  • Special resident and non-resident annual hunting licenses for partially disabled veterans: Veterans rated and certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having at least 70 percent service-connected disability shall pay half of the resident or nonresident hunting license fee.

Tracking Dogs

  • Recent legislation allows: Tracking dogs maintained and controlled on a lead may be used to find a wounded or dead bear or deer statewide during any archery, muzzleloader, or firearm bear or deer hunting season, or within 24 hours of the end of such season, provided that those who are involved in the retrieval effort have permission to hunt on or to access the land being searched and do not have any weapons in their possession.

Bear

  • The Special Muzzleloader Season for bears will be a uniform 1- week statewide season (see Bear Regulations).
  • The Firearms Bear Season dates have changed for many areas of the state (see Bear Regulations).

Deer

  • The Youth Deer Hunting Day exception has been removed making it statewide.
  • The Urban Archery Season has been expanded to include new areas.
  • The late muzzleloading deer season has been made full season either-sex in the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk (east of the Dismal Swamp line) and Virginia Beach.
  • Firearms either-sex deer hunting days have been reduced in Alleghany, Bath, and Highland counties.
  • Firearms either-sex deer hunting days have been increased in Amelia, Caroline, Cumberland, Goochland (west of Rt. 522), Halifax, Hanover, King George, Louisa, Nottoway, Prince George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties.
  • Beginning fall 2011-2012, all deer killed after the first Saturday in January must be checked by the telephone or Internet checking systems.
  • Language regarding transportation of processed deer carcass parts has been updated to allow deer hunters to possess unmarked parts of a deer carcass after it has been processed (cut-up) provided that they can provide sufficient verbal or written information which establishes legal possession.
  • The daily bag limit for deer in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties has been made unlimited. Hunters are still restricted to three antlered bucks in a license year.
  • The antler point restriction currently in place in Shenandoah County has been expanded to include Rockingham County.
  • Virginia's CWD carcass transportation regulations have been changed (see CWD Surveillance in Virginia).

Elk

  • Elk season is closed in the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise.
  • Successful hunters, upon checking an elk, must contact the Department's Dispatcher at 1-804-367-1258 to schedule the collection of biological samples for disease testing.

Turkey

  • Changes in the length of the fall turkey season in many counties. Most new seasons are longer, some are shorter (see Turkey Regulations).
  • Turkeys killed in the fall may be checked using the telephone or Internet.
  • Turkey hunting in January is provided in many counties for the first time. Turkeys killed in January must be checked using the telephone or Internet.

Furbearers

Raccoon Chase

  • Raccoon hunters west of the Blue Ridge Mountains can now chase raccoons year round on private lands.
  • Raccoon hunters can also chase raccoons during the bear hound training season on Department controlled lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on National Forest lands where bear hound training is permitted (see Bear Hound Training/Chase Season for details).

Otter

  • Trappers will no longer be required to submit the carcasses of otters trapped west of the Blue Ridge Mountains to an agent of the Department.

Trapping

Body-Gripping Traps

  • The maximum size of body-gripping traps permitted for use within box enclosures has been raised from 6 ½" to 7 ½".

Sale of Furbearer Parts

  • Restrictions on the sale of furbearer parts have been clarified to allow the sale of portions of furbearer carcasses to permitted fur buyers.

Public Hunting Lands

  • A Facility Use Permit has been established, effective January 1, 2012 (see Rules For Wildlife Management Areas).
  • The Dismal Swamp Tract is no longer included in Hunt #301 Cavalier WMA Hunts. The tract is now available for archery hunting only and without quota.