Small Game Hunting Seasons

Legal Methods and Restrictions

Special restrictions apply to specific firearms use during this season. See Legal Use of Firearms and Archery Equipment and Local Firearms Ordinances for details.

  • Modern firearms
  • Archery tackle (including crossbows)
  • Muzzleloading firearms
  • Dogs may be used by regulation (see Hunting with Dogs)

Crow

Season:

August 15-March 20 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday only.

September 1-March 10 on National Forest Lands and Department Lands (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday only).

  • Crows are a federally regulated migratory species; however, no HIP number is required and hunters may use unplugged shotguns to hunt them.
  • Electronic calls may be used on private and public lands.

Groundhog

Season:

  • Continuous open season on private lands.
  • Groundhog hunting on National Forest Lands and Department Lands is permitted from September 1-March 10 and during the spring turkey season.
  • Groundhog hunting is permitted during the spring squirrel season only on Department lands that are open for spring squirrel hunting.
  • Groundhog hunting is not permitted on National Forest lands during the spring squirrel season.

Grouse

Bag Limit:

Three per day.

Season:

  • October 24-February 13 west of I-95
  • Continuous closed season east of I-95

Quail and Pheasant

Bag Limits:

  • Quail: six per day
  • Pheasant: no daily or seasonal bag limit

Season:

  • November 7-January 30

Rabbit

Bag Limit:

  • Six per day

Season:

  • October 31-February 27

Squirrel (Gray, Red, and Fox*)

* Fox squirrel open only in the counties west of the Blue Ridge and in the counties of Albemarle, Bedford, Culpeper, Fauquier, Franklin, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, Patrick, Prince William, and Rappahannock during any authorized squirrel season.

Bag Limit:

  • All squirrels combined - six per day.

Season:

  • September 5-January 30: statewide
  • Spring Season: June 5-19, 2010

Gray and red squirrels may be harvested on all private lands and on the following wildlife management areas: Amelia, Big Survey, Briery Creek, Cavalier, Chickahominy, Dick Cross, Fairystone (including Fairystone State Park and Philpott Reservoir), Featherfin, Goshen, Hardware River, Havens, Hog Island (Carlisle Tract only), Horsepen, James River, Little North Mountain, Merrimac Farm, Pettigrew, Phelps, Powhatan (including the Goochland Tract), Rapidan, Thompson, Turkeycock Mountain, and White Oak Mountain.

Fox squirrels may be harvested on all private lands in counties with an open fox squirrel season during the regular squirrel season and on the following wildlife management areas: Big Survey, Goshen, Havens, Little North Mountain, Merrimac Farm, Phelps, Rapidan, and Thompson.

Dogs may be used to hunt squirrels during the spring season.

Hunting Preserves

Pen-raised game birds may be taken on licensed hunting preserves from September 1 through April 30. A list of hunting preserves open to the public may be obtained from the Permits Section at the Department's Richmond office or on the Shooting Preserves page on this website. A resident hunting pen-raised game birds on a licensed hunting preserve is required to have a hunting license. A nonresident is required to have either a nonresident hunting license or a special nonresident hunting (shooting) preserve license which is valid only within the boundaries of licensed hunting preserves.

Also see the Virginia Wildlife magazine article "Upland Game Bird Trail" (PDF).