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Small Game Hunting Regulations and Seasons

General Information

Legal Methods and Restrictions

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

  • Modern firearms.
  • Arrowguns are allowed.
  • Archery tackle.
  • Muzzleloading firearms.
  • Dogs may be used.

Crow

Season Dates

August 19 through March 15: on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

September 1 through March 9: on National Forest Lands and Department lands on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only.

  • Crows are a federally regulated migratory species; however, no HIP registration is required and hunters may use unplugged shotguns to hunt them.
  • Electronic calls may be used on private and public lands. Written permission of the landowner is not required to hunt crows with electronic calls, except when hunting on posted property.

Groundhog

Season Dates

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 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

Season Dates

October 28 through February 10: west of I-95.
Continuous closed season: east of I-95.

Bag Limit

Three per day.

Quail & Pheasant

Season Dates

November 11 through January 31

Quail is closed on all public lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Bag Limits

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

Rabbit

Important Regulation Additions, see “Attention Rabbit Hunters”

Season Dates

November 4 through February 29

Bag Limit

Six per day.

Attention Rabbit Hunters

DWR is closely monitoring the status of a highly infectious virus of rabbits, known as rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2). RHDV2 is not a human health concern. The virus causes significant mortality in wild and domestic rabbits and was detected for the first time in North American wild rabbits in the southwestern United States in 2020. While RHDV2 has not been detected in Virginia, spread across the U.S. is anticipated. RHDV2 outbreaks typically involve at least three dead rabbits of any age in a small, localized area, over a period of less than seven days. Most infected rabbits are in good body condition with no obvious wounds at the time of death. Bright red blood may be observed around the nose. Actions that can help minimize the introduction into or spread of RHDV2 within Virginia include:

  • Reporting multiple dead rabbits fitting the description above to the nearest DWR regional office.
  • IMPORTANT! Per regulation, properly disposing of all portions of rabbits harvested in Virginia not saved for human consumption via burial (at least two feet), incineration, or double-bagging and placing in trash for transport to a landfill
  • IMPORTANT! Per regulation, fully dressing (skin, feet, head, and internal organs removed) all rabbits harvested out-of-state before importing into Virginia (rabbits harvested on out-of-state properties that span the Commonwealth’s boundary will not be considered imported and should be handled as described for rabbits harvested in Virginia)
  • Wearing gloves when dressing rabbits and avoiding contact with pet rabbits before showering and changing clothes after handling wild rabbits

Squirrel (Gray, Red, Fox)

Bag Limit

All squirrels combined—six per day.

Fall Seasons

Gray and Red Squirrels: September 2 through February 29, Statewide.

Fox Squirrels: September 2 through January 31 in the following designated areas only: Counties west of the Blue Ridge and in the counties of Albemarle, Bedford, Culpeper, Fauquier, Franklin, Greene, Henry, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, Patrick, Prince William, and Rappahannock.

Spring Season

June 1 through 15, 2024: Closed on National Forest lands.

During the Spring Season: Gray and red squirrels may be harvested statewide, unless otherwise posted, and on the following WMAs: Amelia, Big Survey, Big Woods, Briery Creek, Cavalier, Chickahominy, Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, Dick Cross, Doe Creek, Fairystone (including Fairystone State Park and Philpott Reservoir), Featherfin, Gathright, Goshen, Hardware River, Havens, Hidden Valley, Highland, Hog Island (Carlisle Tract only), Horsepen, James River, Lake Robertson, Lands End (Salem Church tract only), Little North Mountain, Mattaponi, Mattaponi Bluffs, Merrimac Farm, Oakley Forest, Pettigrew, Phelps, Powhatan (including the Goochland Tract), Rapidan, Short Hills, Stewarts Creek, G. Richard Thompson, Robert W. Duncan, Turkeycock Mountain, Ware Creek, and White Oak Mountain.

Fox squirrels may be harvested on all lands, unless otherwise posted, in all counties with an open fall fox squirrel season and on the following WMAs: Big Survey, Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, Gathright, Goshen, Havens, Hidden Valley, Highland, Lake Robertson, Little North Mountain, Merrimac Farm, C. F. Phelps, Rapidan, Short Hills, Stewarts Creek, G. Richard Thompson, and Turkeycock Mountain

Hunting Preserves

Pen-raised game birds may be taken on licensed hunting preserves from September 1 through April 30, including Sundays. A list of hunting preserves open to the public may be obtained at the Department’s Henrico office or online. A resident hunting 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.