Virginia · Deer · 2026–27 Edition
Virginia Deer Season 2026–27: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Archery · Segment 1 | Participating cities, towns & counties (Chesterfield, Fairfax, James City, Prince William, Roanoke, Stafford, York plus 21 cities and 30 towns) | Sep 5 – Oct 2 |
| Antlerless-only firearms · Segment 1 | Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William + listed private lands (black diamond) | Sep 5 – Oct 2 |
| Antlerless-only firearms · Segment 1 | Bedford County private lands (yellow diamond) | Sep 5 – Oct 2 |
| Youth & Apprentice weekend | Statewide | Sep 26 – Sep 27 |
| Firearms | Chesapeake, Suffolk (east of the Dismal Swamp line) & Virginia Beach | Oct 1 – Nov 30 |
| Early archery | Statewide | Oct 3 – Nov 13 |
| Early muzzleloader | Statewide except Chesapeake, Suffolk & Virginia Beach | Oct 31 – Nov 13 |
| Firearms | Most eastern & central counties | Nov 14 – Jan 2 |
| Firearms | Southwestern counties | Nov 14 – Dec 12 |
| Late archery | Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Highland, Lee, Rockingham (west of Rtes. 613/731), Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Wise; National Forest & Department lands west of the Blue Ridge; C.F. Phelps WMA | Nov 29 – Jan 2 |
| Late archery | Chesapeake, Suffolk (east of the Dismal Swamp line) & Virginia Beach | Dec 1 – Jan 2 |
| Late muzzleloader | East and west of the Blue Ridge, in designated areas | Dec 12 – Jan 2 |
| Late archery | Henry & Patrick counties; west of the Blue Ridge (with county exceptions) | Dec 13 – Jan 2 |
| Antlerless-only firearms · Segment 2 | Bedford County private lands (yellow diamond) | Jan 3 – Jan 31 |
| Urban Archery · Segment 2 | Participating cities, towns & counties | Jan 3 – Mar 28 |
| Antlerless-only firearms · Segment 2 | Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William + listed private lands (black diamond) | Jan 3 – Mar 28 |
| Late archery — Northern Virginia | Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun & Prince William (except Department-owned lands) | Mar 29 – Apr 25 |
02 — Bag limits
| East of the Blue Ridge | 6 per license year (≤3 antlered, ≥3 antlerless); 2/day. Unlimited daily in some NoVA counties/cities. |
|---|---|
| West of the Blue Ridge | 5 per license year (≤2 antlered, ≥3 antlerless); 2/day. Antler-point rule in Alleghany/Bath/Highland/Rockbridge. |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 5, 2026) 06:19 — 20:07
Rule: One half-hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — DWR states this once for 'nonmigratory birds and game animals', which covers deer in every weapon season. The exception in that same rule is spring turkey, not deer.. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Virginia sun times for any other date.
04 — License
A Virginia hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
Virginia hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in Virginia — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before Virginia's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does deer season start in Virginia?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is September 5, 2026 — Urban Archery · Segment 1, limited to Participating cities, towns & counties (Chesterfield, Fairfax, James City, Prince William, Roanoke, Stafford, York plus 21 cities and 30 towns). Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in Virginia?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is April 25, 2027. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in Virginia?
Urban Archery · Segment 1 opens September 5, 2026 (Participating cities, towns & counties (Chesterfield, Fairfax, James City, Prince William, Roanoke, Stafford, York plus 21 cities and 30 towns)). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does rifle season start for deer in Virginia?
Antlerless-only firearms · Segment 1 opens September 5, 2026 (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William + listed private lands (black diamond)). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does muzzleloader season start for deer in Virginia?
Early muzzleloader opens October 31, 2026 (Statewide except Chesapeake, Suffolk & Virginia Beach). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
How many deer can you shoot in Virginia?
2026–27 bag limits: East of the Blue Ridge — 6 per license year (≤3 antlered, ≥3 antlerless); 2/day. Unlimited daily in some NoVA counties/cities. West of the Blue Ridge — 5 per license year (≤2 antlered, ≥3 antlerless); 2/day. Antler-point rule in Alleghany/Bath/Highland/Rockbridge. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in Virginia?
On opening day (September 5, 2026) legal light runs 06:19 to 20:07. The rule is: One half-hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — DWR states this once for 'nonmigratory birds and game animals', which covers deer in every weapon season. The exception in that same rule is spring turkey, not deer. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Virginia sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in Virginia without a license?
Virginia landowners — resident or nonresident — plus their spouse, children, grandchildren, and parents, may hunt, trap, and fish without a license anywhere within their own land's boundaries. That covers the base license, bear, deer/turkey, archery, muzzleloading, trapping, and the state waterfowl stamp. Tenants living on the land get the same right with the landlord's written consent; the federal Duck Stamp and HIP registration still apply.
Verified · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Virginia's deer seasons vary heavily by county, land type (private / National Forest / State Forest / WMA) and by designated either-sex days — always confirm the either-sex days and bag rules for your own county and land class in the DWR regulations. VIRGINIA RUNS LATER THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER STATE: deer hunting does not end with the January firearms close. Urban Archery resumes Jan. 3 and runs to Mar. 28, 2027, the black-diamond antlerless-only firearms season runs the same window, Bedford County's yellow-diamond private lands run Jan. 3-31, and the Northern Virginia late archery season then carries Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William through Apr. 25, 2027. The last legal day of the 2026-27 deer year is therefore in late April, not early January. There are four separate late-archery windows rather than one: Nov. 29 - Jan. 2 in the far-western counties and on National Forest/Department land west of the Blue Ridge, Dec. 1 - Jan. 2 in Chesapeake/Suffolk/Virginia Beach, and Dec. 13 - Jan. 2 in Henry and Patrick counties plus the rest of the area west of the Blue Ridge (Clarke and Floyd counties and several named private-land counties are excluded from that one). Chesapeake, Suffolk east of the Dismal Swamp line and Virginia Beach run their firearms season Oct. 1 - Nov. 30, months ahead of the rest of the state, and are excluded from the early muzzleloader season.