Virginia · Turkey · 2026–27 Edition
Virginia Turkey Season 2026–27: Fall & Spring Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Fall turkey
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archery Turkey | Statewide except areas closed to firearm turkey season | Oct 3 – Nov 13 |
| Youth & Apprentice Fall Weekend | Statewide in areas with a fall turkey season | Oct 10 – Oct 11 |
| Fall Firearms · Group A | Albemarle, Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Greene, Highland, Madison, Page, Rockingham | Oct 17 – Oct 30 |
| Fall Firearms · Group A (1 day) | Albemarle, Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Greene, Highland, Madison, Page, Rockingham | Nov 26 – Nov 26 |
| Fall Firearms · Groups B/C/D · Segment 1 | All other open counties (see agency for the full county lists) | Oct 17 – Oct 30 |
| Fall Firearms · Groups B/C/D · Segment 2 | All other open counties | Nov 25 – Nov 26 |
| Fall Firearms · Group B · Segment 3 | Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Caroline, Carroll, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Dickenson, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, King & Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Montgomery, Nelson, Northumberland, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Stafford, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe + Camp Peary, Hampton, Newport News | Nov 30 – Dec 26 |
| Fall Firearms · Group B · Segment 4 | Same as Group B Segment 3 | Jan 9 – Jan 23 |
| Fall Firearms · Group C · Segment 3 | Accomack, Amelia, Dinwiddie, Gloucester, Greensville, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Powhatan, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, York (except Camp Peary), City of Suffolk | Nov 30 – Dec 12 |
| Fall Firearms · Group D · Segment 3 | Amherst, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Goochland, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Orange, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Tazewell, Warren | Nov 30 – Dec 12 |
| Fall Firearms · Group D · Segment 4 | Same as Group D Segment 3 | Jan 9 – Jan 23 |
02 — Spring gobbler
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Youth & Apprentice Spring Weekend | Statewide | Apr 3 – Apr 4 |
| Spring Turkey · to noon | Statewide | Apr 10 – Apr 25 |
| Spring Turkey · all day | Statewide | Apr 26 – May 15 |
03 — Bag limits
| General | 1 per day, no more than 3 per license year, only one of which may be beardless (fall only) |
|---|---|
| Spring | 1 bearded bird per day, no more than 3 per year (how many depends on the fall harvest) |
| Youth & Apprentice weekends | 1 turkey per weekend (spring: bearded bird only) |
| Closed areas | No fall firearms turkey season in Arlington County or the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach |
04 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 3, 2026) 06:43 — 19:24
Rule: Fall: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Spring: to NOON only April 10-25, 2027, then to sunset April 26-May 15, 2027 (per VA DWR). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Virginia sun times for any other date.
05 — License
A Virginia hunting license and turkey permit are required. Spring and fall permits are often sold separately, and some states cap the number of gobblers per hunter per year across both seasons.
Virginia hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in Virginia — WMAs by county & access rules →
06 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before Virginia's opener usually means glassing from a distance and running a trail camera through late winter and early spring.
- 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.
07 — FAQ
When does turkey season start in Virginia?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is October 3, 2026. Fall and spring seasons run separately — see the tables above.
When does turkey season end in Virginia?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is May 15, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does spring turkey season start in Virginia?
Youth & Apprentice Spring Weekend opens April 3, 2027 (Statewide).
When does fall turkey season start in Virginia?
Archery Turkey opens October 3, 2026 (Statewide except areas closed to firearm turkey season).
How many turkeys can you shoot in Virginia?
2026–27 bag limits: General — 1 per day, no more than 3 per license year, only one of which may be beardless (fall only). Spring — 1 bearded bird per day, no more than 3 per year (how many depends on the fall harvest). Youth & Apprentice weekends — 1 turkey per weekend (spring: bearded bird only). Closed areas — No fall firearms turkey season in Arlington County or the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting turkey in Virginia?
On opening day (October 3, 2026) legal light runs 06:43 to 19:24. The rule is: Fall: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Spring: to NOON only April 10-25, 2027, then to sunset April 26-May 15, 2027 (per VA DWR). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Virginia sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey 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. Fall firearms turkey runs on FOUR different county schedules — the rows below name each group's counties. CLOSED entirely in Arlington County and the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. Spring hours change mid-season: to NOON only April 10-25, then to sunset April 26-May 15. Spring shotgun shot may not exceed No. 2 fine shot. Electronic calls unlawful in all turkey seasons; dogs allowed in fall firearms but not in archery or spring. RE-VERIFIED 2026-09-01, fetched directly from dwr.virginia.gov (no block). The archery season reads there as 'October 3 through November 13, statewide except in areas where there is a closed firearm season on turkey' — exactly the zone this file carries. The three bag rows are transcribed: 'One per day, no more than three per license year, only one of which may be beardless (fall only)' for archery and fall firearms, and 'One bearded bird, no more than three per year' for spring. Two points from the page that live in no data field: every turkey taken in fall or spring must be reported by phone, app or internet. And a hunter whose disability prevents drawing a bow or crossbow may hunt the special archery season with an arrowgun, provided they carry a department form completed by their physician — decoys and blinds are permitted.