Here’s The Latest Information For Rockbridge Hunters
Fall hunting seasons are opening across Rockbridge County. Small game and furbearer seasons began in early September. Most big game seasons open in October and November.
The following summarizes official Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) regulations for fall 2025 to early 2026 hunting seasons. This applies only to Rockbridge County. For season opening dates and regulations in surrounding counties, visit the DWR website or app.
Big Game Seasons
Bear
Bear hound chase season runs Dec. 1–20, 2025 (excluding Sundays). Archery season: Oct. 18–Nov. 14; muzzleloader: Nov. 11–14; firearms: Nov. 28–30 and Dec. 22–Jan. 3. Bag limit: one bear per license year, at least 100 pounds. live or 75 pounds dressed. Females with cubs may not be taken; observe carefully before shooting. Feeding or baiting bears is illegal statewide. Hunters must make reasonable effort to retrieve harvested animals and may not harm, cripple, or dislodge bears to continue a chase.
Dog Use Restrictions: Tracking dogs are permitted, but dogs may not be used to hunt bears on Sundays within 200 yards of a place of worship; Nov. 24–30 (counties west of the Blue Ridge, including Rockbridge); during archery or muzzleloader bear seasons.
Black Bear Training/Chase Season: Aug. 1–Sept. 27 and Dec. 1–20. No bears may be taken. Legal hours: 4 a.m.–10 p.m. (Sundays allowed only August–September). Same licenses required as hunting season. It is unlawful to dislodge bears, chase from baited sites, or use firearms or other lethal weapons during training.
Archery Bear Season (Oct. 18–Nov. 14): Archery tackle only (no slingbows). Broadheads must be at least 7/8” wide or expand to that upon impact. Explosive or chemically treated arrows are illegal. Firearms may not be used while archery hunting except by youth/apprentice hunters on designated weekends. Hunters with disabilities may use authorized arrowguns. Dogs may only be used for tracking wounded bears or by youth/apprentice hunters on Youth Weekend.
Muzzleloader Bear Season (Nov. 11–14): Legal firearms include muzzleloading rifles (.40+ caliber), shotguns (≤10 gauge), pistols (.45+ caliber), and revolvers (.44+ caliber) firing a single projectile or sabot (.35+ caliber) loaded from the muzzle or cylinder front. Flintlock, percussion, and electronic ignitions are allowed; scopes and pneumatic arrowguns permitted. Smokeless powder allowed only in guns designed for it. No other firearms may be used. Dogs may only track wounded or dead bears.
Firearms Season (Nov. 28–30 and Dec. 22–Jan. 3): Bears may be hunted with lawful weapons within towns or cities that permit bear hunting between Oct. 4 and Jan. 3, 2026, but local ordinances apply. Check with local authorities for permission.
Successful bear hunters must report harvests via Go-OutdoorsVirginia.com, the Go Outdoors Virginia app, or by phone, and submit a bear tooth for aging. Harvest data will be posted 9–10 months later on DWR’s website. Hunters needing assistance may call (804) 367-1000.
Black Bears With Mange, Hunter Guidelines: Virginia hunters are urged to take extra precautions when encountering black bears that may have mange, a contagious skin disease caused by mites. Signs include hair loss, crusty or scabby skin, and unusual appearance, though field identification can be challenging. Hunters should avoid harvesting suspect bears, take photos, record locations, and report sightings to the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline ([email protected] or 1-855-571-9003) to help track the disease.
During bear training (chase) seasons, bears showing mange may not be killed. If a bear with mange is harvested during open season, hunters must tag and report it, but handling or removing the carcass is not required. Reports, including photos and location, should be sent to bearmange@ dwr.virginia.gov; phone reports are accepted at 1-855-571-9003. Replacement tags may be issued if mange is confirmed.
Hunters should limit handling, wear disposable gloves, use Permethrin-treated clothing, disinfect gear, and wash hands thoroughly. If moving a carcass, double-bag the pelt or return it to the site. Hunters with dogs should consult veterinarians if contact occurs. For personal exposure concerns, consult a healthcare provider.
For more information and DWR’s photo guide, visit dwr. virginia.gov.
Deer
Early archery runs Oct. 4–Nov. 14, followed by late archery Jan. 4–March 29 in Lexington, Nov. 30–Jan. 3 on national forest and department- owned lands, and Dec. 14–Jan. 3 in the rest of Rockbridge County.
Early muzzleloader season is Nov. 1–14, with either-sex deer allowed Nov. 8 on private lands only; all other days are antlered-only on private and public lands. Late muzzleloader runs Dec. 13–Jan. 3, with either-sex deer permitted Dec. 29–Jan. 3 on private lands.
Regular firearms season runs Nov. 15–Dec. 13 and is either-sex throughout. West of the Blue Ridge, hunters may take two deer per day and five per license year, with no more than two antlered and at least three antlerless, except in cities and towns where the daily limit is unlimited but only two antlered may be taken per year. One deer per day is allowed on national forest and department lands.
In Alleghany, Bath, Highland, and Rockbridge counties, if two bucks are taken in a license year, one must have at least four points an inch or longer on one side.
Bonus Deer Permits (valid one year) allow additional antlerless deer on private and authorized public lands during all seasons on eithersex days; they cannot exceed daily limits, are not valid on national forest or department lands. Either-sex (“buck”) tags may be used for any deer, while antlerless-only (“doe”) tags are limited to antlerless deer taken on either-sex days. Antlered deer must have visible antlers above the hairline, and antlerless deer include does, button bucks, and shedantlered bucks.
Turkey
Archery season runs Oct. 4– Nov. 14. Firearms seasons are Oct. 18–31, Nov. 26–27, Dec. 1–27, and Jan. 10–24. The bag limit is one per day and three per license year, with no more than two taken in the fall. Either sex may be harvested during archery and fall firearms seasons. All harvested wild turkeys must be reported through the DWR website, mobile app, or phone system.
During archery season, only archery tackle may be used; firearms and slingbows are prohibited. Hunters with disabilities may use an arrowgun with proper DWR authorization. Decoys and blinds are permitted. Broadheads must be at least 7/8 inch wide or expand to that size on impact. Dogs may only be used to track wounded or dead birds.
Small Game Season
Crow season runs Aug. 16, 2025–Mar. 20, 2026 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and Sept. 1, 2025–March 9, 2026, on national forest and departmentowned lands on the same weekdays. Crows are federally regulated migratory birds, but no HIP registration is required. Hunters may use unplugged shotguns, and electronic calls are allowed on private and public lands. Landowner permission is not required for electronic calls, except on posted property.
Goundhog season is open continuously on private lands and Sept. 1, 2025 - March 10, 2026, on national forest and department-owned lands.
Grouse season is open Oct. 25, 2025 - Feb. 14, 2026. The bag limit is three per day.
Quail season is closed on all public lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Pheasant season is open from Nov. 8 through Jan. 31, 2026. There is no pheasant bag limit.
Rabbit season is open Nov. 1, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2026. The bag limit is six per day.
Virginia DWR is monitoring rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2), a highly infectious virus affecting wild and domestic rabbits. First detected in North America in 2020, RHDV2 has not yet been found in eastern wild rabbits, but hunters should remain vigilant. Outbreaks typically involve three or more dead rabbits in a small area within seven days; rabbits often appear healthy, sometimes with bright red blood around the nose.
Hunters can help prevent spread by: reporting multiple dead rabbits to the nearest DWR office; properly disposing of harvested rabbits not kept for consumption via burial (≥2 feet), incineration, or double-bagged trash; fully dressing all out-of-state rabbits before importing; and wearing gloves while handling rabbits, avoiding contact with pets until after showering and changing clothes.
Squirrel seasons: Gray and red squirrel season is Sept. 6, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2026. Fox dquirrel season is Sept. 6, 2025 - Jan. 31, 2026. The bag limit is six per day - all squirrels combined.
Furbearers Seasons
Bobcat archery season runs Oct. 4–31, 2025, and firearms season Nov. 1, 2025–Feb. 28, 2026. The bag limit is two per hunting party between noon one day and noon the next. During archery season, only archery tackle may be used — firearms and dogs are prohibited. Hunters with disabilities may use an authorized arrowgun with DWR physician documentation. During firearms season, dogs may not be used to hunt bobcats during deer firearms season or within the George Washington/ Jefferson National Forest boundaries. Electronic check-in and city’s tagging requirements apply; full details are available at dwr.virginia. gov/ hunting/regulations/ furbearerhunting/#bobcat.
Coyote season is open continuously on private lands and Sept. 1, 2025 - March 10, 2026, on national forest and department-owned lands. There is currently no Rockbridge County code regarding coyote bounty laws.
Fox seasons: R ed f ox fi rearms season runs Nov. 1, 2025–Feb. 28, 2026; gray fox season runs Jan. 1–Feb. 29, 2026. The bag limit is one per hunting party between noon one day and noon the next. Dogs may not be used to hunt foxes during the deer firearms season on the Gathright, Goshen, Highland, and Little North Mountain Wildlife Management Areas or within the George Washington/ Jefferson National Forest boundaries. Additional details on chase-only season and licensing requirements are available at dwr.virginia. gov/ hunting/regulations/ furbearerhunting/#fox.
Opossum firearms season is Oct. 15, 2025 - March 10, 2026.
Raccoon firearms season runs Oct. 15, 2025–March 10, 2026, with a bag limit of two per hunting party (individual or organized) between noon one day and noon the next. Lights may be used while hunting, provided they are not attached to or cast from a vehicle. The chase season on department-controlled lands west of the Blue Ridge and on national forest lands where bear hound training is allowed ended Sept. 27. Full regulations on dog use, chaseonly season, and licensing are available at dwr.virginia. gov/ hunting/regulations/ furbearerhunting/#raccoon.
Striped Skunk season is open continuously on private lands and Sept. 1, 2025 - March 10, 2026, on national forest and department-owned lands. Continuous closed season for taking spotted skunks, and the pelts of spotted skunks may not be sold.
Electronic Calls may be used for bobcats, coyotes, crows, foxes, and raccoons only. On private lands, written landowner permission is required, except for crows. Calls may also be used on public lands where firearms are permitted, unless otherwise restricted. For licensing, regulations, concealed-carry exceptions, updates on legal methods for all seasons, visit dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/ regulations.
Buena Vista City Hunting and Firearms Ordinances In Buena Vista, it is illegal to trap, hunt, wound, shoot, or molest any bird or wild fowl, except for starlings, sparrows, pigeons, or similar nuisance species when the city council authorizes their destruction under police supervision. Hunting or killing any wild bird or fowl, setting traps that could harm people, pets, or fowl, or using body-gripping/ steel-jaw traps within city limits is prohibited. Violations are Class 3 misdemeanors.
Discharging firearms in city streets, public gathering places, or elsewhere in the city is a class I misdemeanor unless performed by law enforcement, for self-protection, or on parcels of nine acres or more in designated, approved, and supervised areas at least 250 feet from residences. Discharging air guns, bows, or similar instruments is prohibited except in approved areas on public lands (parks, schools) or private property of nine acres or more with city manager authorization, at least 250 feet from residential lots.
Final Note
Check the Department of Wildlife Resources website and app often before planning any hunt to double-check any necessary preparations regarding specific regulations. As always, be mindful and safe during all open hunting seasons.
