Home Looking to hunt at Virginia State Parks? Requirements, registration details released
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Looking to hunt at Virginia State Parks? Requirements, registration details released

Crystal Graham
Hunter and son beside lake
(© Elvira – stock.adobe.com)

Virginia State Parks will offer managed deer hunts as part of its deer management program in September. To participate in the program, hunters must follow specific guidelines for each hunt.

Managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the parks offer a wide variety of hunting opportunities.

Terms and conditions address weapon types that can be used, the clothes worn by hunters and a required safety course.

Virginia State Parks hunting terms

  • Hunting and camping are permitted only in designated areas.
  • Virginia game laws apply in all designated hunting areas.
  • All state park hunts require proof of completion of a hunter safety course. This is beyond the requirements of state hunting regulations.
  • Hunters are required to wear a blaze color (blaze orange or blaze pink) hat and vest while hunting in any park. This is beyond the requirements of state hunting regulations.

All reservation hunts have a $15 reservation fee. Hunters must have an email and create an account in order to reserve a hunting date and location.

All hunts will have a go-live day in September and the sales begin at 9 a.m. All hunts have special regulations. Hunting opportunities range from open hunting in designated areas to managed deer hunts. Hunters can also reserve stands or zones on a first-come, first-served basis using the online system.

For more information about hunting opportunities and programs in Virginia State Parks, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/hunting.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.