Virginia bear season 2026: dates and free maps
Season dates
Early firearms, southwestern counties: Monday, September 28 to Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Only in the southwestern counties marked on the agency map, and not on Clinch Mountain WMA.
Archery: Saturday, October 3 to Friday, November 13, 2026
October 17 to November 13 in the northern Blue Ridge county group.
Youth and apprentice weekend: Saturday, October 10 to Sunday, October 11, 2026
Muzzleloader: Saturday, November 7 to Friday, November 13, 2026
November 10 to 13 in the northern Blue Ridge county group; none in Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.
Firearms, central and western counties: Monday, November 23, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027
Other county groups: Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 21-Jan. 2 (northern Blue Ridge group), Nov. 30-Jan. 2 (eastern and southside), Oct. 1-Jan. 2 (Chesapeake, Suffolk, Virginia Beach), closed in Accomack and Northampton.
Checked on the agency's site November 6, 2026. Licenses, units, bag limits and shooting hours differ, and dates can vary by unit: the regulations are what count, so read them before you go.
Legal shooting hours for big game in Virginia, generally: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Bear country is big timber and steep ground, usually with no signal. Download the maps for your spot ahead of time and Cartahaven shows your GPS position on them offline, so you can stay on public ground, find your stand or bait site and get back out after dark.
Free public land maps in Virginia
Before you go
Cartahaven is not affiliated with or endorsed by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Season dates come from the agency pages linked above.