Virginia elk season 2026: dates and free maps

Season dates

Elk Management Zone hunt, by lottery: Saturday, October 10 to Friday, October 16, 2026
Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties.
Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

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.

Elk hunting covers a lot of ground, far from roads and cell service. Download the maps for your unit ahead of time and Cartahaven shows your GPS position on them offline, so you know which side of a boundary you are on and how to get back to camp.

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Free public land maps in Virginia

Virginia USGS topo maps (823)
Virginia historical topo maps (258)
Virginia Forest Service FSTopo maps (164)
Virginia wildlife refuge maps (18)
Virginia national park maps (16)
Virginia national forest maps (10)

All free 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.