Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation manages Virginia State Parks, which offer hunting opportunities each year to help control the park’s overall deer population.
Participating hunters are asked to support this effort by following harvest guidelines associated with each hunt.
All terms and conditions must be followed as safety is a key factor in hunting, especially at a Virginia State Park. Terms and conditions in certain cases go above the law requirements and address weapon types that can be used, the clothes worn by hunters and a required safety course. Find more information and hunt maps, visit the website: https://reservevaparks.com/Web/
Virginia State Parks hunting terms and conditions include:
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 state park. This is beyond the requirements of state hunting regulations.
All hunts have special terms and conditions so be sure to read all the information on the hunt chart page.
New for this year is a hunting opportunity at Machicomoco State Park in Gloucester County. Across select state parks, 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.
To make a reservation, visit https://reservevaparks.com/Web/ to participate. All reservation hunts have a $15 reservation fee. Hunters must have an email to create an account in order to reserve a hunting date and location. It is encouraged that you set up this account well in advance before the reservation period opens, as it can take some time for the information to process.
The reservation period begins at 9 a.m. and interested participants can view a grid (PDF) on the website for more details on hunt locations and dates. For more information, visit https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/vsp-huntchart-25-26.pdf on the website for more details on hunt locations and dates.
For those interested in applying for a hunting opportunity who do not have access to the internet, call 1-800-933-7275 and select option 5. Please be advised that customer service representatives may not have access to all the hunt details. Hunters are strongly encouraged to apply online for the best experience.
For more information about hunting opportunities and programs in Virginia State Parks, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/hunting.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
