Section 90. Bag limit, bonus deer permits and special antlerless provision for youth hunters  


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  • A. The bag limit for deer east of the Blue Ridge Mountains (except on national forest lands in Amherst, Bedford, and Nelson counties) is two per day (except for the counties of, including the cities and towns within, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William where the daily bag limit is unlimited), six per license year, three of which must be antlerless.

    B. The bag limit for deer west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on national forest lands in Amherst, Bedford, and Nelson counties is one per day (except for private lands in the counties including the cities and towns within Clarke, Frederick, Roanoke, Shenandoah, and Warren where the daily bag limit is two per day), five per license year, three of which must be antlerless. Only one antlered buck taken in the county of Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Highland, Shenandoah, Rockbridge, or Rockingham per license year may have less than four antler points one inch or longer on one side of the antlers.

    C. Except as noted in subsection E below, antlerless deer may be taken only during designated either-sex deer hunting days during the special archery seasons, special muzzleloading seasons, and the general firearms season.

    D. Bonus deer permits shall be valid on private land in counties and cities where deer hunting is permitted (except Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise counties) during the special archery seasons, special muzzleloading seasons, and the general firearms season. Bonus deer permits shall be valid on public lands, including state parks, state forests, national wildlife refuges, military areas, etc., as authorized by the managing agency. Unless otherwise posted or authorized in writing for wildlife management areas by the department, or for national forest lands by the U.S. Forest Service, the use of bonus permits is prohibited on department-owned and national forest lands. Bonus deer permits shall be valid for antlerless deer only. Deer taken on bonus permits shall count against the daily bag limit but are in addition to the seasonal bag limit.

    E. Deer hunters 15 years of age and under, including those exempt from purchasing a hunting license, when in compliance with all applicable laws and license requirements, may take one antlerless deer per license year on days other than designated either-sex deer hunting days during the special muzzleloading seasons or the general firearms season in all counties that have at least one either-sex deer hunting day during the general firearms deer season.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR325-02-6 § 6, eff. July 1, 1991; amended, Volume 09, Issue 22, eff. August 26, 1993; Volume 10, Issue 23, eff. September 8, 1994; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 1995; Volume 13, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 1997; Volume 15, Issue 20, eff. July 7, 1999; Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2003; Volume 22, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2006; Volume 24, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 25, eff. August 1, 2009; Volume 27, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2011; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. August 15, 2013.

Statutory Authority

§§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.