Hunting in Virginia: 9 Animals to Hunt in the Winter

While many people head indoors during the winter, hunters often embrace the colder months as a time to get outside and hunt many game animals. Hunting in Virginia offers a wide variety of animals to target during winter.

Here are nine animals open for winter hunting in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

1. Deer
Early muzzleloader season takes place from the beginning to the middle of November each year. During this season, hunters must wear blaze orange when present in the woods. Late archery season takes place from the end of November until early January each year. There are some restrictions on counties involved, which is subject to change. Hunters are encouraged to check for the most current data prior to making hunting plans.

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2. Skunks
There are no restrictions on hunting skunks on private property throughout the year. They are part of a continuously open season statewide, with the exception of limited seasons on national forest lands and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries lands.

3. Coyotes
Much like skunks, hunters take aim at coyotes year-round, except on national forest lands and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries lands. These areas have limited seasons in an effort not to interrupt other game seasons.

4. Crows
Crows may be taken from the middle of August to the middle of March on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. For hunters on national forest lands and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries lands, crows may be hunted on the same days, from the beginning of September until the middle of March. Crows are a federally regulated species and electronic calls may be used on both public and private lands.

5. Red Squirrels and Gray Squirrels
Red squirrel and gray squirrel season occurs from the beginning of September to the end of February statewide.

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6. Fox Squirrels
Fox squirrels may be hunted in limited counties from early September until late January.

7. Wild Turkeys
A limited amount of Virginia counties allow for a later than usual turkey hunt. The season normally lasts only two weeks, from the beginning to the middle of December.

8. Grouse
Grouse hunters can legally take the bird in areas west of Interstate 95 from late October until the middle of February. There is a limit of three grouse per hunter, per day, during the grouse season.

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