Bear Hunting

General Information

To report a bear, a hunter must have a customer account through GoOutdoorsVA. It is free and easy to set up your account at www.gooutdoorsvirginia.com/. If you have any problems, please call 804-367-1000.

Bag Limits

One per license year, at least 100 pounds live weight or 75 pounds dressed weight (all internal organs removed). Females with cubs may not be harvested. Cubs may be 30–50 lbs by fall. Please observe and be patient before shooting as cubs often lag behind the female.

Unlawful to Feed or Bait Bears

See General Hunting Information for details.

Feeding or baiting prohibited year round and statewide. Do your part to keep bears wild, reduce human-bear conflicts, and slow the spread of mange. Bears with mange will have hair loss, dry and scaly skin, and sometimes look thin or starving.

Unlawful to Shoot Without Intent to Retrieve the Bear

No person shall kill or cripple and knowingly allow any game animal to be wasted without making a reasonable effort to retrieve the animal and retain it in their possession.

Unlawful to Cripple, Harm, or Dislodge and Continue to Hunt

It is unlawful to cripple, harm or dislodge a bear from a tree for the intent of continuing a hunt, chase, or for the purpose of training dogs.

Bear Harvest Reporting and Tooth Submission

Successful bear hunters must report their harvest through the internet at GoOutdoorsVirginia.com, via the Go Outdoors Virginia mobile app, or by telephone and also submit a bear tooth. See Bear Tooth Submission section below.

Look Up the Age of Your Harvested Bear Online!

The age of your harvested bear will be available online 9 to 10 months after the hunting season ends at www.virginiawildlife.gov/wildlife/bear/age.

Tracking Dogs

Allowed.

Archery Bear Season

Season Dates

See map.

Legal Methods and Restrictions

Special restrictions apply to archery tackle use during this season. See Legal Use of Firearms and Archery Tackle for more details.

• Archery tackle only, excluding slingbows.
• Persons with a disability that prevents them from drawing a bow or crossbow may hunt with an arrowgun during the special archery season provided they have in possession an authorization form provided by the Department that has been completed by their physician.
• Broadhead widths must be at least 7/8-inch wide or expand upon impact to 7/8-inch.
• It is unlawful to use explosive head arrows or arrows to which any drug, chemical, or toxic substance has been added.
• It is unlawful to use dogs, except that dogs may be used to track wounded or dead bears (see Hunting with Dogs) and dogs may be used by youth or apprentice bear hunters on the Saturday of Youth and Apprentice Bear Hunting Weekend.
• It shall be unlawful to use firearms to hunt any game species while hunting with archery equipment during the special archery seasons, except that hunters 15 years of age and under and apprentice hunters may use firearms to hunt for bear while hunting on youth and apprentice hunter bear hunting weekend and except that a muzzleloading gun may be used by a properly licensed muzzleloading gun hunter when and where the early special archery bear season overlaps the early special muzzleloading bear season.

Muzzleloader Bear Season

Season Dates

See map.

Legal Methods and Restrictions

Special restrictions apply to specific firearms use during this season. See Legal Use of Firearms and Archery Tackle, and Local Firearms Ordinances for more details.

• Muzzleloading guns that can be used during this season include:
  • Muzzleloading rifles (one or more barrels), .40 caliber or larger, firing a single projectile or sabot (with a .35 caliber or larger projectile) where the projectile is loaded from the muzzle;
  • Muzzleloading shotguns (one or more barrels) not larger than 10 gauge where the projectiles are loaded from the muzzle;
  • Muzzleloading pistols (one or more barrels) .45 caliber or larger, firing a single projectile or sabot (with a .35 caliber or larger projectile) per barrel where the propellant and projectile are loaded from the muzzle;
  • Muzzleloading revolvers .44 caliber or larger, firing a single projectile or sabot (with a .35 caliber or larger projectile) per cylinder where the propellant and projectile are loaded from the forward end of the cylinder. Muzzleloading revolvers sold as .44 caliber and designed to shoot a .45 caliber projectile are legal for use in the muzzleloading season.
• Flintlock, percussion, or electronic ignitions are permitted.
• It shall be unlawful to hunt bear with any firearm other than a muzzleloading gun during the special muzzleloading bear season.
• Smokeless powder is allowed in muzzleloading firearms designed for it. Never use smokeless powder of any type in any quantity in a muzzleloading firearm that is not specifically designed for it.
• Scopes are permitted.
• Pnuematic arrowguns are allowed.
• It is unlawful to use dogs, except that dogs may be used to track wounded or dead bear (see Hunting with Dogs).