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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 15. Department of Wildlife Resources
Chapter 50. Game: Bear
10/6/2025

4VAC15-50-71. Muzzleloading gun hunting.

A. It shall be lawful to hunt bears during the special muzzleloading season with muzzleloading guns from the Saturday prior to the second Monday in November through the Friday prior to the third Monday in November, both dates inclusive, except in the Cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach and in the localities listed in subsection B of this section.

B. It shall be lawful to hunt bear during the special muzzleloading season with muzzleloading guns from the Tuesday following the second Monday in November through the Friday prior to the third Monday in November, both dates inclusive, in the following counties, including the cities and towns within: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Buckingham, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Greene, Highland, Loudoun, Madison, Nelson, Page, Rappahannock, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren.

C. It shall be unlawful to hunt bear with dogs during any special season for hunting with muzzleloading guns, except that tracking dogs as defined in § 29.1-516.1 of the Code of Virginia may be used.

D. Muzzleloading guns, for the purpose of this section, include:

1. 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;

2. Muzzleloading shotguns (one or more barrels) not larger than 10 gauge where the projectiles are loaded from the muzzle;

3. Muzzleloading pistols (one or more barrels).44 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; and

4. Muzzleloading revolvers.45 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.

E. It shall be unlawful to hunt bear with any firearm other than a muzzleloading gun during the special muzzleloading bear season.

F. Changes made to the 2025-2026 seasons in this section shall be in effect only through the 2026-2027 bear hunting season.

Statutory Authority

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

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2003; amended, Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2006; Volume 24, Issue 24, eff. July 8, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 25, eff. August 1, 2009; Volume 27, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2011; Volume 27, Issue 25, eff. August 1, 2011; Volume 30, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2014; Volume 33, Issue 23, eff. August 1, 2017; Volume 35, Issue 23, eff. August 1, 2019; Volume 37, Issue 22, eff. July 1, 2021; Volume 41, Issue 26, eff. September 1, 2025.

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