Deer rifle season opens Nov. 14: Buchanan is bucks only

The short version: The general firearms deer season in Buchanan County runs Saturday, Nov. 14, through Saturday, Dec. 12 (Virginia DWR). Buchanan has no general either-sex firearms days. Deer must be antlered, except for DWR’s special youth-and-apprentice antlerless allowance explained below. Blaze orange or blaze pink is generally required for hunters and people accompanying them during firearms deer season, with specific exceptions (DWR general regulations).

The dates

DWR's 2026-27 rules list these deer seasons for Buchanan County (Virginia DWR):

• Early archery: Oct. 3 to Nov. 13, statewide.
• Early muzzleloader: Oct. 31 to Nov. 13. Buchanan's one either-sex day, on private land, was Nov. 7.
• Firearms, private land: Nov. 14 to Dec. 12. Antlered deer only.
• Late archery: Nov. 29 to Jan. 2.
• Late muzzleloader: Dec. 12 to Jan. 2, with Jan. 2 as the either-sex day in Buchanan.

The firearms dates apply to private land and to public land that allows hunting but isn't listed separately by DWR (Virginia DWR). During firearms deer season, hunters using bows or muzzleloaders must follow the firearms season’s either-sex restrictions (Virginia DWR).

Bucks only, and what counts

The Virginia Administrative Code says it plainly for Buchanan: antlered bucks only, no either-sex days, and only deer with antlers above the hairline (4VAC15-90-91). Button bucks count as antlerless. The bumps on their heads are not antlers (Virginia DWR).

There is one exception. Hunters 15 and under, and holders of an apprentice license, may take one antlerless deer per license year during the muzzleloader or firearms seasons on days that aren't either-sex days (Virginia DWR).

The general limit west of the Blue Ridge, including Buchanan, is two deer a day and five a license year, no more than two antlered. On National Forest and DWR-owned or DWR-managed lands west of the Blue Ridge, the daily limit is one deer. Check DWR’s site-specific rules and exceptions before hunting (Virginia DWR). Bonus deer permits are not valid in Buchanan, Dickenson or Wise counties (Virginia DWR).

Rules that trip people up

• Blaze color. During firearms deer season, hunters and people accompanying them generally must wear a solid blaze orange or blaze pink hat or upper-body clothing visible from 360 degrees, or display at least 100 square inches of solid blaze material at shoulder level within body reach and visible from 360 degrees. Hunters in enclosed ground blinds also must display at least 100 square inches visible from 360 degrees on or immediately above the blind, in addition to blaze worn personally. DWR lists exceptions, including certain waterfowl and dove hunters and archery hunters where firearms discharge is prohibited (DWR general regulations).
• No feeding deer, year round. Putting out food, minerals or salt that draws deer or elk is illegal all year in Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties (DWR general regulations).
• No dogs for deer. Dogs may not be used to hunt deer west of the Blue Ridge. Leashed tracking dogs may be used to find a wounded deer (Virginia DWR; DWR general regulations).
• No urine lures. Scents or lures containing natural deer urine are illegal in Virginia (Virginia DWR).
• Permission. Hunting private land takes the landowner's permission. On posted land it takes written permission (DWR general regulations).
• Sundays. Sunday hunting is allowed, but not within 200 yards of a house of worship or an accessory structure of one (DWR general regulations).

After the shot

Hunters required to have a tag must validate it where the deer is taken, before moving the animal, using eNotch in the free Go Outdoors Virginia app or by completely removing the proper notch on a paper tag. All hunters, including license-exempt hunters, must report the deer upon vehicle transport or at the end of legal hunting hours, whichever comes first, without unnecessary delay. Report through the app, GoOutdoorsVirginia.com or 866-468-4263. Paper-tag users must immediately record the eight-digit confirmation number in ink; hunters without a required paper license must create a personal check card (DWR tag and reporting rules).

Legal hunting hours are a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset (DWR general regulations). For anyone else out walking these weeks, a bright hat is a good idea too.

Sources

• Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons
• Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, General Information & Hunting Regulations
• Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Tag Validation and Harvest Reporting
• Virginia Administrative Code, 4VAC15-90-91