Spring is a great time to be in the woods and outdoor enthusiasts have an exciting opportunity to hunt gray and red squirrels statewide that started on June 6.
Unless otherwise posted, the following Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) Wildlife Management Areas are open for hunting:
Amelia, Big Survey, Big Woods, Briery Creek, Cavalier, Chickahominy, Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, Dick Cross, Doe Creek, Fairystone (including Fairystone State Park and Philpott Reservoir), Featherfin, Gathright, Goshen, Hardware River, Havens, Hidden Valley, Highland, Hog Island (Carlisle Tract only), Horsepen, James River, Lake Robertson, Land’s End (Salem Church tract only), Little North Mountain, Mattaponi, Mattaponi Bluffs, Merrimac Farm, Oakley Forest, Pettigrew, Phelps, Powhatan (including the Goochland Tract), Rapidan, Robert W. Duncan, Short Hills, Stewarts Creek, G. Richard Thompson, Turkeycock Mountain, and Ware Creek, and White Oak Mountain.
Fox squirrels also may be harvested on all lands, unless otherwise posted, in all counties with an open fox squirrel season during the regular squirrel season and on the following wildlife management areas: Big Survey, Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, Gathright, Goshen, Havens, Hidden Valley, Highland, Lake Robertson, Little North Mountain, Merrimac Farm, Phelps, Rapidan, Short Hills, Stewarts Creek, and G. Richard Thompson. Dogs may be used to hunt squirrels during the spring season.
National Forest Lands are closed during the June season.
Stalking squirrels in the fall is a very popular activity by hunters. With excellent populations throughout the state wildlife biologists determined that it also makes biological sense to hunt them in the spring, too.
“June is actually a month of peak squirrel populations, with many young squirrels born in late-winter are now out on their own. Virginia’s squirrel population is robust and hunting has no negative impact on populations,” said Marc Puckett, Statewide Quail and Small Game Project Leader.
Milder temperatures and longer daylight hours, combined with leaf filled trees and active squirrels, also make it a great time to improve your hunting skills. For more information on fishing, boating and other outdoor opportunities in Virginia visit dgif.virginia.gov.