Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 06, 2012
Contact:
Virginia State Parks to hold special lottery deer hunts
(RICHMOND) - Virginia State Parks offer a variety of hunting opportunities, including several lottery and reservation only hunts, as well as open hunting throughout the season. The award-winning Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Hunters can reserve stands or zones on a first come first served basis at the following hunts:
A special youth archery hunt held at James River State Park in Buckingham County on Jan. 12, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 14;
Muzzle loading and archery hunts at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County, Nov. 5-10, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 28; Smith Mountain Lake State Park, in Bedford County, Nov. 5-6, and Nov. 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 13; and York River State Park, in James City County, Nov. 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 20;
Muzzle loading only hunts will be held at Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster County, Nov. 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 21; Caledon State Park, in King George County, Nov. 7-8 and Nov. 14-15, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 7; Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County, Nov. 5-6, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 6; James River State Park in Buckingham County, Nov. 5-7 and Nov. 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 14; Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania County, Nov. 14, with a reservation period beginning Sept.27;
A special youth muzzle loading hunt will be held at Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County on Nov. 3, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 6;
Muzzle loading and shotgun hunts will be held at Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry County Dec. 15, with a reservation period beginning Oct. 11; Claytor Lake State Park in Pulaski County Jan. 11-12, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 12; Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania County Nov. 27-28, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 27; Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County Dec. 3-5 and Dec. 13-15, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 28;
Shotgun hunts will be held at James River State Park, Dec. 3-4, and the reservation period begins Sept. 14; and at York River State Park, Dec. 3-4, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 20;
General firearms hunts will be held at Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster County on Dec. 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 21; at Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County on Nov. 19-20, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 6. A special Youth General Firearms hunt will be held at Shenandoah River State Park in Warren County on Nov. 19, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 5.
Hunters may reserve preferred days and stands or zones for an advanced fee of $15 a day by calling the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center, 800 933 7275. Reservations will be accepted until all slots for each hunt are taken, up to two days prior to the hunt, provided that the hunter can complete payment before the day of the hunt.
Applications are now being accepted for the following lottery hunts: Kiptopeke State Park in Northampton County will hold archery and muzzleloader hunts Nov. 3 and Nov. 16 and archery-muzzleloader-shotgun hunts Nov. 17, Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Jan. 4-5. The lottery deadline for the Kiptopeke hunts is Sept. 26;
Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County will hold a shotgun hunt Jan. 16, with a lottery application deadline of Nov. 2. A special weapons qualification is required for the Leesylvania hunt;
Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County will hold a youth muzzleloader hunt Dec. 15 and a muzzleloader hunt Dec. 17-18. The lottery deadline for both hunts is Oct. 26.
Each lottery requires a separate application. Call 1 800 933 PARK for an application or download one from www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/hunting.
Applications and a $5 application fee must be received by the designated deadlines. Selected hunters must pay an additional $10 hunting fee the day of the hunt.
Open hunting is offered in designated areas of five state parks: Fairy Stone in Patrick and Henry counties; Grayson Highlands in Grayson County; Hungry Mother in Smyth County; Occoneechee in Mecklenburg County; and Pocahontas in Chesterfield County.
All hunting laws and regulations apply in Virginia State Parks. Additional rules may apply in individual parks, and all lottery and reservation hunts have special regulations.
Several state parks are in or near state forests, national forests or wildlife management areas that allow hunting. State parks with overnight accommodations are convenient and economical base camps for hunting anywhere in the area. These parks offer maps and affordable camping or cabin accommodations only minutes from the field. Campsites are available through early December, and cabins are open all year.
For information concerning hunting licenses, regulations and hunter safety education, contact the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 804-367 1000 or www.dgif.virginia.gov.
For more information about hunting opportunities and programs in Virginia State Parks, hunt lottery applications or reservations, or camping or cabin reservations, call 800 933 7275. For more information on Virginia State Parks, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/.
Virginia State Parks that allow hunting:
Belle Isle, Lancaster County, 804-462 5030
Caledon, King George County, 540-663 3861
Chippokes Plantation, Surry County, 757-294 3728
Claytor Lake, Pulaski County, 540-643 2500
Douthat, Bath County, 540-862 8100
Fairy Stone, Patrick County, 276-930 2424
False Cape, Virginia Beach, 757-426 7128
Grayson Highlands, Grayson County, 276-579 7092
Hungry Mother, Smyth County, 276-781 7400
James River, Buckingham County, 434-933 4355
Kiptopeke, Northampton County, 757-331 2267
Lake Anna, Spotsylvania County, 540-854-5503
Leesylvania, Prince William County, 703-730-8205
Mason Neck, Fairfax County, 703-490 4979
Natural Tunnel, Scott County, 276-940-2674
Occoneechee, Mecklenburg County, 434-374 2210
Pocahontas, Chesterfield County, 804-796 4255
Shenandoah River, Warren County, 540-622 6840
Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford County, 540-297 6066
Staunton River, Halifax County, 434-572-4623
York River State James City County, 757-566 3036
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