Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge hosts an annual white-tailed deer hunt to manage the deer population on the site. Hunts are generally scheduled for November and December. Occoquan Bay operates a lottery based hunt, participants must view an online orientation video that defines the rules of the hunt, as well as the management objectives, before purchasing a hunt permit. All hunters are required to have a state hunting license and each must show proficiency with firearms by qualifying at a firing range. The hunt qualifies through the Virginia’s Deer Management Assistance Program.
Hunt Dates: Thursday November 21 & December 5, 2024
Scout Date: Sunday November 17 2024, 9am-2pm
The Lottery for the 2024 hunt will open July 26, 2024.
Lottery, orientation, and permit sales administered on https://potomacriverrefugehunts.recaccess.com/#
The 2024 Northern Virginia Managed Hunt Shotgun Qualification Card and Standards: https://recaccess.blob.core.windows.net/ae29e4fa-bb3f-4035-9540-63d7c9ceeecd/FirearmQualificationStandards2024.pdf