Can You Bait Deer in Virginia?
Regulations verified against state wildlife agencies & statute · always confirm current rules locally
No — hunting deer over bait is illegal everywhere in Virginia, and as of the 2026-27 season feeding deer is also banned statewide from September 1 through the first Saturday in January, and year-round in more than 40 counties near a CWD detection. Virginia is one of the strictest states in whitetail country on this question, and the two rules work together: the baiting ban (Code of Virginia § 29.1-521) never lifts, and the feeding ban (4VAC15-40-285) covers the entire hunting season.
Rules change with disease findings, so treat this as a snapshot of the 2026-27 season. Before you put anything out, confirm the current feeding window and the year-round-ban county list with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) at dwr.virginia.gov.
Can You Bait Deer in Virginia?
No. Under Code of Virginia § 29.1-521 it is unlawful to put out bait or salt for any wild bird or wild animal for the purpose of taking or killing it, and that applies on private and public land alike.
An area counts as baited for 10 days after the bait is completely removed, so a corn pile pulled the morning of a hunt still makes that stand illegal. There is no bait license, no private-land exception, and no county where the baiting ban lifts.
When Is Feeding Deer Legal in Virginia?
Outside the season. Under 4VAC15-40-285 it is illegal to feed deer anywhere in Virginia from September 1 through the first Saturday in January, both dates inclusive, so any feed, minerals, or salt must be out of the woods by September 1.
From the day after the first Saturday in January through August 31, feeding is legal in most of the state. That is the window a Virginia nutrition program has to work in: post-rut recovery in late winter, then protein and minerals through spring and summer. Our Virginia feed page walks through how to run it.
Where Is Feeding Banned Year-Round?
In Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise counties, and in any county DWR designates within 25 miles of a confirmed CWD detection, feeding deer is illegal all year.
DWR's most recent published list ran to more than 40 counties, and it grows as new detections are confirmed, so check DWR's CWD page for the current map before you feed anywhere in western or northern Virginia.
How Do You Stay Legal in Virginia?
Never hunt over feed, salt, or minerals, and pull everything by September 1. If you hunt in a CWD county, don't feed at all. Where feeding is legal, run your program from January through August and keep the stand and the feed site separate.
For 2026-27 DWR also requires CWD testing of deer taken on November 14 in seven western counties, and the Disease Management Area boundaries change year to year, so read the current digest before the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hunt deer over corn in Virginia?
No. Hunting over corn or any other bait is illegal statewide in Virginia under Code § 29.1-521, on private and public land, and an area stays baited for 10 days after the corn is removed.
Is it legal to feed deer in Virginia?
Only from the day after the first Saturday in January through August 31, and not at all in Buchanan, Dickenson, Wise, or any county within 25 miles of a confirmed CWD detection. From September 1 through the first Saturday in January feeding deer is banned statewide under 4VAC15-40-285.
Can you put out a mineral lick or salt block in Virginia?
Salt and minerals fall under the same rules as feed: never for hunting, and not during the September 1 to first-Saturday-in-January closure or in the year-round-ban counties. DWR says attractants must be removed by September 1.
Where can you check current Virginia deer baiting and feeding rules?
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources publishes the general hunting regulations, the CWD page with the current Disease Management Areas, and the 2026-27 hunting digest at dwr.virginia.gov. The statutes are at law.lis.virginia.gov.
Keep reading
State baiting and feeding laws change often. As of the 2026-27 season this reflects Code of Virginia § 29.1-521 and 4VAC15-40-285 as published by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources — always confirm the current feeding window and the year-round-ban county list with DWR before feeding deer.