Chasing Cottontails: Rabbit Hunting in Southwest Virginia
Written By: Terry Colley, Fall Obsession Field Staff
There are few sounds in the fall woods that hit quite like a beagle opening up on a hot rabbit track. For a lot of us who grew up in Southwest Virginia, rabbit hunting wasn’t just a season, it was a tradition. A rite of passage. And for many, it was the first hunt we ever went on, long before deer stands, trail cameras, or big-game tags ever entered the picture.
A Hunt That Still Lives With Me
I can still remember being a kid, watching my dad load the dogs into those old metal dog houses bolted into the bed of the truck. The doors clanged shut, leashes clipped off, and we headed toward the mountain. It felt like we drove for hours but in reality, it was probably 20 minutes at most.
Once we arrived, everything happened fast. The dog box doors flew open, and the beagles hit the ground running. Noses down. Tails up. Instantly locked into their job, sweeping the woods and field edges for that fresh rabbit scent. We’d start walking field cuts, old logging roads, and brushy edges, waiting. Listening. Every step filled with anticipation.
Then it would happen. That first high-pitched howl. Followed by the excited chop and bark. Those dogs were hot. Shells slid into the shotgun. Safety still on but your thumb was already resting there, ready. You knew the plan: let the dogs work, circle that rabbit, and hope they’d push it right back toward you. Sometimes it worked. A lot of times it didn’t.
More often than not, the rabbit outplayed the shooter. Slipped through the thick stuff. Crossed a road just out of range. Or doubled back behind us without ever being seen. But even on hunts where nobody pulled the trigger, listening to those beagles work was never boring. Watching dogs do what they were born to do was the reward.
Rabbit Season in Virginia
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), rabbit hunting is part of the Commonwealth’s small game season:
Season Dates: November 1 through February 28
Daily Bag Limit: Six rabbits per hunter per day
License Requirement: A valid Virginia hunting license is required to hunt rabbits.
This long season makes rabbit hunting one of the most accessible and forgiving opportunities of the fall and winter months — perfect for seasoned hunters, families, and first-timers alike.
Legal Methods of Take
Virginia allows several legal methods for pursuing rabbits during the open season:
Shotguns (popular choices include .410, 20-gauge, and 12-gauge)
Archery equipment, including traditional bows and crossbows
Muzzleloaders and other legal small-game firearms
Dogs, which are commonly used and deeply rooted in Virginia’s rabbit-hunting culture
Dog training on rabbits is also permitted during designated periods outside the regular season on private lands, though no harvest is allowed during training times.
Why Southwest Virginia Is Rabbit Country
Southwest Virginia is tailor-made for chasing cottontails. Rolling pasture land, brushy fence rows, reclaimed logging roads, overgrown field corners, and thick edge habitat create ideal cover. Add in old strip jobs and mountain hollows, and you’ve got rabbit habitat everywhere you look. Rabbits may be small game, but there’s nothing small about the experience. It’s fast-paced, physical, and social a hunt that keeps everyone moving and involved. And unlike sitting in a tree stand, rabbit hunting keeps you connected to the ground, the dogs, and the people you’re hunting with.
More Than Just a Harvest
These days, when I hear a beagle open up, it takes me right back to those hunts with my dad. The cold air. The sound of dogs echoing through the hills. The excitement of waiting to see if that rabbit would break cover. Rabbit hunting taught patience, safety, respect for animals, and appreciation for good dogs long before I ever learned those lessons elsewhere.
In a time when hunting is often measured by inches, scores, and social media posts, chasing cottontails reminds us what it’s really about. Time outdoors. Tradition. And the simple joy of the chase…