Cavalier

Overview

The Cavalier Wildlife Management Area is located in the southeastern corner of Virginia, in the City of Chesapeake. The management area is 3,800 acres and abuts the North Carolina state line. At one time this property was part of the Great Dismal Swamp but was ditched and drained more than 200 years ago. Work has been done in an effort to reestablish the water levels that would have historically been found in the area by installing weirs along all of the main ditches to hold water on the area. Cavalier WMA provides coastal and forested habitats for a wide range of wildlife, including black bear, neo-tropical migratory songbirds, canebrake rattlesnakes, white-tailed deer, and eastern wild turkeys.

Currently, much of the management area is cutover forestland, with several hundred acres in 15-year-old planted pine. There are planted stands of Eastern White Cedar and other mixed hard wood stands which are in early stages of growth. Much of the understory is still very thick with early successional grass and shrub species.

Special Rules

No centerfire rifles, handguns, or revolvers may be discharged on the WMA
No horseback riding
No dogs may be used for deer or bear* hunting (see Special Hunting Rules below)

Hunting

Sunday Hunting Opportunities on Public Lands in Virginia »

All Chesapeake season dates, regulations, and bag limits apply for Cavalier WMA unless otherwise listed below. Cavalier WMA is not open for the early urban archery season. This season was initiated for suburban localities as a deer management tool and is not intended for Wildlife Management Areas. The property has good big game and small game hunting opportunities.

Special Hunting Rules

No centerfire rifles, handguns, or revolvers may be discharged on the WMA
No dogs may be used for deer or bear hunting except for the 3 day dog bear hunting in December. Please see the kiosk for exact dates for the bear hunt.

Dove Hunting

The fields that are located along the main road of the management area about a mile and a half in from the entrance of the WMA. These fields are rotated every year and planted with corn, soybeans, and sunflowers. The corn and sunflower fields are harvested or mowed before the opening of dove season in September. The fields are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please see the seasons for dove hunting on WMAs.

Waterfowl Hunting

The management area is not open for September goose and teal seasons. Federal migratory game bird laws prohibit hunting waterfowl over grains that have been manipulated in any manner other than a normal agricultural practice. In order to provide dove hunting opportunities, some crops grown for wildlife are mown, which is in conflict with waterfowl laws.

Waterfowl hunting is allowed for the remaining seasons seven days a week. Due to the weir project there are a large number of flooded timber areas along some of the side roads as well as the ditches and the ponds located along the 3rd road.