Ridgeline RavenAll states › Virginia
Virginia County Finder
Answer six questions and get Virginia counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 season dates, public land and DWR reported harvest.
How the Virginia finder works
Virginia's DWR reports every deer, bear and turkey by county. This tool scores the 95 counties and the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach (smaller cities are counted with the county they border most) using deer kill from 2021–2025, bear harvest from 2023–2025, spring 2024–2026 and fall turkey harvest, USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests and DWR WMAs.
Season fit uses each county's private-land season group from DWR's July 2026–June 2027 seasons guide: archery, muzzleloader and firearms deer, antlerless-only seasons, bear archery, muzzleloader and firearms, fall and spring turkey, and the elk lottery counties.
Species covered
- White-tailed deer
- Elk
- Black bear
- Wild turkey
Upland birds (ranked by county)
- Forest grouse
- Quail
Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)
- Ducks
- Canada and dark geese
- Snow and Ross's geese
- Mourning dove
- Tundra swan
- American woodcock
About every species on the species page →
Data sources
- https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/harvest/
- https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/harvestsummary/bear-harvest-by-county/
- DWR spring turkey harvest by county 2024–2026 and fall turkey harvest by county
- https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/2026-2027-Virginia-Hunting-Trapping-and-Migratory-Game-Bird-Seasons-Guide.pdf
- USGS PAD-US 3.0 (Fee); NPS parks and monuments excluded
- USGS NLCD 2021 Land Cover (250 m resample)
- USGS 3DEP elevation service
Virginia hunting FAQ
When does Virginia's 2026 general firearms deer season open?
Nov. 14, 2026. It runs to Jan. 2, 2027 in most counties east of the Blue Ridge and to Dec. 12 in most counties west of it.
Which Virginia counties have the most deer?
Bedford, Augusta, Pittsylvania, Southampton and Fauquier counties lead DWR's 2021–2025 deer kill. Pick white-tailed deer to rank every county.
Can I hunt bears with dogs in Virginia?
Yes, during the firearms bear season in most counties, but not in Fairfax, Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Loudoun and Patrick, and not the first week west of the Blue Ridge. Choose Hounds to rank counties where dogs are allowed.
Virginia harvest leaders
The counties with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.
White-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)
- Bedford County: 7,786 per year
- Augusta County: 5,291 per year
- Pittsylvania County: 4,808 per year
- Southampton County: 4,767 per year
- Fauquier County: 4,528 per year
Black bear (2023–2025 average)
- Charlotte County: 99 per year
- Lunenburg County: 88 per year
- Bath County: 85 per year
- Giles County: 76 per year
- Mecklenburg County: 74 per year
Wild turkey (2024–2026 average)
- Southampton County: 662 per year
- Bedford County: 642 per year
- Franklin County: 514 per year
- Fauquier County: 470 per year
- Pittsylvania County: 439 per year
Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)
- Accomack County: 22,608 per year
- Mecklenburg County: 7,758 per year
- Prince William County: 6,984 per year
- Virginia Beach: 6,813 per year
- Caroline County: 5,260 per year
Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)
- Culpeper County: 4,929 per year
- Accomack County: 4,280 per year
- Caroline County: 2,927 per year
- Charles City County: 2,424 per year
- Prince William County: 2,233 per year