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West Virginia

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West Virginia County Finder

Answer six questions and get West Virginia counties ranked by habitat fit, 2026–27 season dates, public land and WVDNR harvest.

How the West Virginia finder works

WVDNR's Big Game Bulletin reports every checked deer, bear and turkey by county. This tool scores all 55 counties using 2021–2025 harvest (deer by season type, black bear, spring and fall turkey), USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land such as the Monongahela National Forest and wildlife management areas.

Season fit uses the WVDNR 2026–2027 Regulations Summary: archery and crossbow, buck firearms, muzzleloader and the Mountaineer Heritage season, bear firearms by county group (with or without dogs), and fall and spring turkey.

Species covered

  • White-tailed deer
  • Black bear
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Forest grouse
  • Quail

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • Mourning dove
  • American woodcock

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

West Virginia hunting FAQ

When is West Virginia's 2026 buck firearms season?

Nov. 23–Dec. 6, 2026. Archery and crossbow run Sept. 26–Dec. 31 and muzzleloader Dec. 14–20. Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties are bow-only for deer.

Which West Virginia counties have the most bears?

Boone, Nicholas, Fayette, Randolph and Kanawha counties lead the 2021–2025 bear harvest. Pick black bear to rank them with habitat and access.

Can I hunt bears with dogs in West Virginia?

Yes, in the mountain and southern counties during their dog segments (Dec. 7–31, plus earlier segments in some counties). Choose Hounds as your method to rank those counties.

West 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)

  1. Preston County: 4,545 per year
  2. Randolph County: 3,470 per year
  3. Greenbrier County: 3,420 per year
  4. Jackson County: 3,044 per year
  5. Upshur County: 3,022 per year

Black bear (2021–2025 average)

  1. Boone County: 181 per year
  2. Nicholas County: 168 per year
  3. Fayette County: 158 per year
  4. Randolph County: 142 per year
  5. Kanawha County: 137 per year

Wild turkey (2021–2025 average)

  1. Mason County: 473 per year
  2. Preston County: 399 per year
  3. Jackson County: 379 per year
  4. Greenbrier County: 322 per year
  5. Harrison County: 318 per year

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Jefferson County: 935 per year
  2. Wood County: 648 per year
  3. Preston County: 639 per year
  4. Mason County: 552 per year
  5. Hardy County: 414 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Jefferson County: 616 per year
  2. Preston County: 604 per year
  3. Hardy County: 482 per year
  4. Pleasants County: 396 per year
  5. Mason County: 332 per year