SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunters in West Virginia harvested 38,776 antlered deer during the two-week buck firearms season, according to preliminary data collected through the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ electronic game checking system.
The 2020 buck harvest was 6 percent higher than the harvest in 2019, when hunters took 36,796 bucks. The top 10 counties by harvest are Preston (1,469), Randolph (1,428), Hampshire (1,380), Greenbrier (1,317), Pendleton (1,296), Hardy (1,169), Braxton (1,089), Grant (1,088), Pocahontas (1,082), and Jackson (1,063).
Upshur County hunters harvested 1,055 bucks this year, down slightly from 2019, according to the DNR.
“It’s been a good year for deer hunting in West Virginia and these preliminary numbers for the buck season harvest are really encouraging,” said Gary Foster, assistant chief of game management for the WVDNR.
Buck harvests in West Virginia’s north central region, eastern panhandle and in southwestern counties saw increases of 9 percent, 17 percent and 43 percent, respectively. Excellent harvests in these regions offset declines in the state’s central mountain region and western and southeastern counties, where the harvest decreased by 2 percent, 5 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
A comparison of the past four years of buck firearms season harvest with the 2020 preliminary data is available for download here.
Current and Upcoming Deer Hunting Opportunities in West Virginia
Deer hunters still have several days to hunt this year. The deer archery and crossbow seasons run through Dec. 31 and the traditional Class N/NN antlerless deer season opened on Dec. 10 in select counties and will run through Dec. 13.
Muzzleloader deer season will open Dec. 14 and remain open through Dec. 20. The Youth, Class Q/QQ and Class XS deer season for antlerless deer will be open Dec. 26-27 in any county with a firearms deer season.
Muzzleloader deer season will open Dec. 14 and remain open through Dec. 20. The Youth, Class Q/QQ and Class XS deer season for antlerless deer will be open Dec. 26-27 in any county with a firearms deer season. The Class N/NN antlerless deer season will then reopen on Dec. 28-31 in select counties or portions thereof. The Mountaineer Heritage season will be open from Jan. 14-17, 2021.
To learn more about hunting opportunities in West Virginia, check the 2020-21 West Virginia Hunting Regulations or visit wvdnr.gov.
