Buchanan County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
DWR counted 1,412 deer killed in Buchanan County in the 2025-26 season: 1,070 antlered bucks, 27 button bucks and 315 does, along with 81 bears. In 2026-27 the firearms deer season on private land runs November 14 to December 12. The USGS Protected Areas Database shows almost no public land in the county: nearly all hunting here is on private land.
Data updated October 2026. Deer: DWR Deer Kill Data. Bears: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County. Seasons: DWR's 2026-27 deer and bear regulations. Land: PAD-US 4.1.
National forestArmy Corps of EngineersOther state landBuchanan CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 504 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0% (16 acres) |
| Deer killed, 2025-26 | 1,412 (1,070 antlered, 315 does) |
| Deer killed per square mile | 2.8 (worked out from DWR's count) |
| Bears killed, 2025 | 81 |
| Firearms deer season, private lands, 2026-27 | November 14 to December 12 |
| Earn a Buck | No |
How many deer are killed in Buchanan County?
DWR counted 1,412 deer in Buchanan County in 2025-26, up from 1,067. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 1,412 in 2025. The last 20 seasons:
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,070 | 27 | 315 | 1,412 |
| 2024-25 | 874 | 11 | 182 | 1,067 |
| 2023-24 | 927 | 16 | 230 | 1,173 |
| 2022-23 | 737 | 14 | 232 | 983 |
| 2021-22 | 819 | 11 | 174 | 1,004 |
| 2020-21 | 764 | 19 | 172 | 955 |
| 2019-20 | 694 | 16 | 168 | 878 |
| 2018-19 | 738 | 23 | 213 | 974 |
| 2017-18 | 646 | 8 | 126 | 780 |
| 2016-17 | 664 | 13 | 181 | 858 |
| 2015-16 | 766 | 24 | 214 | 1,004 |
| 2014-15 | 588 | 14 | 109 | 712 |
| 2013-14 | 616 | 23 | 152 | 791 |
| 2012-13 | 593 | 12 | 99 | 704 |
| 2011-12 | 484 | 23 | 115 | 622 |
| 2010-11 | 402 | 8 | 76 | 486 |
| 2009-10 | 458 | 2 | 97 | 557 |
| 2008-09 | 458 | 16 | 96 | 570 |
| 2007-08 | 445 | 22 | 85 | 552 |
| 2006-07 | 369 | 12 | 61 | 442 |
Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Buchanan. DWR's figure for the latest season is preliminary and leaves out the late urban archery and late antlerless-only seasons.
How many bears are killed in Buchanan County?
DWR counted 81 bears in Buchanan County in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 81 |
| 2024 | 74 |
| 2023 | 50 |
Source: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Buchanan County?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Deer, early archery (either sex, statewide) | October 3 to November 13 |
| Deer, early muzzleloader (most of the state) | October 31 to November 13 |
| Deer, firearms, private lands | November 14 to December 12 |
| Deer, either-sex days | Antlered deer only; no either-sex deer hunting days. Special Youth and Apprentice Antlerless Deer Regulation Applies |
| Bear, early firearms | September 28 to September 30 (except on Clinch Mountain WMA) |
| Bear, archery | October 3 to November 13 |
| Bear, muzzleloader | November 7 to 13 |
| Bear, firearms | November 23 to January 2 |
Sources: DWR Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons; DWR Bear Hunting Regulations and Seasons, read 2026-10-18. Late archery and late muzzleloader seasons differ by area; DWR's pages list them. Public land other than the national forest and DWR's WMAs follows the private land seasons.
How much public land is in Buchanan County?
0% of Buchanan County is public land: 16 of its 322,553 acres. The largest share is other state land, 13 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Buchanan County |
|---|---|---|
| Other state land | 13 | under 0.1% |
| State forest | 3 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Hunting is allowed on most national forest and DWR land; Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway are closed to it, and state parks allow it only in places.
Which counties border Buchanan County?
| County or city | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Antlered, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickenson County | 9.2% | 1,317 | 914 | 42 |
| Russell County | 2.8% | 2,174 | 1,366 | 43 |
| Tazewell County | 4.3% | 2,472 | 1,561 | 52 |
Highways crossing Buchanan County: US 460 (47 miles), VA 83 (32 miles) and VA 80 (11 miles). Towns inside: Grundy.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed in Buchanan County?
DWR counted 1,412 deer in Buchanan County in 2025-26, against 1,067 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 1,128 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 1,412 in 2025, worked out from DWR's figures.
When is deer season in Buchanan County in 2026?
Early archery runs October 3 to November 13 and early muzzleloader October 31 to November 13 in most of the state. The firearms season on private land in Buchanan County runs November 14 to December 12, with either-sex days none (antlered deer only); no either-sex deer hunting days. Special Youth and Apprentice Antlerless Deer Regulation Applies (DWR Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons).
When is bear season in Buchanan County?
In 2026-27: early firearms September 28 to September 30 (except on Clinch Mountain WMA); archery October 3 to November 13; muzzleloader November 7 to 13; firearms November 23 to January 2 (DWR Bear Hunting Regulations and Seasons). DWR counted 81 bears in Buchanan County in 2025.
How much public land is in Buchanan County?
16 acres, 0% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1.
Is Buchanan County an Earn a Buck county?
No. DWR's 2026-27 regulations do not mark Buchanan County as an Earn a Buck county.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer: DWR Deer Kill Data. Bears: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County; DWR, 2025-2026 bear, deer and turkey harvest data announced.
- Seasons, either-sex days and Earn a Buck: DWR Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons; DWR Bear Hunting Regulations and Seasons.
- Boundary: Virginia county and city boundaries (DCR, served by DWR). WMAs: DWR Wildlife Management Areas. Public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1).
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Numbers are copied from DWR and federal sources, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Virginia hunting Dickenson County Russell County Tazewell County