Fairfax County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
DWR counted 1,235 deer killed in Fairfax County in the 2025-26 season: 487 antlered bucks, 95 button bucks and 653 does. In 2026-27 the firearms deer season on private land runs November 14 to January 2. 2.7% of the county is public land, the largest share National Park Service (3,089 acres), by the USGS Protected Areas Database.
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.
DWR land (WMAs)State parks and natural areas (DCR)National wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceOther state landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Fairfax CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 407 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.7% (6,977 acres) |
| Deer killed, 2025-26 | 1,235 (487 antlered, 653 does) |
| Deer killed per square mile | 3 (worked out from DWR's count) |
| Firearms deer season, private lands, 2026-27 | November 14 to January 2 |
| Earn a Buck | Yes: an antlerless deer must be taken before a second antlered deer (DWR) |
How many deer are killed in Fairfax County?
DWR counted 1,235 deer in Fairfax County in 2025-26, up from 1,146. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 2,299 in 2014. The last 20 seasons:
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 487 | 95 | 653 | 1,235 |
| 2024-25 | 476 | 79 | 591 | 1,146 |
| 2023-24 | 514 | 103 | 723 | 1,340 |
| 2022-23 | 478 | 110 | 825 | 1,413 |
| 2021-22 | 539 | 110 | 886 | 1,535 |
| 2020-21 | 498 | 167 | 1,021 | 1,686 |
| 2019-20 | 549 | 170 | 1,143 | 1,862 |
| 2018-19 | 505 | 171 | 1,133 | 1,809 |
| 2017-18 | 554 | 208 | 1,274 | 2,036 |
| 2016-17 | 597 | 218 | 1,353 | 2,168 |
| 2015-16 | 599 | 243 | 1,423 | 2,265 |
| 2014-15 | 620 | 214 | 1,465 | 2,299 |
| 2013-14 | 508 | 238 | 1,377 | 2,124 |
| 2012-13 | 556 | 199 | 1,357 | 2,112 |
| 2011-12 | 584 | 204 | 1,246 | 2,034 |
| 2010-11 | 527 | 140 | 937 | 1,604 |
| 2009-10 | 507 | 106 | 839 | 1,452 |
| 2008-09 | 500 | 134 | 725 | 1,359 |
| 2007-08 | 444 | 158 | 668 | 1,270 |
| 2006-07 | 508 | 128 | 732 | 1,368 |
Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Fairfax. DWR's figure for the latest season is preliminary and leaves out the late urban archery and late antlerless-only seasons.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Fairfax 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 January 2 |
| Deer, either-sex days | November 14 through January 2 (full season) |
| 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 Fairfax County?
2.7% of Fairfax County is public land: 6,977 of its 260,334 acres. The largest share is National Park Service, 3,089 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Fairfax County |
|---|---|---|
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 8,323 | 3.2% |
| National Park Service | 3,089 | 1.2% |
| State parks and natural areas (DCR) | 1,847 | 0.7% |
| National wildlife refuge | 1,464 | 0.6% |
| Other state land | 374 | 0.1% |
| DWR land (WMAs) | 203 | 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 Fairfax County?
| County or city | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Antlered, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County | 4.2% | |||
| Loudoun County | 0.6% | 4,079 | 1,611 | 1 |
| Prince William County | 9.1% | 1,026 | 496 | 3 |
Highways crossing Fairfax County: VA 286 (63 miles), VA 123 (48 miles), I-495 (46 miles), I-95 (45 miles), I-66 (38 miles) and VA 7 (32 miles). Towns inside: Vienna, Herndon and Clifton.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed in Fairfax County?
DWR counted 1,235 deer in Fairfax County in 2025-26, against 1,146 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 1,334 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 2,299 in 2014, worked out from DWR's figures.
When is deer season in Fairfax 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 Fairfax County runs November 14 to January 2, with either-sex days November 14 through January 2 (full season) (DWR Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons).
When is bear season in Fairfax County?
In 2026-27: archery October 3 to November 13; muzzleloader November 7 to 13; firearms November 23 to January 2 (DWR Bear Hunting Regulations and Seasons).
How much public land is in Fairfax County?
6,977 acres, 2.7% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1.
Is Fairfax County an Earn a Buck county?
Yes. DWR marks Fairfax County as an Earn a Buck county for 2026-27: a hunter must take an antlerless deer there before taking a second antlered deer.
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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.