Goochland County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
DWR counted 1,747 deer killed in Goochland County in the 2025-26 season: 906 antlered bucks, 134 button bucks and 707 does, along with 3 bears. In 2026-27 the firearms deer season on private land runs November 14 to January 2. 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.
DWR land (WMAs)State forestState parks and natural areas (DCR)Other state landGoochland CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 290 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0.3% (525 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Goochland Marsh WMA |
| Deer killed, 2025-26 | 1,747 (906 antlered, 707 does) |
| Deer killed per square mile | 6 (worked out from DWR's count) |
| Bears killed, 2025 | 3 |
| Firearms deer season, private lands, 2026-27 | November 14 to January 2 |
| Earn a Buck | No |
How many deer are killed in Goochland County?
DWR counted 1,747 deer in Goochland County in 2025-26, up from 1,548. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 2,958 in 1994. The last 20 seasons:
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 906 | 134 | 707 | 1,747 |
| 2024-25 | 793 | 110 | 645 | 1,548 |
| 2023-24 | 881 | 133 | 645 | 1,659 |
| 2022-23 | 697 | 117 | 612 | 1,426 |
| 2021-22 | 704 | 103 | 575 | 1,382 |
| 2020-21 | 666 | 113 | 646 | 1,425 |
| 2019-20 | 867 | 133 | 742 | 1,742 |
| 2018-19 | 787 | 118 | 674 | 1,579 |
| 2017-18 | 695 | 128 | 699 | 1,522 |
| 2016-17 | 716 | 132 | 643 | 1,491 |
| 2015-16 | 821 | 150 | 822 | 1,793 |
| 2014-15 | 736 | 144 | 813 | 1,694 |
| 2013-14 | 928 | 242 | 1,082 | 2,253 |
| 2012-13 | 813 | 217 | 1,051 | 2,082 |
| 2011-12 | 943 | 301 | 1,337 | 2,582 |
| 2010-11 | 887 | 205 | 1,058 | 2,150 |
| 2009-10 | 987 | 284 | 1,201 | 2,472 |
| 2008-09 | 1,000 | 222 | 999 | 2,221 |
| 2007-08 | 906 | 242 | 901 | 2,049 |
| 2006-07 | 903 | 221 | 938 | 2,062 |
Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Goochland. 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 Goochland County?
DWR counted 3 bears in Goochland County in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2023 | 8 |
Source: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Goochland 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 Goochland County?
0.3% of Goochland County is public land: 525 of its 185,967 acres. The largest share is other state land, 474 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Goochland County |
|---|---|---|
| Other state land | 474 | 0.3% |
| DWR land (WMAs) | 49 | under 0.1% |
| State parks and natural areas (DCR) | 2 | 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.
Wildlife management areas in Goochland County
| WMA | Acres in Goochland County | Firearms deer season on the WMA |
|---|---|---|
| Goochland Marsh WMA | 49 | Follows the private land season |
Which counties border Goochland County?
| County or city | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Antlered, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County | 3.4% | 1,771 | 808 | 2 |
| Cumberland County | 8.7% | 2,702 | 1,169 | 33 |
| Fluvanna County | 0.7% | 2,052 | 928 | 24 |
| Hanover County | 0.6% | 2,615 | 1,025 | 7 |
| Henrico County | 1.5% | 649 | 304 | |
| Louisa County | 0.1% | 3,360 | 1,538 | 19 |
| Powhatan County | 4.1% | 2,069 | 1,031 | 11 |
Highways crossing Goochland County: I-64 (48 miles), VA 6 (39 miles), US 250 (28 miles), VA 288 (14 miles), US 522 (9 miles) and VA 45 (5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed in Goochland County?
DWR counted 1,747 deer in Goochland County in 2025-26, against 1,548 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 1,552 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 2,958 in 1994, worked out from DWR's figures.
When is deer season in Goochland 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 Goochland 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 Goochland 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). DWR counted 3 bears in Goochland County in 2025.
How much public land is in Goochland County?
525 acres, 0.3% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. DWR's wildlife management areas here: Goochland Marsh (49 acres).
Is Goochland County an Earn a Buck county?
No. DWR's 2026-27 regulations do not mark Goochland 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.
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