Louisa County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
DWR counted 3,360 deer killed in Louisa County in the 2025-26 season: 1,538 antlered bucks, 335 button bucks and 1,487 does, along with 19 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 parks and natural areas (DCR)Other state landLouisa CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 509 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0.1% (188 acres) |
| Deer killed, 2025-26 | 3,360 (1,538 antlered, 1,487 does) |
| Deer killed per square mile | 6.6 (worked out from DWR's count) |
| Bears killed, 2025 | 19 |
| Firearms deer season, private lands, 2026-27 | November 14 to January 2 |
| Earn a Buck | No |
How many deer are killed in Louisa County?
DWR counted 3,360 deer in Louisa County in 2025-26, up from 2,456. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 3,360 in 2025. The last 20 seasons:
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,538 | 335 | 1,487 | 3,360 |
| 2024-25 | 1,236 | 217 | 1,003 | 2,456 |
| 2023-24 | 1,361 | 223 | 1,025 | 2,609 |
| 2022-23 | 1,018 | 197 | 847 | 2,062 |
| 2021-22 | 1,200 | 201 | 956 | 2,357 |
| 2020-21 | 1,125 | 284 | 1,126 | 2,535 |
| 2019-20 | 1,310 | 287 | 1,336 | 2,933 |
| 2018-19 | 1,151 | 220 | 1,184 | 2,555 |
| 2017-18 | 1,064 | 257 | 1,042 | 2,363 |
| 2016-17 | 1,042 | 165 | 1,021 | 2,228 |
| 2015-16 | 1,014 | 276 | 1,139 | 2,429 |
| 2014-15 | 1,005 | 247 | 1,191 | 2,444 |
| 2013-14 | 1,199 | 361 | 1,619 | 3,182 |
| 2012-13 | 1,148 | 314 | 1,393 | 2,855 |
| 2011-12 | 1,216 | 372 | 1,460 | 3,048 |
| 2010-11 | 1,083 | 266 | 1,149 | 2,498 |
| 2009-10 | 1,176 | 317 | 1,461 | 2,954 |
| 2008-09 | 1,195 | 274 | 1,076 | 2,545 |
| 2007-08 | 1,122 | 243 | 911 | 2,276 |
| 2006-07 | 957 | 188 | 803 | 1,948 |
Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Louisa. 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 Louisa County?
DWR counted 19 bears in Louisa County in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 |
| 2024 | 16 |
| 2023 | 23 |
Source: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Louisa 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 Louisa County?
0.1% of Louisa County is public land: 188 of its 326,098 acres. The largest share is other state land, 188 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Louisa County |
|---|---|---|
| Other state land | 188 | 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 Louisa County?
| County or city | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Antlered, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albemarle County | 3.5% | 4,739 | 2,054 | 13 |
| Fluvanna County | 0.7% | 2,052 | 928 | 24 |
| Goochland County | 0.3% | 1,747 | 906 | 3 |
| Hanover County | 0.6% | 2,615 | 1,025 | 7 |
| Orange County | 0.5% | 2,531 | 1,018 | 4 |
| Spotsylvania County | 5.2% | 1,939 | 843 | 7 |
Highways crossing Louisa County: I-64 (38 miles), US 33 (33 miles), US 522 (29 miles), VA 208 (25 miles), VA 22 (21 miles) and US 15 (13 miles). Towns inside: Louisa and Mineral.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed in Louisa County?
DWR counted 3,360 deer in Louisa County in 2025-26, against 2,456 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 2,569 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 3,360 in 2025, worked out from DWR's figures.
When is deer season in Louisa 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 Louisa 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 Louisa 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 19 bears in Louisa County in 2025.
How much public land is in Louisa County?
188 acres, 0.1% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1.
Is Louisa County an Earn a Buck county?
No. DWR's 2026-27 regulations do not mark Louisa 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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