Lunenburg County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
DWR counted 1,874 deer killed in Lunenburg County in the 2025-26 season: 942 antlered bucks, 164 button bucks and 768 does, along with 86 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.
State forestOther state landLunenburg CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 433 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0% (13 acres) |
| Deer killed, 2025-26 | 1,874 (942 antlered, 768 does) |
| Deer killed per square mile | 4.3 (worked out from DWR's count) |
| Bears killed, 2025 | 86 |
| Firearms deer season, private lands, 2026-27 | November 14 to January 2 |
| Earn a Buck | No |
How many deer are killed in Lunenburg County?
DWR counted 1,874 deer in Lunenburg County in 2025-26, up from 1,632. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 2,111 in 2013. The last 20 seasons:
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 942 | 164 | 768 | 1,874 |
| 2024-25 | 868 | 125 | 639 | 1,632 |
| 2023-24 | 982 | 133 | 670 | 1,785 |
| 2022-23 | 687 | 119 | 645 | 1,451 |
| 2021-22 | 816 | 109 | 744 | 1,669 |
| 2020-21 | 758 | 138 | 715 | 1,611 |
| 2019-20 | 844 | 127 | 727 | 1,698 |
| 2018-19 | 782 | 94 | 632 | 1,508 |
| 2017-18 | 798 | 116 | 715 | 1,629 |
| 2016-17 | 777 | 106 | 525 | 1,408 |
| 2015-16 | 870 | 113 | 668 | 1,651 |
| 2014-15 | 697 | 121 | 614 | 1,433 |
| 2013-14 | 956 | 186 | 967 | 2,111 |
| 2012-13 | 872 | 170 | 823 | 1,865 |
| 2011-12 | 822 | 185 | 850 | 1,858 |
| 2010-11 | 842 | 162 | 865 | 1,869 |
| 2009-10 | 905 | 199 | 808 | 1,912 |
| 2008-09 | 849 | 134 | 644 | 1,627 |
| 2007-08 | 848 | 185 | 740 | 1,773 |
| 2006-07 | 847 | 157 | 611 | 1,615 |
Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Lunenburg. 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 Lunenburg County?
DWR counted 86 bears in Lunenburg County in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 86 |
| 2024 | 87 |
| 2023 | 92 |
Source: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Lunenburg 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 21, 28, and December 28 through January 2 |
| Bear, archery | October 3 to November 13 |
| Bear, muzzleloader | November 7 to 13 |
| Bear, firearms | November 30 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 Lunenburg County?
0% of Lunenburg County is public land: 13 of its 276,819 acres. The largest share is other state land, 13 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lunenburg County |
|---|---|---|
| Other state land | 13 | 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 Lunenburg County?
| County or city | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Antlered, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 1.8% | 2,648 | 1,291 | 44 |
| Charlotte County | 1.7% | 2,145 | 1,193 | 107 |
| Mecklenburg County | 1% | 2,665 | 1,328 | 75 |
| Nottoway County | 10.8% | 2,357 | 1,026 | 38 |
| Prince Edward County | 5.6% | 1,922 | 1,033 | 61 |
Highways crossing Lunenburg County: VA 40 (28 miles), VA 49 (21 miles), VA 138 (14 miles), VA 137 (9 miles) and US 360 (4 miles). Towns inside: Victoria and Kenbridge.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed in Lunenburg County?
DWR counted 1,874 deer in Lunenburg County in 2025-26, against 1,632 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 1,682 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 2,111 in 2013, worked out from DWR's figures.
When is deer season in Lunenburg 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 Lunenburg County runs November 14 to January 2, with either-sex days November 21, 28, and December 28 through January 2 (DWR Deer Hunting Regulations and Seasons).
When is bear season in Lunenburg County?
In 2026-27: archery October 3 to November 13; muzzleloader November 7 to 13; firearms November 30 to January 2 (DWR Bear Hunting Regulations and Seasons). DWR counted 86 bears in Lunenburg County in 2025.
How much public land is in Lunenburg County?
13 acres, 0% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1.
Is Lunenburg County an Earn a Buck county?
No. DWR's 2026-27 regulations do not mark Lunenburg 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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