Madison County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
DWR counted 2,024 deer killed in Madison County in the 2025-26 season: 853 antlered bucks, 153 button bucks and 1,018 does, along with 11 bears. In 2026-27 the firearms deer season on private land runs November 14 to January 2. 19.9% of the county is public land, the largest share National Park Service (32,720 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)National Park ServiceMadison CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 322 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 19.9% (40,904 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Rapidan WMA |
| Deer killed, 2025-26 | 2,024 (853 antlered, 1,018 does) |
| Deer killed per square mile | 6.3 (worked out from DWR's count) |
| Bears killed, 2025 | 11 |
| 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 Madison County?
DWR counted 2,024 deer in Madison County in 2025-26, down from 2,030. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 2,736 in 2009. The last 20 seasons:
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 853 | 153 | 1,018 | 2,024 |
| 2024-25 | 837 | 142 | 1,051 | 2,030 |
| 2023-24 | 835 | 130 | 902 | 1,867 |
| 2022-23 | 717 | 162 | 941 | 1,820 |
| 2021-22 | 662 | 142 | 878 | 1,682 |
| 2020-21 | 885 | 200 | 944 | 2,029 |
| 2019-20 | 869 | 180 | 891 | 1,940 |
| 2018-19 | 904 | 216 | 1,033 | 2,153 |
| 2017-18 | 823 | 174 | 887 | 1,884 |
| 2016-17 | 827 | 161 | 968 | 1,956 |
| 2015-16 | 969 | 193 | 965 | 2,127 |
| 2014-15 | 840 | 185 | 857 | 1,883 |
| 2013-14 | 933 | 247 | 1,263 | 2,444 |
| 2012-13 | 863 | 214 | 984 | 2,061 |
| 2011-12 | 855 | 263 | 1,175 | 2,295 |
| 2010-11 | 743 | 216 | 1,050 | 2,009 |
| 2009-10 | 937 | 336 | 1,463 | 2,736 |
| 2008-09 | 944 | 227 | 1,112 | 2,283 |
| 2007-08 | 976 | 257 | 1,171 | 2,404 |
| 2006-07 | 860 | 208 | 898 | 1,966 |
Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Madison. 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 Madison County?
DWR counted 11 bears in Madison County in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2024 | 29 |
| 2023 | 19 |
Source: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Madison 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 17 to November 13 |
| Bear, muzzleloader | November 10 to 13 |
| Bear, firearms | November 27 to 29, and December 21 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 Madison County?
19.9% of Madison County is public land: 40,904 of its 206,003 acres. The largest share is National Park Service, 32,720 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Madison County |
|---|---|---|
| National Park Service | 32,720 | 15.9% |
| DWR land (WMAs) | 8,184 | 4% |
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 Madison County
| WMA | Acres in Madison County | Firearms deer season on the WMA |
|---|---|---|
| Rapidan WMA | 8,184 | November 14 to January 2 |
Which counties border Madison County?
| County or city | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Antlered, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culpeper County | 0.1% | 2,982 | 1,270 | 4 |
| Greene County | 17.5% | 1,109 | 536 | 9 |
| Orange County | 0.5% | 2,531 | 1,018 | 4 |
| Page County | 33.3% | 1,762 | 914 | 7 |
| Rappahannock County | 18.3% | 1,818 | 727 | 5 |
Highways crossing Madison County: US 29 (33 miles), VA 231 (26 miles), VA 230 (18 miles) and US 15 (5 miles). Towns inside: Madison.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed in Madison County?
DWR counted 2,024 deer in Madison County in 2025-26, against 2,030 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 1,885 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 2,736 in 2009, worked out from DWR's figures.
When is deer season in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County?
In 2026-27: archery October 17 to November 13; muzzleloader November 10 to 13; firearms November 27 to 29, and December 21 to January 2 (DWR Bear Hunting Regulations and Seasons). DWR counted 11 bears in Madison County in 2025.
How much public land is in Madison County?
40,904 acres, 19.9% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. DWR's wildlife management areas here: Rapidan (8,184 acres).
Is Madison County an Earn a Buck county?
Yes. DWR marks Madison 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.
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