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Orange County, Virginia: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land

DWR counted 2,531 deer killed in Orange County in the 2025-26 season: 1,018 antlered bucks, 173 button bucks and 1,340 does, along with 4 bears. In 2026-27 the firearms deer season on private land runs November 14 to January 2. 0.5% of the county is public land, the largest share National Park Service (1,074 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.

Map of Orange County, Virginia: public land by manager, neighboring Albemarle County, Culpeper County, Greene County, Louisa County, Madison County and Spotsylvania County, highways VA 20, US 15 and US 522 and Orange and Gordonsville

DWR land (WMAs)State parks and natural areas (DCR)National Park ServiceMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Orange CountyNeighboring countiesHighway

Orange County at a glance
Size343 square miles
Public land0.5% (1,195 acres)
Deer killed, 2025-262,531 (1,018 antlered, 1,340 does)
Deer killed per square mile7.4 (worked out from DWR's count)
Bears killed, 20254
Firearms deer season, private lands, 2026-27November 14 to January 2
Earn a BuckYes: an antlerless deer must be taken before a second antlered deer (DWR)

How many deer are killed in Orange County?

DWR counted 2,531 deer in Orange County in 2025-26, up from 2,122. DWR's table for the county runs back to 1947; the most it shows is 3,729 in 2009. The last 20 seasons:

SeasonAntlered bucksButton bucksDoesTotal
2025-261,0181731,3402,531
2024-258361471,1392,122
2023-248201341,0041,958
2022-236931439371,773
2021-227101469721,828
2020-218341749001,908
2019-209581811,0532,192
2018-191,0012041,1552,360
2017-189851951,1512,331
2016-179561781,2052,339
2015-161,2172321,3302,779
2014-159952211,2102,426
2013-141,1833191,6013,105
2012-131,0342831,2762,593
2011-121,1763251,6333,140
2010-111,0243131,6442,981
2009-101,3394081,9823,729
2008-091,2353271,5543,116
2007-081,1833531,4763,012
2006-071,0512631,1882,502

Source: DWR Deer Kill Data, Orange. 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 Orange County?

DWR counted 4 bears in Orange County in 2025.

YearBears
20254
20246
20234

Source: DWR Black Bear Harvest by County.

When are the 2026-27 seasons in Orange County?

SeasonDates, 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 landsNovember 14 to January 2
Deer, either-sex daysNovember 14 through January 2 (full season)
Bear, archeryOctober 3 to November 13
Bear, muzzleloaderNovember 7 to 13
Bear, firearmsNovember 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 Orange County?

0.5% of Orange County is public land: 1,195 of its 219,918 acres. The largest share is National Park Service, 1,074 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of Orange County
National Park Service1,0740.5%
DWR land (WMAs)1210.1%

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 Orange County?

County or cityPublic landDeer, 2025Antlered, 2025Bears, 2025
Albemarle County3.5%4,7392,05413
Culpeper County0.1%2,9821,2704
Greene County17.5%1,1095369
Louisa County0.1%3,3601,53819
Madison County19.9%2,02485311
Spotsylvania County5.2%1,9398437

Highways crossing Orange County: VA 20 (36 miles), US 15 (20 miles), US 522 (15 miles), US 33 (11 miles), VA 3 (10 miles) and VA 231 (8 miles). Towns inside: Orange and Gordonsville.

Questions hunters ask

How many deer are killed in Orange County?

DWR counted 2,531 deer in Orange County in 2025-26, against 2,122 the season before. The five-season average to 2025 is 2,042 a year, and the most in DWR's table was 3,729 in 2009, worked out from DWR's figures.

When is deer season in Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange 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 4 bears in Orange County in 2025.

How much public land is in Orange County?

1,195 acres, 0.5% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1.

Is Orange County an Earn a Buck county?

Yes. DWR marks Orange 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

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.

Virginia hunting Albemarle County Culpeper County Greene County Louisa County Madison County Spotsylvania County