Barbour County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 1,952 deer taken in Barbour County in 2025: 614 bucks in the buck firearms season, 695 antlerless deer, 536 by bow and crossbow, 90 by muzzleloader and 17 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 37 bears and 187 spring gobblers here. 0.8% of the county is public land, the largest share jointly managed land (1,366 acres).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin. Seasons: WVDNR 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary. Land: PAD-US 4.1.
National forestWVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks)Jointly managed landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Barbour CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 343 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 0.8% (1,859 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Pleasant Creek WMA and Teter Creek Lake WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,952 (1,003 antlered, 867 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 614 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 5.95 (WVDNR; 328 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 37 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 187 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Barbour County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Barbour County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 614 bucks, against 780 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 614 | 695 | 182 | 354 | 90 |
| 2024 | 780 | 859 | 217 | 434 | 119 |
| 2023 | 710 | 754 | 180 | 290 | 95 |
| 2022 | 938 | 849 | 206 | 398 | 117 |
| 2021 | 732 | 725 | 197 | 332 | 107 |
By type in 2025: 1,003 antlered deer, 41 with antlers under three inches, 36 button bucks, 867 does and 5 with antlers shed. That comes to 5.95 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.87 bucks and 2.12 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Barbour County?
WVDNR counted 37 bears in Barbour County in 2025. By season: 13 bow and crossbow, 1 September and October gun, 13 buck gun, 10 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2024 | 41 |
| 2023 | 51 |
| 2022 | 31 |
| 2021 | 32 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Barbour County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 187 | 10 |
| 2024 | 199 | 18 |
| 2023 | 216 | 13 |
| 2022 | 139 | 13 |
| 2021 | 163 | 6 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Barbour County?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Deer, archery and crossbow | September 26 to December 31 |
| Deer, youth, Class Q and Class XS (antlerless) | October 17 to 18, and December 26 to 27 |
| Deer, antlerless (selected counties) | October 22 to 25, November 23 to December 6, December 10 to 13, and December 28 to 31 |
| Deer, buck firearms | November 23 to December 6 |
| Deer, muzzleloader | December 14 to 20 |
| Deer, bear and turkey, Mountaineer Heritage (private land in selected counties) | January 14 to 17, 2027 |
| Bear, archery and crossbow | September 26 to December 31 |
| Bear, firearms (selected counties) | August 29 to September 7; September 19 to 25; October 3 to 9; October 22 to 25; November 23 to December 6; December 7 to 31 |
| Turkey, fall | October 10 to 18, with split seasons in selected counties |
| Turkey, spring (bearded only) | April 19 to May 23, 2027 |
Source: WVDNR 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary. Antlerless deer, bear firearms and fall turkey seasons are open only in some counties or parts of counties; WVDNR's regulations map them.
How much public land is in Barbour County?
0.8% of Barbour County is public land: 1,859 of its 219,363 acres. The largest share is jointly managed land, 1,366 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Barbour County |
|---|---|---|
| Jointly managed land | 1,366 | 0.6% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 482 | 0.2% |
| National forest | 11 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Some WMAs are owned by others, such as the Forest Service, and managed by WVDNR.
Wildlife management areas in Barbour County
| WMA | Acres in Barbour County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Creek WMA | 1,353 | WV Division of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Teter Creek Lake WMA | 141 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Barbour County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County | 0.6% | 1,921 | 641 | 8 |
| Preston County | 3.5% | 4,570 | 1,349 | 82 |
| Randolph County | 32.7% | 3,004 | 1,199 | 145 |
| Taylor County | 5% | 1,035 | 323 | 12 |
| Tucker County | 48.2% | 1,447 | 607 | 71 |
| Upshur County | 0.4% | 2,575 | 792 | 31 |
Highways crossing Barbour County: WV 92 (26 miles), US 119 (19 miles), WV 38 (12 miles), WV 57 (10 miles), WV 76 (7 miles) and WV 20 (4 miles). Towns inside: Philippi, Belington and Junior.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Barbour County?
WVDNR counted 1,952 deer in Barbour County in 2025, 614 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 614 to 938, the most in 2022.
How many bears are taken in Barbour County?
37 in 2025: 13 by bow and crossbow, 1 in the September and October gun seasons, 13 during buck gun season and 10 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 32 (2021), 31 (2022), 51 (2023), 41 (2024) and 37 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Barbour County in 2026?
The buck firearms season runs November 23 to December 6, 2026, statewide except Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties. Archery and crossbow season runs September 26 to December 31, and muzzleloader December 14 to 20 (WVDNR 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary).
How much public land is in Barbour County?
1,859 acres, 0.8% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Pleasant Creek (1,353 acres in the county) and Teter Creek Lake (141 acres in the county).
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer, bear and turkey harvest: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin.
- Seasons: WVDNR 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary.
- County boundary: West Virginia county boundaries (WVDOT). WMAs: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT). 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 West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from WVDNR and federal sources, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
West Virginia hunting Harrison County Preston County Randolph County Taylor County Tucker County Upshur County