Clay County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 923 deer taken in Clay County in 2025: 351 bucks in the buck firearms season, 240 antlerless deer, 303 by bow and crossbow, 26 by muzzleloader and 3 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 42 bears and 95 spring gobblers here. 2.5% of the county is public land, the largest share WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) (5,436 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.
WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks)Army Corps of EngineersNational Park ServiceClay CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 344 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.5% (5,436 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Wallback WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 923 (568 antlered, 317 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 351 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.73 (WVDNR; 338 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 42 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 95 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Clay County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Clay County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 351 bucks, against 275 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 351 | 240 | 98 | 205 | 26 |
| 2024 | 275 | 213 | 62 | 146 | 40 |
| 2023 | 631 | 301 | 106 | 231 | 61 |
| 2022 | 449 | 187 | 72 | 155 | 39 |
| 2021 | 601 | 216 | 128 | 239 | 22 |
By type in 2025: 568 antlered deer, 18 with antlers under three inches, 19 button bucks, 317 does and 1 with antlers shed. That comes to 2.73 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.04 bucks and 0.71 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Clay County?
WVDNR counted 42 bears in Clay County in 2025. By season: 4 bow and crossbow, 5 September and October gun, 4 buck gun, 29 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 |
| 2024 | 49 |
| 2023 | 26 |
| 2022 | 29 |
| 2021 | 36 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Clay County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 95 | 5 |
| 2024 | 87 | 9 |
| 2023 | 126 | 13 |
| 2022 | 73 | 4 |
| 2021 | 123 | 7 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Clay 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 Clay County?
2.5% of Clay County is public land: 5,436 of its 220,081 acres. The largest share is WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks), 5,436 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Clay County |
|---|---|---|
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 5,436 | 2.5% |
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 Clay County
| WMA | Acres in Clay County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Wallback WMA | 5,439 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Clay County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton County | 10.1% | 2,242 | 824 | 60 |
| Calhoun County | 1% | 1,164 | 432 | 13 |
| Fayette County | 12.6% | 2,673 | 993 | 148 |
| Kanawha County | 3.5% | 2,338 | 832 | 163 |
| Nicholas County | 8.9% | 2,616 | 865 | 97 |
| Roane County | 1.9% | 1,760 | 650 | 13 |
Highways crossing Clay County: WV 16 (42 miles), WV 4 (33 miles), I-79 (17 miles), WV 36 (7 miles) and WV 26 (6 miles). Towns inside: Clay.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Clay County?
WVDNR counted 923 deer in Clay County in 2025, 351 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 275 to 631, the most in 2023.
How many bears are taken in Clay County?
42 in 2025: 4 by bow and crossbow, 5 in the September and October gun seasons, 4 during buck gun season and 29 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 36 (2021), 29 (2022), 26 (2023), 49 (2024) and 42 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Clay 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 Clay County?
5,436 acres, 2.5% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Wallback (5,439 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 Braxton County Calhoun County Fayette County Kanawha County Nicholas County Roane County