Grant County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 2,065 deer taken in Grant County in 2025: 1,040 bucks in the buck firearms season, 509 antlerless deer, 450 by bow and crossbow, 64 by muzzleloader and 2 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 30 bears and 171 spring gobblers here. 6.8% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (20,597 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)National wildlife refugeGrant CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 480 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 6.8% (20,837 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Potomac WMA and Spring Run WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 2,065 (1,426 antlered, 583 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 1,040 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 4.38 (WVDNR; 471 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 30 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 171 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Grant County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Grant County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 1,040 bucks, against 1,179 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,040 | 509 | 145 | 305 | 64 |
| 2024 | 1,179 | 651 | 149 | 301 | 74 |
| 2023 | 1,217 | 520 | 152 | 255 | 83 |
| 2022 | 1,070 | 552 | 165 | 239 | 64 |
| 2021 | 1,065 | 558 | 148 | 264 | 75 |
By type in 2025: 1,426 antlered deer, 36 with antlers under three inches, 20 button bucks, 583 does and 0 with antlers shed. That comes to 4.38 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (2.21 bucks and 1.08 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Grant County?
WVDNR counted 30 bears in Grant County in 2025. By season: 4 bow and crossbow, 3 September and October gun, 0 buck gun, 23 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 |
| 2024 | 44 |
| 2023 | 47 |
| 2022 | 31 |
| 2021 | 75 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Grant County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 171 | 12 |
| 2024 | 172 | 26 |
| 2023 | 207 | 25 |
| 2022 | 141 | 25 |
| 2021 | 146 | 26 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Grant 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 Grant County?
6.8% of Grant County is public land: 20,837 of its 307,262 acres. The largest share is national forest, 20,597 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Grant County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 20,597 | 6.7% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 146 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 94 | 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 Grant County
| WMA | Acres in Grant County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Potomac WMA | 20,383 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Spring Run WMA | 145 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Grant County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire County | 5.8% | 2,010 | 926 | 21 |
| Hardy County | 15.6% | 2,446 | 1,166 | 37 |
| Mineral County | 6.9% | 1,948 | 809 | 18 |
| Pendleton County | 30% | 2,187 | 1,140 | 80 |
| Preston County | 3.5% | 4,570 | 1,349 | 82 |
| Randolph County | 32.7% | 3,004 | 1,199 | 145 |
| Tucker County | 48.2% | 1,447 | 607 | 71 |
Highways crossing Grant County: WV 42 (30 miles), WV 93 (19 miles), WV 55 (16 miles), WV 28 (16 miles), US 50 (12 miles) and WV 90 (11 miles). Towns inside: Petersburg and Bayard.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Grant County?
WVDNR counted 2,065 deer in Grant County in 2025, 1,040 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 1,040 to 1,217, the most in 2023.
How many bears are taken in Grant County?
30 in 2025: 4 by bow and crossbow, 3 in the September and October gun seasons, 0 during buck gun season and 23 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 75 (2021), 31 (2022), 47 (2023), 44 (2024) and 30 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Grant 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 Grant County?
20,837 acres, 6.8% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Potomac (20,383 acres in the county) and Spring Run (145 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 Hampshire County Hardy County Mineral County Pendleton County Preston County Randolph County Tucker County