Greenbrier County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 3,577 deer taken in Greenbrier County in 2025: 1,733 bucks in the buck firearms season, 877 antlerless deer, 821 by bow and crossbow, 131 by muzzleloader and 15 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 127 bears and 259 spring gobblers here. 17.7% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (108,112 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)Army Corps of EngineersNational Park ServiceNational wildlife refugeGreenbrier CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 1,024 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 17.7% (116,094 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Neola WMA, Cranberry WMA and Meadow River WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 3,577 (2,322 antlered, 1,124 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 1,733 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 3.61 (WVDNR; 991 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 127 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 259 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Greenbrier County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Greenbrier County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 1,733 bucks, against 1,756 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,733 | 877 | 246 | 575 | 131 |
| 2024 | 1,756 | 817 | 228 | 559 | 145 |
| 2023 | 1,884 | 759 | 227 | 483 | 160 |
| 2022 | 1,838 | 686 | 252 | 511 | 153 |
| 2021 | 1,595 | 594 | 264 | 511 | 116 |
By type in 2025: 2,322 antlered deer, 58 with antlers under three inches, 61 button bucks, 1,124 does and 12 with antlers shed. That comes to 3.61 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.75 bucks and 0.88 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Greenbrier County?
WVDNR counted 127 bears in Greenbrier County in 2025. By season: 29 bow and crossbow, 7 September and October gun, 3 buck gun, 88 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 127 |
| 2024 | 86 |
| 2023 | 151 |
| 2022 | 86 |
| 2021 | 152 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Greenbrier County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 259 | 20 |
| 2024 | 315 | 57 |
| 2023 | 288 | 13 |
| 2022 | 321 | 57 |
| 2021 | 259 | 41 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Greenbrier 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 Greenbrier County?
17.7% of Greenbrier County is public land: 116,094 of its 655,665 acres. The largest share is national forest, 108,112 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Greenbrier County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 108,112 | 16.5% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 7,916 | 1.2% |
| National wildlife refuge | 66 | 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 Greenbrier County
| WMA | Acres in Greenbrier County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Neola WMA | 94,500 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Cranberry WMA | 13,489 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Meadow River WMA | 2,709 | WV Division of Natural Resources, WV Department of Highways |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Greenbrier County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 12.6% | 2,673 | 993 | 148 |
| Monroe County | 8.4% | 2,677 | 1,059 | 52 |
| Nicholas County | 8.9% | 2,616 | 865 | 97 |
| Pocahontas County | 57.4% | 1,862 | 1,090 | 115 |
| Summers County | 12.7% | 1,709 | 635 | 33 |
| Webster County | 20.9% | 1,244 | 589 | 146 |
Highways crossing Greenbrier County: I-64 (73 miles), US 60 (50 miles), US 219 (37 miles), WV 92 (25 miles), WV 63 (22 miles) and WV 12 (13 miles). Towns inside: Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs, Ronceverte and Rainelle.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Greenbrier County?
WVDNR counted 3,577 deer in Greenbrier County in 2025, 1,733 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 1,595 to 1,884, the most in 2023.
How many bears are taken in Greenbrier County?
127 in 2025: 29 by bow and crossbow, 7 in the September and October gun seasons, 3 during buck gun season and 88 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 152 (2021), 86 (2022), 151 (2023), 86 (2024) and 127 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Greenbrier 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 Greenbrier County?
116,094 acres, 17.7% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Neola (94,500 acres in the county), Cranberry (13,489 acres in the county) and Meadow River (2,709 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 Fayette County Monroe County Nicholas County Pocahontas County Summers County Webster County