Kanawha County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 2,338 deer taken in Kanawha County in 2025: 832 bucks in the buck firearms season, 354 antlerless deer, 1,045 by bow and crossbow, 88 by muzzleloader and 19 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 163 bears and 306 spring gobblers here. 3.5% of the county is public land, the largest share WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) (20,076 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 ServiceMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Kanawha CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 911 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.5% (20,267 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Wallback WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 2,338 (1,538 antlered, 695 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 832 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.93 (WVDNR; 798 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 163 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 306 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Kanawha County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Kanawha County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 832 bucks, against 902 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 832 | 354 | 416 | 629 | 88 |
| 2024 | 902 | 387 | 468 | 631 | 87 |
| 2023 | 1,233 | 314 | 388 | 571 | 68 |
| 2022 | 1,319 | 376 | 408 | 654 | 79 |
| 2021 | 1,200 | 391 | 533 | 693 | 59 |
By type in 2025: 1,538 antlered deer, 63 with antlers under three inches, 39 button bucks, 695 does and 3 with antlers shed. That comes to 2.93 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.04 bucks and 0.44 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Kanawha County?
WVDNR counted 163 bears in Kanawha County in 2025. By season: 27 bow and crossbow, 51 September and October gun, 31 buck gun, 54 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 163 |
| 2024 | 147 |
| 2023 | 150 |
| 2022 | 94 |
| 2021 | 130 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Kanawha County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 306 | 5 |
| 2024 | 278 | 23 |
| 2023 | 310 | 20 |
| 2022 | 210 | 10 |
| 2021 | 299 | 10 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Kanawha 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 Kanawha County?
3.5% of Kanawha County is public land: 20,267 of its 582,924 acres. The largest share is WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks), 20,076 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Kanawha County |
|---|---|---|
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 20,076 | 3.4% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 191 | under 0.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 124 | 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 Kanawha County
| WMA | Acres in Kanawha County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Wallback WMA | 1,859 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Kanawha County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 0% | 1,250 | 514 | 196 |
| Clay County | 2.5% | 923 | 351 | 42 |
| Fayette County | 12.6% | 2,673 | 993 | 148 |
| Jackson County | 3.3% | 1,633 | 569 | 1 |
| Lincoln County | 2.6% | 1,419 | 582 | 6 |
| Nicholas County | 8.9% | 2,616 | 865 | 97 |
| Putnam County | 3.5% | 1,390 | 453 | 1 |
| Raleigh County | 3.8% | 2,844 | 893 | 130 |
| Roane County | 1.9% | 1,760 | 650 | 13 |
Highways crossing Kanawha County: I-77 (101 miles), I-64 (94 miles), US 60 (70 miles), US 119 (54 miles), I-79 (43 miles) and WV 61 (38 miles). Towns inside: Charleston, South Charleston, Nitro and St. Albans.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Kanawha County?
WVDNR counted 2,338 deer in Kanawha County in 2025, 832 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 832 to 1,319, the most in 2022.
How many bears are taken in Kanawha County?
163 in 2025: 27 by bow and crossbow, 51 in the September and October gun seasons, 31 during buck gun season and 54 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 130 (2021), 94 (2022), 150 (2023), 147 (2024) and 163 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Kanawha 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 Kanawha County?
20,267 acres, 3.5% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Wallback (1,859 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.
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