Monroe County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 2,677 deer taken in Monroe County in 2025: 1,059 bucks in the buck firearms season, 876 antlerless deer, 673 by bow and crossbow, 57 by muzzleloader and 12 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 52 bears and 204 spring gobblers here. 8.4% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (19,816 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 ServiceJointly managed landMonroe CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 473 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 8.4% (25,522 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Potts Creek WMA, Moncove Lake WMA, Bluestone Lake WMA and Andrew Rowan WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 2,677 (1,533 antlered, 1,024 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 1,059 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 5.78 (WVDNR; 463 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 52 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 204 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Monroe County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Monroe County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 1,059 bucks, against 1,095 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,059 | 876 | 230 | 443 | 57 |
| 2024 | 1,095 | 998 | 178 | 398 | 82 |
| 2023 | 1,389 | 921 | 213 | 401 | 95 |
| 2022 | 1,168 | 863 | 209 | 364 | 76 |
| 2021 | 1,212 | 891 | 211 | 391 | 66 |
By type in 2025: 1,533 antlered deer, 71 with antlers under three inches, 48 button bucks, 1,024 does and 1 with antlers shed. That comes to 5.78 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (2.29 bucks and 1.89 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Monroe County?
WVDNR counted 52 bears in Monroe County in 2025. By season: 14 bow and crossbow, 8 September and October gun, 11 buck gun, 19 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 52 |
| 2024 | 58 |
| 2023 | 69 |
| 2022 | 48 |
| 2021 | 76 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Monroe County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 204 | 26 |
| 2024 | 254 | 39 |
| 2023 | 255 | 28 |
| 2022 | 295 | 41 |
| 2021 | 256 | 36 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Monroe 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 Monroe County?
8.4% of Monroe County is public land: 25,522 of its 303,018 acres. The largest share is national forest, 19,816 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Monroe County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 19,816 | 6.5% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 4,919 | 1.6% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 733 | 0.2% |
| Jointly managed land | 28 | under 0.1% |
| National Park Service | 26 | 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 Monroe County
| WMA | Acres in Monroe County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Potts Creek WMA | 18,489 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Moncove Lake WMA | 870 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Bluestone Lake WMA | 665 | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Andrew Rowan WMA | 620 | WV Department of Agriculture |
| Cove Creek WMA | 428 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Monroe County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbrier County | 17.7% | 3,577 | 1,733 | 127 |
| Mercer County | 3.2% | 2,069 | 671 | 25 |
| Summers County | 12.7% | 1,709 | 635 | 33 |
Highways crossing Monroe County: WV 3 (38 miles), US 219 (32 miles), WV 122 (12 miles), WV 12 (11 miles), WV 311 (4 miles) and WV 219 (4 miles). Towns inside: Union and Peterstown.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Monroe County?
WVDNR counted 2,677 deer in Monroe County in 2025, 1,059 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 1,059 to 1,389, the most in 2023.
How many bears are taken in Monroe County?
52 in 2025: 14 by bow and crossbow, 8 in the September and October gun seasons, 11 during buck gun season and 19 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 76 (2021), 48 (2022), 69 (2023), 58 (2024) and 52 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Monroe 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 Monroe County?
25,522 acres, 8.4% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Potts Creek (18,489 acres in the county), Moncove Lake (870 acres in the county), Bluestone Lake (665 acres in the county) and Andrew Rowan (620 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 Greenbrier County Mercer County Summers County