Nicholas County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 2,616 deer taken in Nicholas County in 2025: 865 bucks in the buck firearms season, 646 antlerless deer, 889 by bow and crossbow, 186 by muzzleloader and 30 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 97 bears and 252 spring gobblers here. 8.9% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (24,001 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 ServiceNicholas CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 654 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 8.9% (37,476 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Cranberry WMA and Summersville Lake WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 2,616 (1,490 antlered, 1,019 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 865 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 4.14 (WVDNR; 632 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 97 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 252 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Nicholas County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Nicholas County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 865 bucks, against 1,013 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 865 | 646 | 295 | 594 | 186 |
| 2024 | 1,013 | 480 | 250 | 501 | 207 |
| 2023 | 1,161 | 509 | 257 | 520 | 225 |
| 2022 | 1,065 | 406 | 274 | 522 | 187 |
| 2021 | 916 | 317 | 225 | 454 | 116 |
By type in 2025: 1,490 antlered deer, 38 with antlers under three inches, 64 button bucks, 1,019 does and 5 with antlers shed. That comes to 4.14 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.37 bucks and 1.02 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Nicholas County?
WVDNR counted 97 bears in Nicholas County in 2025. By season: 21 bow and crossbow, 9 September and October gun, 0 buck gun, 67 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 |
| 2024 | 209 |
| 2023 | 206 |
| 2022 | 119 |
| 2021 | 209 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Nicholas County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 252 | 24 |
| 2024 | 258 | 66 |
| 2023 | 256 | 57 |
| 2022 | 217 | 65 |
| 2021 | 219 | 23 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Nicholas 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 Nicholas County?
8.9% of Nicholas County is public land: 37,476 of its 418,823 acres. The largest share is national forest, 24,001 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Nicholas County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 24,001 | 5.7% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 9,810 | 2.3% |
| National Park Service | 3,353 | 0.8% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 292 | 0.1% |
| Jointly managed land | 20 | 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 Nicholas County
| WMA | Acres in Nicholas County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Cranberry WMA | 23,668 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Summersville Lake WMA | 6,175 | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Nicholas County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton County | 10.1% | 2,242 | 824 | 60 |
| Clay County | 2.5% | 923 | 351 | 42 |
| Fayette County | 12.6% | 2,673 | 993 | 148 |
| Greenbrier County | 17.7% | 3,577 | 1,733 | 127 |
| Kanawha County | 3.5% | 2,338 | 832 | 163 |
| Webster County | 20.9% | 1,244 | 589 | 146 |
Highways crossing Nicholas County: US 19 (63 miles), WV 39 (55 miles), WV 20 (34 miles), WV 55 (30 miles), WV 41 (28 miles) and WV 129 (12 miles). Towns inside: Summersville and Richwood.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Nicholas County?
WVDNR counted 2,616 deer in Nicholas County in 2025, 865 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 865 to 1,161, the most in 2023.
How many bears are taken in Nicholas County?
97 in 2025: 21 by bow and crossbow, 9 in the September and October gun seasons, 0 during buck gun season and 67 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 209 (2021), 119 (2022), 206 (2023), 209 (2024) and 97 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Nicholas 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 Nicholas County?
37,476 acres, 8.9% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Cranberry (23,668 acres in the county) and Summersville Lake (6,175 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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