Pendleton County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 2,187 deer taken in Pendleton County in 2025: 1,140 bucks in the buck firearms season, 557 antlerless deer, 427 by bow and crossbow, 54 by muzzleloader and 9 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 80 bears and 150 spring gobblers here. 30% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (133,557 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)Pendleton CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 698 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 30% (134,249 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Potomac WMA, Shenandoah WMA and Thorn Creek WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 2,187 (1,488 antlered, 627 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 1,140 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 3.17 (WVDNR; 690 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 80 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 150 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Pendleton County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Pendleton County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 1,140 bucks, against 1,329 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,140 | 557 | 144 | 283 | 54 |
| 2024 | 1,329 | 579 | 183 | 339 | 57 |
| 2023 | 1,408 | 532 | 187 | 278 | 74 |
| 2022 | 1,130 | 495 | 161 | 272 | 66 |
| 2021 | 1,180 | 585 | 166 | 310 | 59 |
By type in 2025: 1,488 antlered deer, 44 with antlers under three inches, 27 button bucks, 627 does and 1 with antlers shed. That comes to 3.17 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.65 bucks and 0.81 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Pendleton County?
WVDNR counted 80 bears in Pendleton County in 2025. By season: 6 bow and crossbow, 6 September and October gun, 0 buck gun, 68 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 |
| 2024 | 55 |
| 2023 | 104 |
| 2022 | 47 |
| 2021 | 147 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Pendleton County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 150 | 23 |
| 2024 | 157 | 26 |
| 2023 | 185 | 22 |
| 2022 | 126 | 22 |
| 2021 | 138 | 19 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Pendleton 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 Pendleton County?
30% of Pendleton County is public land: 134,249 of its 446,781 acres. The largest share is national forest, 133,557 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Pendleton County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 133,557 | 29.9% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 692 | 0.2% |
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 Pendleton County
| WMA | Acres in Pendleton County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Potomac WMA | 81,466 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Shenandoah WMA | 50,747 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Thorn Creek WMA | 571 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Pendleton County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 6.8% | 2,065 | 1,040 | 30 |
| Hardy County | 15.6% | 2,446 | 1,166 | 37 |
| Pocahontas County | 57.4% | 1,862 | 1,090 | 115 |
| Randolph County | 32.7% | 3,004 | 1,199 | 145 |
Highways crossing Pendleton County: US 33 (52 miles), WV 28 (34 miles) and WV 55 (17 miles). Towns inside: Franklin.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Pendleton County?
WVDNR counted 2,187 deer in Pendleton County in 2025, 1,140 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 1,130 to 1,408, the most in 2023.
How many bears are taken in Pendleton County?
80 in 2025: 6 by bow and crossbow, 6 in the September and October gun seasons, 0 during buck gun season and 68 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 147 (2021), 47 (2022), 104 (2023), 55 (2024) and 80 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Pendleton 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 Pendleton County?
134,249 acres, 30% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Potomac (81,466 acres in the county), Shenandoah (50,747 acres in the county) and Thorn Creek (571 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 Grant County Hardy County Pocahontas County Randolph County