Pocahontas County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 1,862 deer taken in Pocahontas County in 2025: 1,090 bucks in the buck firearms season, 354 antlerless deer, 345 by bow and crossbow, 63 by muzzleloader and 10 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 115 bears and 152 spring gobblers here. 57.4% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (311,661 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)Pocahontas CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 942 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 57.4% (345,843 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Little River WMA, Rimel WMA, Cranberry WMA and Tea Creek WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,862 (1,320 antlered, 472 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 1,090 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.04 (WVDNR; 911 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 115 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 152 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Pocahontas County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Pocahontas County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 1,090 bucks, against 1,269 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,090 | 354 | 107 | 238 | 63 |
| 2024 | 1,269 | 412 | 120 | 281 | 70 |
| 2023 | 1,231 | 321 | 107 | 249 | 72 |
| 2022 | 1,185 | 314 | 132 | 234 | 52 |
| 2021 | 1,021 | 308 | 95 | 217 | 52 |
By type in 2025: 1,320 antlered deer, 39 with antlers under three inches, 31 button bucks, 472 does and 0 with antlers shed. That comes to 2.04 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.2 bucks and 0.39 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Pocahontas County?
WVDNR counted 115 bears in Pocahontas County in 2025. By season: 13 bow and crossbow, 13 September and October gun, 1 buck gun, 88 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 115 |
| 2024 | 88 |
| 2023 | 137 |
| 2022 | 101 |
| 2021 | 199 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Pocahontas County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 152 | 22 |
| 2024 | 186 | 53 |
| 2023 | 193 | 28 |
| 2022 | 165 | 34 |
| 2021 | 146 | 34 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County?
57.4% of Pocahontas County is public land: 345,843 of its 602,699 acres. The largest share is national forest, 311,661 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Pocahontas County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 311,661 | 51.7% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 34,182 | 5.7% |
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 Pocahontas County
| WMA | Acres in Pocahontas County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Little River WMA | 121,497 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Rimel WMA | 68,057 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Cranberry WMA | 58,640 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Tea Creek WMA | 51,013 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Neola WMA | 11,207 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Handley WMA | 777 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Cheat WMA | 360 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Slaty Fork WMA | 48 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Pocahontas County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbrier County | 17.7% | 3,577 | 1,733 | 127 |
| Pendleton County | 30% | 2,187 | 1,140 | 80 |
| Randolph County | 32.7% | 3,004 | 1,199 | 145 |
| Webster County | 20.9% | 1,244 | 589 | 146 |
Highways crossing Pocahontas County: WV 92 (50 miles), WV 55 (46 miles), WV 28 (40 miles), WV 39 (35 miles), WV 150 (22 miles) and WV 66 (16 miles). Towns inside: Marlinton, Durbin and Hillsboro.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Pocahontas County?
WVDNR counted 1,862 deer in Pocahontas County in 2025, 1,090 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 1,021 to 1,269, the most in 2024.
How many bears are taken in Pocahontas County?
115 in 2025: 13 by bow and crossbow, 13 in the September and October gun seasons, 1 during buck gun season and 88 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 199 (2021), 101 (2022), 137 (2023), 88 (2024) and 115 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County?
345,843 acres, 57.4% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Little River (121,497 acres in the county), Rimel (68,057 acres in the county), Cranberry (58,640 acres in the county) and Tea Creek (51,013 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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