Randolph County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 3,004 deer taken in Randolph County in 2025: 1,199 bucks in the buck firearms season, 774 antlerless deer, 860 by bow and crossbow, 158 by muzzleloader and 13 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 145 bears and 238 spring gobblers here. 32.7% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (203,336 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)National wildlife refugeMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Randolph CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 1,040 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 32.7% (217,358 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Cheat WMA, Otter Creek WMA, Beaver Dam WMA and Potomac WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 3,004 (1,864 antlered, 1,020 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 1,199 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.95 (WVDNR; 1,019 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 145 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 238 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Randolph County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Randolph County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 1,199 bucks, against 1,583 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,199 | 774 | 168 | 692 | 158 |
| 2024 | 1,583 | 1,101 | 266 | 878 | 206 |
| 2023 | 1,593 | 738 | 225 | 670 | 199 |
| 2022 | 1,644 | 815 | 255 | 831 | 193 |
| 2021 | 1,338 | 674 | 259 | 764 | 125 |
By type in 2025: 1,864 antlered deer, 57 with antlers under three inches, 52 button bucks, 1,020 does and 11 with antlers shed. That comes to 2.95 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.18 bucks and 0.76 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Randolph County?
WVDNR counted 145 bears in Randolph County in 2025. By season: 21 bow and crossbow, 23 September and October gun, 2 buck gun, 99 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 145 |
| 2024 | 109 |
| 2023 | 171 |
| 2022 | 100 |
| 2021 | 185 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Randolph County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 238 | 13 |
| 2024 | 275 | 77 |
| 2023 | 261 | 42 |
| 2022 | 223 | 72 |
| 2021 | 225 | 16 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Randolph 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 Randolph County?
32.7% of Randolph County is public land: 217,358 of its 665,526 acres. The largest share is national forest, 203,336 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Randolph County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 203,336 | 30.6% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 14,022 | 2.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 146 | 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 Randolph County
| WMA | Acres in Randolph County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheat WMA | 79,211 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Otter Creek WMA | 41,757 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Beaver Dam WMA | 40,627 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Potomac WMA | 25,526 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Tea Creek WMA | 14,230 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Huttonsville State Farm WMA | 2,805 | WV Department of Agriculture |
| Beckys Creek WMA | 1,904 | WV Department of Agriculture |
| Fox Forest WMA | 123 | Biola, Perdue |
| Little River WMA | 99 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Blackwater WMA | 41 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Valley Bend Wetlands WMA | 32 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Randolph County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbour County | 0.8% | 1,952 | 614 | 37 |
| Grant County | 6.8% | 2,065 | 1,040 | 30 |
| Pendleton County | 30% | 2,187 | 1,140 | 80 |
| Pocahontas County | 57.4% | 1,862 | 1,090 | 115 |
| Tucker County | 48.2% | 1,447 | 607 | 71 |
| Upshur County | 0.4% | 2,575 | 792 | 31 |
| Webster County | 20.9% | 1,244 | 589 | 146 |
Highways crossing Randolph County: WV 55 (75 miles), WV 92 (48 miles), WV 15 (12 miles) and WV 32 (5 miles). Towns inside: Elkins, Montrose, Mill Creek and Beverly.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Randolph County?
WVDNR counted 3,004 deer in Randolph County in 2025, 1,199 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 1,199 to 1,644, the most in 2022.
How many bears are taken in Randolph County?
145 in 2025: 21 by bow and crossbow, 23 in the September and October gun seasons, 2 during buck gun season and 99 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 185 (2021), 100 (2022), 171 (2023), 109 (2024) and 145 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Randolph 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 Randolph County?
217,358 acres, 32.7% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Cheat (79,211 acres in the county), Otter Creek (41,757 acres in the county), Beaver Dam (40,627 acres in the county) and Potomac (25,526 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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