Ritchie County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 1,365 deer taken in Ritchie County in 2025: 555 bucks in the buck firearms season, 462 antlerless deer, 306 by bow and crossbow, 36 by muzzleloader and 6 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 12 bears and 228 spring gobblers here. 5.6% of the county is public land, the largest share WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) (16,356 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.
WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks)Army Corps of EngineersNational wildlife refugeRitchie CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 454 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 5.6% (16,356 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Ritchie Mines WMA, Hughes River WMA, Sand Hill WMA and Toll Gate WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,365 (764 antlered, 495 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 555 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 3.08 (WVDNR; 443 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 12 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 228 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Ritchie County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Ritchie County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 555 bucks, against 1,229 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 555 | 462 | 118 | 188 | 36 |
| 2024 | 1,229 | 1,129 | 264 | 511 | 116 |
| 2023 | 946 | 891 | 192 | 317 | 84 |
| 2022 | 1,620 | 1,234 | 261 | 524 | 132 |
| 2021 | 996 | 883 | 221 | 316 | 63 |
By type in 2025: 764 antlered deer, 60 with antlers under three inches, 45 button bucks, 495 does and 1 with antlers shed. That comes to 3.08 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.25 bucks and 1.04 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Ritchie County?
WVDNR counted 12 bears in Ritchie County in 2025. By season: 1 bow and crossbow, 1 September and October gun, 6 buck gun, 4 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2024 | 16 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2021 | 12 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Ritchie County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 228 | 3 |
| 2024 | 288 | 18 |
| 2023 | 271 | 7 |
| 2022 | 176 | 12 |
| 2021 | 252 | 6 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Ritchie 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 Ritchie County?
5.6% of Ritchie County is public land: 16,356 of its 290,468 acres. The largest share is WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks), 16,356 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ritchie County |
|---|---|---|
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 16,356 | 5.6% |
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 Ritchie County
| WMA | Acres in Ritchie County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Ritchie Mines WMA | 6,779 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Hughes River WMA | 5,002 | Heartwood Forestland Fund, Martin Marietta |
| Sand Hill WMA | 1,609 | CNG Transmission Corporation |
| Toll Gate WMA | 697 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Ritchie County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 1% | 1,164 | 432 | 13 |
| Doddridge County | 0.2% | 1,291 | 550 | 6 |
| Gilmer County | 1.8% | 1,209 | 478 | 25 |
| Pleasants County | 3.2% | 186 | 99 | 0 |
| Tyler County | 2.3% | 982 | 417 | 4 |
| Wirt County | 8.5% | 680 | 267 | 12 |
| Wood County | 1.9% | 619 | 218 | 0 |
Highways crossing Ritchie County: US 50 (42 miles), WV 74 (32 miles), WV 16 (28 miles), WV 47 (27 miles) and WV 31 (21 miles). Towns inside: Pennsboro, Harrisville, Ellenboro and Cairo.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Ritchie County?
WVDNR counted 1,365 deer in Ritchie County in 2025, 555 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 555 to 1,620, the most in 2022.
How many bears are taken in Ritchie County?
12 in 2025: 1 by bow and crossbow, 1 in the September and October gun seasons, 6 during buck gun season and 4 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 12 (2021), 4 (2022), 17 (2023), 16 (2024) and 12 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Ritchie 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 Ritchie County?
16,356 acres, 5.6% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Ritchie Mines (6,779 acres in the county), Hughes River (5,002 acres in the county), Sand Hill (1,609 acres in the county) and Toll Gate (697 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 Calhoun County Doddridge County Gilmer County Pleasants County Tyler County Wirt County Wood County