Webster County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 1,244 deer taken in Webster County in 2025: 589 bucks in the buck firearms season, 183 antlerless deer, 386 by bow and crossbow, 72 by muzzleloader and 14 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 146 bears and 127 spring gobblers here. 20.9% of the county is public land, the largest share national forest (65,718 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 EngineersJointly managed landWebster CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 556 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 20.9% (74,370 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Cranberry WMA, Tea Creek WMA, Big Ditch WMA and Elk River WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,244 (874 antlered, 337 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 589 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.33 (WVDNR; 535 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 146 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 127 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Webster County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Webster County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 589 bucks, against 797 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 589 | 183 | 98 | 288 | 72 |
| 2024 | 797 | 297 | 111 | 341 | 110 |
| 2023 | 723 | 278 | 97 | 297 | 98 |
| 2022 | 842 | 320 | 132 | 385 | 106 |
| 2021 | 662 | 221 | 149 | 341 | 67 |
By type in 2025: 874 antlered deer, 18 with antlers under three inches, 12 button bucks, 337 does and 3 with antlers shed. That comes to 2.33 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.1 bucks and 0.34 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Webster County?
WVDNR counted 146 bears in Webster County in 2025. By season: 24 bow and crossbow, 16 September and October gun, 0 buck gun, 106 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 146 |
| 2024 | 112 |
| 2023 | 158 |
| 2022 | 70 |
| 2021 | 145 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Webster County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 127 | 12 |
| 2024 | 112 | 35 |
| 2023 | 143 | 26 |
| 2022 | 84 | 39 |
| 2021 | 103 | 12 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Webster 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 Webster County?
20.9% of Webster County is public land: 74,370 of its 355,972 acres. The largest share is national forest, 65,718 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Webster County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 65,718 | 18.5% |
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 8,484 | 2.4% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 153 | under 0.1% |
| Jointly managed land | 15 | 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 Webster County
| WMA | Acres in Webster County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Cranberry WMA | 63,489 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Tea Creek WMA | 2,212 | U.S. Forest Service |
| Big Ditch WMA | 355 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Elk River WMA | 128 | WV Division of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Webster County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton County | 10.1% | 2,242 | 824 | 60 |
| Greenbrier County | 17.7% | 3,577 | 1,733 | 127 |
| Lewis County | 9.4% | 2,088 | 738 | 31 |
| Nicholas County | 8.9% | 2,616 | 865 | 97 |
| Pocahontas County | 57.4% | 1,862 | 1,090 | 115 |
| Randolph County | 32.7% | 3,004 | 1,199 | 145 |
| Upshur County | 0.4% | 2,575 | 792 | 31 |
Highways crossing Webster County: WV 20 (48 miles), WV 15 (37 miles) and WV 82 (12 miles). Towns inside: Cowen, Addison (Webster Springs) and Camden-on-Gauley.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Webster County?
WVDNR counted 1,244 deer in Webster County in 2025, 589 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 589 to 842, the most in 2022.
How many bears are taken in Webster County?
146 in 2025: 24 by bow and crossbow, 16 in the September and October gun seasons, 0 during buck gun season and 106 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 145 (2021), 70 (2022), 158 (2023), 112 (2024) and 146 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Webster 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 Webster County?
74,370 acres, 20.9% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Cranberry (63,489 acres in the county), Tea Creek (2,212 acres in the county), Big Ditch (355 acres in the county) and Elk River (128 acres in the county).
Get a West Virginia hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for West Virginia are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, West Virginia included.
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 Braxton County Greenbrier County Lewis County Nicholas County Pocahontas County Randolph County Upshur County