Wirt County, West Virginia: deer, bear and turkey hunting, harvest and public land
WVDNR counted 680 deer taken in Wirt County in 2025: 267 bucks in the buck firearms season, 246 antlerless deer, 145 by bow and crossbow, 20 by muzzleloader and 2 in the Mountaineer Heritage season. Hunters also took 12 bears and 132 spring gobblers here. 8.5% of the county is public land, the largest share WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) (12,739 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)Wirt CountyNeighboring countiesHighway
| Size | 235 square miles |
|---|---|
| Public land | 8.5% (12,739 acres) |
| Wildlife management areas | Little Kanawha WMA, Burning Springs WMA, Lynn Camp WMA and Hughes River WMA |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 680 (349 antlered, 274 does) |
| Bucks, buck firearms season 2025 | 267 |
| Deer taken per square mile of habitat, 2025 | 2.96 (WVDNR; 230 square miles of deer habitat) |
| Bears taken, 2025 | 12 |
| Spring gobblers, 2025 | 132 |
| Buck firearms season, 2026 | November 23 to December 6 |
How many deer are taken in Wirt County?
WVDNR's bulletin gives Wirt County's deer by season for five years. In 2025 the buck firearms season produced 267 bucks, against 606 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks, buck firearms season | Antlerless season | Archery (bow) | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 267 | 246 | 49 | 96 | 20 |
| 2024 | 606 | 494 | 139 | 255 | 50 |
| 2023 | 630 | 434 | 131 | 193 | 71 |
| 2022 | 783 | 566 | 148 | 229 | 69 |
| 2021 | 617 | 451 | 163 | 207 | 63 |
By type in 2025: 349 antlered deer, 29 with antlers under three inches, 28 button bucks, 274 does and 0 with antlers shed. That comes to 2.96 deer for every square mile of deer habitat, by WVDNR's own measure (1.16 bucks and 1.07 antlerless deer per square mile).
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 15 to 22.
How many bears are taken in Wirt County?
WVDNR counted 12 bears in Wirt County in 2025. By season: 4 bow and crossbow, 0 September and October gun, 6 buck gun, 2 December firearms and 0 Mountaineer Heritage.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2021 | 7 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 1 and 3.
How many turkeys are taken in Wirt County?
| Year | Spring gobblers | Fall turkeys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 132 | 2 |
| 2024 | 148 | 7 |
| 2023 | 174 | 10 |
| 2022 | 125 | 13 |
| 2021 | 157 | 3 |
Source: WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin, Tables 7 and 9.
When are the 2026-27 seasons in Wirt 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 Wirt County?
8.5% of Wirt County is public land: 12,739 of its 150,402 acres. The largest share is WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks), 12,739 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wirt County |
|---|---|---|
| WVDNR land (WMAs, state forests, parks) | 12,739 | 8.5% |
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 Wirt County
| WMA | Acres in Wirt County | Owner (WVDNR's record) |
|---|---|---|
| Little Kanawha WMA | 6,959 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Burning Springs WMA | 2,163 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Lynn Camp WMA | 2,069 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
| Hughes River WMA | 1,459 | Heartwood Forestland Fund, Martin Marietta |
| Walker Creek WMA | 40 | WV Division of Natural Resources |
Source: WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas (served by WVDOT); acres in the county measured by FilledTag.
Which counties border Wirt County?
| County | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, buck season 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 1% | 1,164 | 432 | 13 |
| Jackson County | 3.3% | 1,633 | 569 | 1 |
| Ritchie County | 5.6% | 1,365 | 555 | 12 |
| Roane County | 1.9% | 1,760 | 650 | 13 |
| Wood County | 1.9% | 619 | 218 | 0 |
Highways crossing Wirt County: WV 14 (20 miles), WV 5 (14 miles), WV 53 (8 miles) and WV 47 (6 miles). Towns inside: Elizabeth.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken in Wirt County?
WVDNR counted 680 deer in Wirt County in 2025, 267 of them bucks in the buck firearms season. Over 2021 to 2025 the buck season take ran from 267 to 783, the most in 2022.
How many bears are taken in Wirt County?
12 in 2025: 4 by bow and crossbow, 0 in the September and October gun seasons, 6 during buck gun season and 2 in December. The 2021 to 2025 counts were 7 (2021), 8 (2022), 10 (2023), 9 (2024) and 12 (2025) (WVDNR 2025 Big Game Bulletin).
When is buck season in Wirt 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 Wirt County?
12,739 acres, 8.5% of the county, by PAD-US 4.1. WVDNR's wildlife management areas here: Little Kanawha (6,959 acres in the county), Burning Springs (2,163 acres in the county), Lynn Camp (2,069 acres in the county) and Hughes River (1,459 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 Jackson County Ritchie County Roane County Wood County