According to numbers reported by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), hunters in West Virginia harvested 33,775 antlered deer during the state’s two-week buck firearm season, which ran from November 24 to December 7. Harvest data was released on December 16.
The 2025 harvest was 18.5 percent below the 2024 harvest of 41,435 bucks. All WVDNR districts registered a decrease in harvests, with the exception of District 4 which experienced a 7.5 percent increase compared to last year. 
Morgan County hunters reported a harvest of 413 deer during the buck season, down from 536 in 2024 and 426 bucks in 2023.
Hampshire County had a reported harvest of 923 bucks, down from 1,231 deer in 2024. Berkeley County hunters took 555 deer in the 2025 season, down from 636 bucks in 2024.
According to preliminary data collected through the WVDNR’s electronic game check system, hunters in Greenbrier County harvested the most bucks (1,730), followed by Preston (1,349), Randolph (1,198), Hardy (1,165), Pendleton (1,135), Pocahontas (1,089), Monroe (1,057), Grant (1,039), Fayette (991) and Hampshire (923).
This year’s decreased harvest was caused by an increase in hard mast production, which often results in decreased harvests due to the difficulty of tracking and targeting game species spread out over a landscape, said DNR officials.
Several counties also experienced an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease, which likely impacted hunter success, especially in the western part of the state.
Hunters who harvested a buck during a 2025 deer hunting season are also reminded to submit their photos for a chance to win prizes in the state’s fifth annual Big Buck Photo Contest. To learn more about contest prizes, rules and how to enter, visit WVdnr.gov/photocontest.
