During the 2022–23 deer hunting season, hunters harvested 184,968 deer in Virginia, down approximately 3% from the 190,582 deer taken during the same time frame the previous season. This year’s total included 90,242 antlered bucks, 1,113 bucks that had shed their antlers, 11,921 button bucks, and 81,692 does (44%).

The youth and apprentice deer-hunting weekend resulted in a harvest of 2,358 deer. Archery hunters took 16% of the total deer harvest while muzzleloading deer hunters and firearms hunters took 24% and 60% of the total harvest, respectively. This is the second season that all deer were reported using the Department’s electronic harvest reporting systems (telephone, online, and mobile app).

The 2022–23 deer harvest, down 8% from the last ten-year average of 200,351, was likely impacted by above average hard mast conditions across much of the state which generally leads to decreased deer movements and lower harvests. Weather during the 2022-23 deer season was also highly variable with unseasonably warm temperatures or precipitation falling on the opening day of multiple seasons (archery and muzzleloader). Over much of the state, the Department has continued its efforts to reduce deer populations which, when successful, would also result in reduced fall deer harvest numbers.

Annual deer harvest totals by county dating back to 1947, including the county specific deer harvest totals, can be found on the Department’s website.

Data presented in this summary are preliminary and do not include deer taken during the late urban archery or special late antlerless-only deer seasons. Data also do not include deer taken on out-of-season deer kill permits or those deer hit and killed by vehicles. For more information on deer management in Virginia, please visit the deer section of this website.

Deer Kill Data: 1947–2022

Virginia Deer Harvest, 1947–2022