Press Release

2023–2024 Bear, Deer, and Turkey Harvest Data Announced

Richmond, VA — Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) have compiled preliminary figures for the 2023–24 hunting season. As anticipated, bear and deer harvests increased from the previous season, while the fall turkey harvest decreased. During 2023, harvest opportunities for deer and bear were added in portions of the state, while white oak acorns were scarce this fall, leading to increased movements and visibility of deer and bears to hunters. Although turkey populations remain strong in most areas of Virginia, fall turkey harvests have continued to drop due to decreased hunter participation in the fall seasons. The 2023–24 season was the third season since DWR transitioned to 100% electronic harvest reporting using phone, internet, or mobile applications. Harvest reporting by successful bear, deer, and turkey hunters remains a vital component of DWR’s management programs as harvest data are used to monitor game populations and inform future regulatory decisions.

DWR Executive Director Ryan Brown said, “We are pleased to see the increased deer and bear harvest numbers. As we move forward, we are continuing to focus on participation and access to opportunities for all Virginians. To assist in those efforts, DWR is releasing our new Explore the Wild app in March. This new app will make it easier for hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, and boaters to find opportunities to get out in the woods and on the water. Keep an eye out for more information on the app.”

Black Bear

Hunters reported harvesting 2,892 bears during the 2023–24 bear hunting seasons in Virginia (see table below). The 2023–24 bear harvest was approximately 29.6% higher than the previous year’s harvest, and 3.2% lower than the previous five-year average during 2018–2022. Female bears composed 40.9% of the 2023-24 season harvest, similar to the previous year (41.3%). Significant harvest increases during the archery season (73%), and the muzzleloader season (122%) were the main contributors to the overall increase in the 2023–24 statewide bear harvest. The youth/apprentice weekend harvest increased by 42% and the firearms season increased by 9% from the 2022–23 season. See the table below for harvest by season. Even though the three-day early season was closed in numerous northwestern counties in 2023, the bear harvest in the 16 southwestern counties where it remained open increased 105% from the previous season. The majority (66%) of hunters reported their bear harvest using the mobile application, with 25% calling in their harvest by phone, and 9.5% reporting their harvest using the internet.

The increased harvest during 2023 is likely the result of multiple factors. Although the magnitude varied regionally, an increase in bear harvest was observed across all regions of the state, suggesting the influence of a common factor. Acorn abundance during the fall of 2023 was below average across Virginia, with white oak acorns being nearly a complete failure and red oaks below average. With scarce acorn abundance, bears move more in search of food, thus increasing their vulnerability to hunters, especially during the early seasons (e.g., archery). The opposite effect was observed in 2022, when there was an abundant acorn crop and bears were much less vulnerable to hunters. Another factor is the recent firearms season expansion, which created additional harvest opportunity in the southeastern part of the state.

Across all bear seasons, an estimated 43.2% of bears were taken by hunters using hounds. Preliminary season estimates for the proportion of bears harvested by hunters using hounds were as follows: three-day early firearms season (43.9%), firearms season (74.8%), and youth/apprentice weekend (72.3%).

Virginia continues to provide diverse opportunities for a successful bear hunt. For additional details on black bear management in Virginia please visit our bear web page. Data presented in this summary are preliminary and only include bears killed in the regulated bear hunting seasons.

Summary of 2023–2024 Black Bear Harvest by Season in Virginia

Season	Harvest (#)	% Total Harvest	% Females
3-Day Early Firearms	155	5.4%	49.7%
Youth/Apprentice	112	3.9%	46.4%
Archery	728	25.2%	43.1%
Muzzleloader	395	13.7%	45.8%
Firearms	1470	50.8%	37.3%
Unknown (not assigned)	32	1.1%	40.6%
Total	2892	100%	41%

Virginia Statewide Black Bear Harvest: 1928–2023

White-Tailed Deer

During the 2023–24 deer hunting season, hunters reported harvesting 206,586 deer in Virginia, up approximately 12% from the 184,968 deer taken during the same time frame the previous season. This year’s total included 105,201 antlered bucks, 982 bucks that had shed their antlers, 12,567 button bucks, and 87,836 does (42.5%).

The youth and apprentice deer hunting weekend resulted in a harvest of 2,890 deer. Archery hunters took 14% of the total deer harvest, while muzzleloading deer hunters and firearms hunters took 26% and 60% of the total harvest, respectively. In counties where dogs could be used to hunt deer, 50% of deer were harvested with the aid of dogs during the general firearms season.

The 2023–24 deer harvest was up 5% from the previous 10-year average of 196,862. This season’s harvest represented a rebound from the 2022–23 season, when harvests were down due to a bumper crop of acorns. The dip in harvest last season likely created a “stockpile” of deer for hunters this season. Additionally, deer experienced a mild winter, entering 2023 on a higher nutritional plane and enabling the herd to be more productive. White oak mast was scarce during the fall of 2023, which could have made deer move more in search of this preferred food item, increasing their visibility to hunters. Additionally, a number of new deer hunting regulations designed to increase harvest opportunities went into effect, which also may have contributed to the increased harvest.

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, on out-of-season deer kill permits, or deer hit and killed by vehicles. Annual deer harvest totals by county dating back to 1947, including the county-specific deer harvest totals, can be found on DWR’s website along with additional information on deer management in Virginia.

Virginia Deer Harvest, 1947–2023

Wild Turkey

A total of 1,443 wild turkeys were harvested in Virginia during the 2023–2024 fall turkey hunting season, an 11% decrease over the 2022–2023 harvest of 1,621.

While Virginia’s turkey population appears to remain robust, fall turkey harvests have been declining for over two decades. A recent DWR survey of turkey hunters indicated that many turkey hunters are choosing to save their turkey tags for the more popular spring turkey season, choosing to pursue other game during the fall.

Reproductive success is another variable that can alter fall hunting success. Inclement weather in May and June can lead to nest losses or death of the young turkey poults. In 2023, the productivity estimate (1.8 poults/hen) was below the long-term average (2.6 poults/hen) on a statewide basis for the second year in a row, marking one of the lowest recruitment index measures over the last 15 years. Since juvenile birds account for 40-60% of the fall harvest, reproductive success greatly influences turkey population size and subsequently fall harvest.

As in the last several years, the archery harvest remained relatively high, making up approximately 22% of the overall harvest. Thanksgiving Day and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving continue to be popular fall turkey hunting days. This year a total of 383 birds were harvested during that two-day timeframe, accounting for nearly 27% of the total fall harvest. Thanksgiving Day accounted for the single highest day of harvest with 232 birds, or 17% of the total fall harvest.

Declines in this year’s harvest were most apparent east of the Blue Ridge with a decrease of 17% as opposed to a 4% decrease west of the Blue Ridge. The greatest declines were noted in the Tidewater (27%) and Northern Piedmont (22%) regions. The harvests in the Southwest Mountains and Southern Piedmont were similar to last year’s.

The decline in fall turkey hunting participation has been an ongoing issue for Virginia and many other eastern states. One of the goals of the DWR Wild Turkey Management Plan, which is under revision, is to reverse the general decline in fall turkey hunting interest. The October youth and apprentice fall turkey hunting weekend and the late January season were designed to encourage interest in fall turkey hunting. Unfortunately, it appears the declining trend is continuing despite these efforts. While fall turkey participation may be lagging, the excitement of those who do participate is not. For additional details on wild turkey management in Virginia, please visit our wild turkey web page.

Virginia Fall Wild Turkey Harvest Data

Season/Method	Number Harvested	% Total Harvest
Total Harvest	1,443	100
Type of Turkey
Without Beard	678	47
Beard <7”	197	13.7
Beard >7”	568	39.4
Region
East of Blue Ridge	751	52
West of Blue Ridge	692	48
Land Type
Private	1,341	93
Federal	81	5.6
State	21	1.5
Time Frame
Early (Archery)	306	21.2
Youth/Apprentice	10	0.7
October (first 2 weeks)	195	13.5
Wed. & Thanksgiving	383	26.5
December	423	29.3
January	102	7.1
Weapon
Rifle	595	41.2
Shotgun	481	33.3
Muzzleloader	52	3.6
Bow	107	7.4
Crossbow	206	14.3
Pistol	2	0.1
Region
1 (Tidewater)	223	15.5
2 (South Piedmont)	336	23.3
3 (SW Mtn)	484	33.5
4 (NW Mtn)	208	14.4
5 (North Piedmont)	192	13.3