Wildlife biologists have compiled preliminary figures for the 2022–2023 hunting season. Not unexpectedly, deer, bear and fall turkey harvests all decreased from the previous season.
“In addition to recent hunting seasons designed to reduce populations in some areas, harvest decreases observed this past season could be related to several factors outside of managers’ control: hunter participation, weather, and particularly, food conditions,” according to Dr. Gray Anderson, Wildlife Division chief. “This past fall saw an abundant acorn crop that was widespread across much of the state, likely leading game to move less in search of food and making them less visible and vulnerable to hunters.”
Harvest reporting by successful deer, bear and turkey hunters is an important component of DWR management programs as harvest data are used to monitor game populations and inform future regulatory decisions.
2022–2023 Deer Harvest
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.
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 efforts to reduce deer populations which, when successful, would also result in reduced fall deer harvest numbers.
Annual deer harvest totals by county dating to 1947, including the county specific deer harvest totals, can be found on the Department’s website.
For details on the bear and turkey harvest data:
Virginia Black Bear Harvest Summary
Virginia Fall Wild Turkey Harvest Summary
https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/turkey/fallharvestsummary/