Virginia Deer Population: On June 30, 2026, the state posted a population estimate for 2024 of 1,378,963 whitetail deer, about the same as in 2023 and up from 1,038,601 in 2004. A previous high population of 1,221,065 in 2015. Estimates have been revised a few times in recent years. The 2025 Season Forecast
Virginia Deer News
Deer populations on the rise June 30, 2026 Virginia, Richmond Times-Dispatch
...Following are the statewide deer population estimates from 2004 to 2024. We use something called the Downing population reconstruction method to estimate the statewide population size prior to the hunting season... The deer population prior to the 2014 season was estimated at about 1.1 million deer, which increased steadily to an estimated 1.3 million deer in 2023 and 2024. [see first of new annual deer reports from Virginia] Despite sampling fewer deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) than the previous year, we again broke our record for most positives at 126 ...
No changes coming to CWD DMAs May 19, 2026 Virginia, CBS19 News
... more than 7,800 white-tailed deer were tested ... and there were 126 positive detections for 2025-26 ... Since 2009, there have been 488 cases of the disease detected in 18 Virginia counties...,
Hunting permit bill passes Virginia House after debate February 19, 2026 Virginia, Henrico Citizen
... HB 1396, proposed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and previously patroned by Del. Marty Martinez, D-Loudoun, directs the Department of Wildlife Resources to establish a permit for people and organizations hunting with dogs...
Virginia is a top state for wildlife-vehicle collisions, and this bill could help reduce them February 13, 2026 Virginia, Smith Mountain Eagle
... House Bill 597 ... to create a nonreverting grant fund in the state treasury, supported by voluntary contributions, to be used for wildlife corridor and wildlife crossing projects... “There’s already this wildlife corridor action plan,” Simonds said. “Now, the question is having some funding that’s stable to try to implement some of these goals.”...
Shore sees steady deer harvest numbers in 2025-2026 season February 7, 2026 Virginia, Shore Daily News
... DWR officials noted that several regulation changes — largely implemented west of the Blue Ridge — were aimed at increasing hunting opportunity and boosting doe harvests to better meet population objectives.... By law, every harvested deer must be reported, with details on sex, weapon, date, and county of kill recorded. Unlike many states that rely on estimates, Virginia’s system provides an actual known minimum count of harvested deer, giving wildlife managers — and the public — confidence in the data....
VA Department of Wildlife Resources releases harvest data on black bears, deer, and wild turkeys February 5, 2026 Virginia, WDBJ on MSN
... hunters say 227,302 deer were harvested. A 10% decrease from the year before that had the total as 205,759 ... The current year’s totals included: 108,163 antlered bucks. 14,631 button bucks. 973 shed bucks. 103,535 does (45.5%)...
Arlington activist opposes the county's plan to use sharpshooters to reduce deer population January 19, 2026 Virginia, WUSA9 on MSN
... In 2021, researchers found 290 deer countywide. In March 2025, a new study by Arlington County found fewer deer but still three to six times more than recommended levels. They claim deer overpopulation is harmful to local forests. Arlington County leaders say they carefully considered deer sterilization, but say there’s no evidence it would adequately reduce the deer population...
Sharpshooters to begin Arlington deer cull in February December 9, 2025 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... The decision to reduce Arlington’s deer population by hunting the creatures with guns sparked significant debate... The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, however, frequently disputed the county’s deer population goals and pointed to data that found many respondents preferred a non-lethal method of limiting the herbivores’ numbers: surgical sterilization of female deer...
VDOT tests elk-detection system to prevent collisions in Southwest Virginia November 19, 2025 WCYB on MSN
... The pilot project, in partnership with Virginia Tech, aims to prevent dangerous collisions by using thermal cameras along Route 460 to detect elk and other large wildlife. When an animal is detected, digital message boards will warn drivers in real time...
DWR to conduct mandatory CWD testing for deer killed in some counties Saturday November 12, 2025 Virginia, WDBJ
... for Chronic Wasting Disease. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources will be conducting mandatory CWD sampling in six counties across the state, including Patrick, Roanoke, Smyth, Tazewell, and Wythe counties, plus Shenandoah ... sampling in areas where more data is needed or where CWD has recently been discovered ...
Game officials in Virginia want deer population reduced to maintain balance in nature October 27, 2025 96.9 WXBQ
... A new census taken by the Department of Wildlife Resources shows 10 counties below the Roanoke area, including Tazewell, Washington and Smyth, are being designated for double doe days through December for harvesting on private property. The report says thinning out the population of mother deer can prevent a population growth ..,
Check insurance: Deer collisions spike in VA fall October 6, 2025 Virginia, WSLS 10
... state data showing over 7,400 deer-related crashes last year alone ... As fall begins, we’re approaching deer mating season, which means more deer on the road...
Chronic wasting disease detected in Page County September 26, 2025 Virginia, Rocktown Now
... This marks the first confirmed case of CWD in the county... DWR has been monitoring CWD prevalence and spread in Virginia since 2002, with the first case detected in Frederick County in 2009. Since then, it has spread across parts of Virginia and has been detected in wild white-tailed deer in 18 counties..,
Chesterfield deputy aids baby deer found on busy road May 22, 2025 Virginia, WRIC ABC 8News on MSN
... Norkunas picked up the baby deer and brought it into his patrol vehicle with him... the fawn was becoming more responsive... Norkunas spotted what appeared to be the fawn’s mother — who had been waiting, visibly scared, some ways away due to the traffic and noise of Huguenot Road — and he released the baby deer to her...
Rockingham County added to chronic wasting disease DMA May 9, 2025 Virginia, CBS19 News
... The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources says Rockingham County is being added to DMA2 because of positive CWD detections in West Virginia within 10 miles of the border... DWR says more than 8,100 deer were tested for the disease during its most recent CWD surveillance effort, resulting in 109 positive detections...
DWR biologist says the state is looking at ways to thin the deer population March 27, 2025 Virginia, Daily News-Record
... With almost 1 million deer in the Commonwealth, according to DWR, and growing development across the state in areas like Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, interactions between deer and humans are becoming more and more common..,
White-tailed deer tests positive for Chronic Wasting Disease at Manassas National Battlefield Park March 24, 2025 Virginia, NPS.gov
... one deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) at Manassas National Battlefield Park. The animal was from the Prince William County, Virginia portion of the park. This is the first CWD-positive detection at Manassas National Battlefield Park..,
Arlington County to Launch Drone Deer Survey with Federal Approval March 10, 2025 Virginia, Hoodline
... The drones will use high-tech tools like thermal imaging, visual spectrum imagery, and GPS to collect data. Officials have assured the public that the low-resolution imagery used to verify deer populations will not capture detailed images of people...
Arlington deer-culling efforts come with $151K price tag in budget proposal March 10, 2025 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... Almost all the $151,000 funding was designated as one-time ... designed to allow for more analysis on the deer population and, starting at the end of 2025, to fund sharpshooters. Funding also will support fencing and deer-repellant efforts...
Deer culling efforts unlikely in Falls Church as leaders plan hunting ban February 5, 2024 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... Falls Church leaders plan to enact a comprehensive ban on hunting on public or private lands within the city’s 2.2 square miles... While complaints about hunting in the city have been minimal, the issue “creates potential liability and public-safety concern,” Rojas said...
Arlington leaders approve plan to use sharpshooters to reduce deer population November 18, 2024 Virginia, FOX 5 Washington DC on MSN
... Arlington County leaders voted unanimously to have these skilled shooters come in and remove the deer from public land... the next step is to roll out a deer management plan which includes a drone survey ...
Arlington Co. to hold final vote on whether to use sharpshooters to reduce deer population November 14, 2024 Virginia, WTOP
... board members will be voting on whether to amend the code “to exclude the discharge of firearms for county supervised deer management activities from the prohibition of firearms on county property.” ...
Fort Belvoir wildlife crossing touted as solution to animal-vehicle collisions November 4, 2024 Virginia, FFXnow
... Constructed in the 1990s and still one of the state’s few such installations, the 192-foot-long, 20-foot-high structure facilitates safe migration for species from deer and bears to snakes and turtles... “There’s something like 9,000 deer collisions in Virginia every year,” ..,
Virginia board votes to reject changes to hound hunting regulations October 25, 2024 WHRO
... The right to retrieve law lets deer and bear hunters go onto other people’s property to get their dogs, which hunters use to scare up game. The Supreme Court of Virginia recently upheld rulings pointing to right to retrieve as an exception to trespass criminal law...
Chronic wasting disease remains prevalent in local deer population October 17, 2024 Virginia, The Winchester Star
... Virginia’s first case of CWD was found in Frederick County in 2009... Last year, out of 72 positive cases of CWD found in Virginia, 41 were from Frederick County. In 2022, 24 of 47 positive cases came from Frederick County ... “About 25% of the deer that we test from Frederick County end up being positive,” ..,
'Right to retrieve' legal challenge dismissed as state considers new rules October 11, 2024 Virginia, Virginia Mercury
... state officials will soon consider changes to the measure that allows hunters to go onto private property to get their dogs. ... sued the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources in April 2022 in Henrico County Circuit Court over a challenge to the law, stating that it amounted to the government turning their private property into a public use, which is known as a “taking.” ...
Autumn brings deer mating season, additional dangers to roadways in Virginia October 8, 2024 Virginia, Augusta Free Press
... Last year, 42 percent of crashes involving deer in Virginia happened in October and November, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Of the 7,335 total crashes involving deer reported to law enforcement, 690 involved reported injuries...
Hunter Stripped of Hunting License, Sentenced to Prison for Facebook Pic of Deer He Shot October 6, 2024 Virginia, The Western Journal on MSN
... The animal was a local legend known as the Hollywood Buck... Walters was hit with 20 misdemeanors ... He was sentenced to 80 months in prison, but the judge suspended 76 of the months. He is also responsible for paying back $13,000 in fines and fees...
Chronic wasting disease gets further entrenched in Virginia September 23, 2024 Cardinal News
... CWD was first detected in Virginia in 2009, in Frederick County ... It has since been detected in 15 Virginia counties, including Floyd, Montgomery and Pulaski. Of the 71 positives found in the past year — out of nearly 8,000 tested samples — 54 were in northern Shenandoah Valley counties, including a high of 40 in Frederick County..,
Latest update on Arlington deer plan shows no major change September 18, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... A community survey conducted for the county government earlier in 2024 showed a sentiment that leaned toward use of non-lethal means for controlling the deer population. A second survey, released more recently, showed majority support for lethal methods...
Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program Begins Saturday September 4, 2024 Virginia, Fairfax County Police Department News
... The program was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2000 ... Last year, 703 deer were harvested ...
Virginia man who killed famed Hollywood Buck sentenced to jail, loses hunting license for 100 years August 16, 2024 KVIA
... pictures posted on a public Facebook group... People were telling him they believed the buck in the photo was a beloved deer that had roamed Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery for many years... DWR will be working with the outdoors community and our partners to determine the best way to memorialize this incredible animal...
Roanoke City leaders approve $40,000 to reduce deer population July 24, 2024 Virginia, WSLS 10
... “We’re really making an effort to implement more native plants. Plants that tend to be more deer resistant. So, it’s hard to go back and fix the plants that we’ve already planted but moving forward we’re really trying to be mindful about things that are more resistant, and that deer just don’t find as tasty,” ...
Two Fairfax County teens are trying to prevent deer-vehicle collisions July 15, 2024 Virginia, WTOP News
... The devices Karan and Jain are developing would recognize vehicles and deer through computer vision and then send out pulses and bio-sound to turn the deer away...The two have received a ... $15,000 grant from the Animal Welfare Institute ...
Animal-welfare group affirms opposition to culling deer July 2, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... Animal Welfare League of Arlington officials have a supporter in Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), who said sharpshooters would be problematic. “There are non-lethal methods of deer management ...
What to do about Arlington's deer issue June 27, 2024 Virginia, DC News Now
... “We recommend sharpshooting to reduce deer numbers and associated impacts on Arlington County lands. If sharpshooting is not feasible for some Arlington parks, we recommend surgical sterilization or a hybrid approach using a combination of methods to reduce deer populations,” the project consultant continued...
Arlington County staff recommend sharpshooting to cull deer, despite some criticism June 26, 2024 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... draft recommendations ...follow a new consultant report on potential deer management methods... Guidance to have sharpshooters fire down on deer from tree stands at night comes despite ongoing opposition from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington and other advocates of non-lethal population control methods, such as surgical sterilization...
Blasting away at Bambi could be on the horizon in Arlington June 19, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... A survey conducted of residents ... on the issue of using sharpshooters: 30 percent of the roughly 2,300 respondents said they were “very supportive” of the proposal, 13 percent supportive, 4 percent neutral, 7 percent unsupportive and 44 percent very unsupportive...
DWR opens public comment period over hunting hounds on May 22 May 18, 2024 Virginia, Yahoo
... a proposal to require hunters to use a GPS collar for any dog used in deer or bear hunting if the animal is not restrained... proposal would require a hunter to exercise ‘reasonable efforts’ to prevent their dog from entering a landowner’s property ...
To keep its coyote population in check, this county offers hunters cash prizes for kills May 1, 2024 Virginia, Cardinal News
... Coyotes are not native to Virginia... in the early 1980s, they were just starting to arrive ... studies have found that bobcats and bears are much more significant predators for deer, particularly fawns, than coyotes are... “Modeling suggests that you need to kill about 50% to 60% of the population every year over multiple years to really have an impact on coyote numbers,” ..,
Chronic Wasting Disease Detected for the First Time in Tazewell County April 18, 2024 Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
... confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in an adult male deer legally harvested in Tazewell County in November of 2023. This marks the first confirmed case of CWD in Tazewell County. The deer was brought to a taxidermist in December, and DWR obtained the sample shortly thereafter as part of the Department’s proactive statewide CWD surveillance efforts..,
Virginia wildlife officials propose regulations to help manage hunting dogs April 3, 2024 The Virginian-Pilot
... The Board wants to hear from the public about a proposal to require use of GPS dog collars for any dog used in deer or bear hunting, if the animal is not already restrained. These collars are estimated to cost between $250 to $350...
Williamsburg seeks to curb deer population March 19, 2024 Virginia, Daily Press
... City Council voted unanimously last week to ... take steps to enroll the city in the Department of Wildlife Resources’ Urban Archery hunting season... The deer population in Virginia hovers around 1 million, according to DWR estimates. This number is much higher than the population’s nadir in the 1930s, when experts estimate there were about 25,000 in the entire state..,
The Virginia Appalachian Deer Study: Conclusions to Understanding Population Trends of Whitetails in the Allegheny Mountains March 7, 2023 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
... the VADS crew observed a final 12-week fawn survival rate of 31 percent (0.310; 0.210-0.457). Similar to the previous update, black bears accounted for most fawn mortalities (n =18; 48 percent of all mortality), followed by bobcats (n = 5) and coyotes (n = 3)... Elevation was the most important predictor of fawn survival, with fawn mortality risk increasing as elevation increased..,
Man arrested for killing ‘Hollywood Buck’ facing 19 total charges for poaching, trespassing February 9, 2024 Virginia, WRIC on MSN
... killing Richmond’s beloved “Hollywood Buck” ... Trespass after forbidden, Killing a deer; exceeding bag limit, Trespassing to hunt, fish or trap, Hunting regulation: failure to report ...
Deer, Bear, and Turkey Harvest Numbers February 8, 2024 Virginia, WKRG.com
... Deer harvest numbers were up 12%. The DWR reports 206,586 deer were taken. That is a rebound from the year prior when numbers were down...
Four young elk were killed on a new highway. Virginia is trying to help the growing herd. February 8, 2024 Virginia, Cardinal News
... The elk herd in Southwest Virginia now numbers more than 250. The large animals often congregate around highways, where they find tasty plants to eat and salt to lick... yellow elk crossing signs ... will be installed..,
Suspect charged in killing of Hollywood Cemetery buck January 30, 2023 Virginia, Richmond
... charged with 19 separate wildlife violations ... several people who saw the Dec. 14 [Facebook] post recognized the animal as a frequent visitor of Hollywood Cemetery in the Oregon Hill neighborhood and reported the post to the DWR ...
Arlington, No consensus emerges on how to address deer population January 24, 2024 Virginia, Gazette Leader
... responses to the county-government poll ... Surgical sterilization (non-lethal): 32 percent very supportive, 31 percent supportive, 11 percent neutral, 9 percent unsupportive, 15 percent very unsupportive...
Blacksburg PD resumes targeted hunting to reduce deer-related crashes January 8, 2024 Virginia, WFXR
... Over the last 20 years, the Town of Blacksburg has conducted deer culling operations in an attempt to help reduce deer-related crashes ...
A rare deer became legendary in Richmond. Then poachers showed up December 27, 2023 Virginia, The Washington Post
... Facebook photos of a deer ... the images did resemble the famous deer ... the Hollywood buck, Prince, a legendary deer in Richmond’s urban wilds ... “We were able to determine that the deer was killed illegally, based on that recovered evidence ...” said Maj. Ryan Shuler of the Department of Wildlife Resources...
Famous Richmond deer allegedly killed by poacher: ‘Such a punch to the gut’ December 15, 2023 Richmond-Petersburg WWBT
... had a lot of fans in the river city, and now those fans were heartbroken... was killed by a poacher... has been around for at least 10 years. She described him as friendly and often allowed people to get close to him for pictures...
Deer populations in Virginia's cities and suburbs are increasing while the number of hunters declines December 11, 2023 Cardinal News
... Using in-depth population reconstruction, the department estimates that Virginia’s whitetail population currently stands at about a million animals... estimated population of 25,000 in 1931, a point at which deer had started recovery from being nearly completely wiped out due to over-exploitation that started soon after the arrival of European settlers 300 years earlier..,
‘Oh deer’; Virginia Department of Transportation receives $600K to identify roads with the most wildlife collisions December 6, 2023 Virginia, WRIC
... the funding will allow for the construction of wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, as well as increased fencing, improved tracking and mapping tools and more...
Survival, cause‐specific mortality, and population growth of white‐tailed deer in western Virginia - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2023
... . In the central Appalachian Mountains, deer are part of a largely forested ecosystem that supports 3 carnivore species thought to be capable of influencing white-tailed deer recruitment: black bears (Urus americanus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and bobcats (Lynx rufus). Yet little is known about predation, how other environmental factors influence recruitment, or the importance of neonate survival to white-tailed deer population performance in the region ... While predation, largely influenced by black bears, was the leading cause of neonate mortality and contributed to low neonate survival, we observed little evidence of population decline, and suggest there is opportunity for a modest increase in harvest of female deer...
For Love of Nature: Hunters needed to control deer population November 8, 2023 Virginia, The News & Advance
... Virginia may be home to as many as 1 million deer, a remarkable comeback after European settlers nearly wiped them out by the early 1900s. It’s hard to imagine that 4,264 deer had to be imported or translocated within the state between 1926 and 1992... [an interview with Matt Knox, a deer project coordinator with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources based in Bedford]
Virginia deer collisions top 6,100 in 2022 October October 11, 2023 Richmond Times-Dispatch
... Fall is deer-mating season, so the animals are more active and therefore, more likely to dart into the roadway ... over 6,100 such collisions last year in Virginia ...
Virginia 2023 Deer Season Forecast September 29, 2023 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries News
... 2022 gave us an above-average acorn crop across most of the state, making hunting a bit tougher but allowing deer to really pack on the fat for winter. It looks like it’s going to be a different story for 2023 for much of the state. Preliminary reports from our annual mast surveys indicate a pretty poor mast crop, especially for white oaks and chestnut oaks..,
Chronic Wasting Disease, Virginia Tech leads effort to stop disease threatening Virginia deer herds September 20, 2023 Virginia, WAVY-TV
... Because there is no cure or vaccine, containment is vital. Escobar says the key is figuring out the way the disease is spread geographically... “Virginia is just starting, we have infections in areas in the north of Virginia and on the border with West Virginia.” ... [see video below]
York County expands hunting season to counter booming deer population September 1, 2023 Virginia, Daily Press
... in York County, Engelmeyer said, efforts to control the deer population remain especially vexing because of the unique combination of people and property. Upward of 80% of the county’s land is suitable deer habitat, but under 30% is huntable ...
Arlington, Animal Welfare League Backs Non-Lethal Approach To Deer In Arlington July 7 2023 Virginia, Patch
... Potential humane solutions to deer management include sterilization, tree caging, humane scare devices such as water sprayers, odor deterrents, or commercial repellents, according to AWLA. Sterilization was particularly effective in Fairfax City, which saw a reduction from an estimated 91 deer per square mile in 2014 to 40 deer per square mile in 2018 ...
Arlington to consider hunting and sterilizing deer, or fencing parks, to cull June 27, 2023 Virginia, ARLnow.com
... Through Thursday, July 13, residents can take an online survey to share their thoughts on the four lethal and non-lethal methods on the table:
professional sharpshooting
surgical sterilization of female deer
public archery hunting
fenced parks
Virginia Deer News and Information Archive by Topic: Population and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban, Transportation, Deer Resistant Plants
Virginia Estimated Deer Population: 2000 to 2024
The population estimates for 2003 to 2024 were taken from a VDWR graphs and data as of June 30, 2026. Year 2000 to 2002 are based on the buck kill. The correlation between the population and deer kill from the hunt changes in 2010. VDWR revised its population model around 2019 for years 2010 forward with some modifications in 2023 and 2026.
Virginia Deer: Virginia reports mandatory deer kill reports from hunters "which provides an actual known minimum count of harvested deer."
The 2025 deer forecast states: "deer populations and the deer harvest across most of the state should be stable to increasing. An increase in the statewide deer kill total is likely (due to the new regulation changes ..." A report quoting a state official estimated almost one million deer in 2025 with a goal to reduce populations because of growing development in the state.
The 2024 Deer Season Forecast. A state estimate of 1,378,953 for 2024. The 2024-25 deer kill was down 0.4% from 2023-24 which was up 12% after falling 8% below the 10 year average in the 2022-23 hunting season. The hunting season was extended to March in some areas to control chronic wasting disease. A rough estimate of a million deer in 2023, later revised to an estimate of 1,355,075
The 2023 Deer Season Forecast reports an above average acorn crop for 2022 but a poor 2023 crop. A study of the Allegheny Mountains reported in 2024 that only 31 percent of fawns survived 12 weeks with black bears accounting for most, about half, of the mortalities. A 2024 report estimates 9,000 deer-vehicle collisions every year in Virginia.
An abundant acorn crop contributed to less hunting success in 2022 and 2021, but a decline in the deer population also contributed to the 2021 decline. 2022 Deer Forecast. 2021 Deer Forecast
The buck kill declined by 4 percent in 2022. The annual deer kill from the hunt fell by 25 percent in 2022 from 2013, when the population was estimated by the state at 1,143,000. Comments from the state in the press indicate the population was stable from 2017 into 2019 and 2021.
Graph of historic deer kill below from Virginia DWR. 1947 to 2025
Population estimates and graphics from
2015-2024 Deer Plan. 1600 to 2014
These estimates are prior to the population model revisions for years 2010 to 2020.
The increase in the 2019 hunt was largely attributed to more hunting days. An estimate from the state of 850,000 deer in 2018 has since been updated to 1,110,000 using the revised population model. An estimated deer population reported by Outdoor Life of 900,000 in 2017 when the Earn a Buck program was expanded to reduce the herd size. This estimate also reflects the old population model updated for 2010 forward.
In the west, as of 2018, deer herds on private land had been mostly stable over the past two decades while herds on public land have declined significantly, with a recent slow rebound. The increased doe harvest over the 10 years prior to 2017 was designed to stabilize or reduce the population, especially on private lands in the east. An outbreak of hemorrhagic disease was reported in the southwest in 2017, normally confined to the east.
A warm fall in 2015 and abundant deer food allowed deer populations to recover. The The deer harvest for 2014 was down around 21 percent, with the most dramatic declines in the east, indicating a significant drop in the population. Partly due to the large acorn crop that kept the deer from moving, but also reduced population from predation, disease (EHD), and liberal hunting regulations in previous years. Climate change may be contributing the the almost 40 percent drop in deer populations in some areas.
In 2003 an estimate of 1,038,601 and 945,060 for 2013, a lower population as a result of increased doe hunting licenses, a poor acorn crop, and a severe outbreak of Hemorrhagic Disease that reduced the herd significantly in some areas starting in late summer of 2012.
A population estimate of 850,000 in 2009 compared to the state estimate above of 978,771 and an estimate of 600,000 in 1990.
Peak harvest of about 260,000 in 2009. The state maintains balanced demographics with does accounting for about half of the harvest - 48% in 2013. The deer harvest fell by about 40 percent from 2008 to 2014 in Shenandoah County. The overall goal for the state is to keep the deer population stable. According to the recent state deer plan, the deer population has been relatively stable over the past decade at between 901,000 and 1,117,000. .
The deer management plan for 2015 to 2024 proposed an increase in the deer population on public lands in the Shenandoah Valley and along the Interstate 81 corridor to the southwestern tip of Virginia, and a reduction of the number of deer on private property in Northern Virginia and some other parts of the state.
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) A severe outbreak in 2019. Another outbreak in 2020. Hemorrhagic disease (HD) in 2022.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) First discovered in 2009 in Frederick county. Twenty positives in the 2020-21 hunting season. By mid-2020, 88 positives. By mid-2019, 68 confirmed. Into 2018, 40 deer tested positive. Through 2017, 38 deer, 16 in 2017. An increase in deer found with CWD found in the northwestern part of the state in 2016. The first positive case in Montgomery County was identified in 2021, 160 miles from the closest other known case. As of 2021 a total of 109 positive cases. At the end of 2022 there were cases in eight counties. In the 2023-24 season the state sampled just under 8,000 deer and detected 71 positives, 40 of which came from Frederick County alone. In 2024-25 the state found 109 positives out of 8,100 deer tested. About 25 percent of deer tested in Frederick's county are positive for the disease. More in 2025. For the 2025-26 season more than 7,800 white-tailed deer were tested with 126 positive detections for 2025-26. Since 2009, there have been 488 cases of the disease detected in 18 Virginia counties as of April, 2026.
History Deer populations were hunted to very low levels by the late 1800's and nearly depleted in the western part of the state. There were only about 25,000 to 50,000 deer left in the state in the 1930's. An estimated 25,000 in 1931. Deer were brought in from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin during the 1930's. Economic hardship drove many hunters into the field during the Great Depression. Conservation efforts allowed the deer populations to recover during the 1940's to the early 1990's when the deer population reached its current approximate size. Estimates: 150,000 in early 1950s, 422,000 in 1980, 575,000 in 1987, 900,000 around 2005. Another estimate of 200,000 in 1968. An estimate of 25,000 in 1923 and 900,000 in 1994 [page 2]
Elk An estimated 250 elk in southwest Virginia at the beginning of 2024. The first modern elk hunt in 2023 raised money, but some question the hunting ethics. The state counted more than 250 elk in 2022. About 300 in 2020. Nearly 250 in 2019. About 200 elk in the state in 2018. About 150 to 200 elk in 2016. In 2012, 16 elk with GPS tracking collars were reintroduced in a pilot program in Buchanan County. Efforts to reintroduce elk in the early 1900's failed. The Buchanan County herd grew to about 75 by 2018.
Coyotes are not native to Virginia and started to arrive in the 1980s.
Cougar The last known eastern cougar in Virginia was killed in Washington County in 1882.
Report Poaching: 1-800-237-5712
Report Sick Deer VDGIF (804) 367-1000
