Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources · Weaver Dataset

Deer Harvest
Analysis 2015–2025

Statewide harvest records across 11 seasons. 2,213,979 individual kill records normalized, cleaned, and ready for weather correlation analysis.

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Data quality flags applied: 2015 file — 25 Oct–Dec dates corrected from year 2016→2015 (typos); 294 pre-2000/prior-year dates flagged suspect (possible birthdates). Codes 5 & 6 (spread </> 11") were introduced in 2025 but a system glitch collapsed many to Code 1 (Buck) — 2025 buck totals include uncategorized spread data. Antler point data is complete only for 2021+; 2018–2020 is ~80–90% (partial electronic reporting); pre-2018 has none.

Season Totals

All Years

Total Harvest by Season · All Species & Weapons

Monthly Harvest Profile

Day of Week Pattern · Core Season

Harvest Composition

By Type & Weapon

Animal Type by Season

Weapon Type Trends

Antler Quality Trend

2021+ Full Data

Average Antler Points · Verified Bucks with Reported Points (Electronic Reporting Era)

Only includes bucks with antler_reported = true. 2025 data reflects partial season. Count labels show number of qualifying bucks.

Top 20 Counties / Independent Cities

2015–2025 Combined

Cumulative Harvest · 3-Digit FIPS Code

Showing top 20 jurisdictions by cumulative harvest.

Weather Correlation Layer

Integrated

Weather Coverage Summary

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Relative Rate by Rain Band

Relative Rate by Temperature Band

Relative Rate by Wind Band

Top Weather Windows (Current Full Dataset)

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Month	Weekday	Moon	Temp	Wind	Rain	Lift
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How to Read This Dashboard

Quick Guide

Start Here

This page shows harvest patterns over time. Read each chart as a pattern indicator, not a proof of cause. A higher bar or line means more recorded harvests in that category.

What Each Section Means

Season Totals: compares total harvest by year.

Monthly Profile: shows when harvest concentrates within a season.

Day of Week Pattern: highlights weekend pressure differences.

Composition charts: show the mix of animal and weapon types.

County chart: view Top 20 or All FIPS, filter by season year, and search by county/city name or FIPS.

Weather Correlation Layer: coverage summary, relative-rate charts by rain/temp/wind band, and top weather windows.

How to Interpret a Change

If one year is much higher, first compare month and day-of-week patterns before drawing conclusions.

If Saturday is much higher, that usually reflects hunter participation, not only deer activity.

If a county moves up or down in rank, first verify year mode (single year vs combined) and Top 20 vs All FIPS view.

Use weather windows as directional context; always check weather coverage and sample size before treating a band as robust.

Glossary

Harvest: number of recorded deer taken.

Season year: the hunting season label used in the dataset.

FIPS: county or city code used for location grouping.

Relative rate: weather-band performance compared against overall baseline (100 = baseline).

Composition: percentage split across categories (example: animal type).

Important Caveats

Correlation is not causation: matching movement in two metrics does not prove one causes the other.

Data quality flags in the notice box can affect specific years and fields.

Partial seasons and reporting changes can shift comparisons.