Outside the big metros, Southampton leads at 84. Inside the Virginia Beach metro, Isle of Wight leads at 86. Surry is third at 78, and Sussex and Bedford share a displayed score of 72 in fifth and sixth place. The county order compares documented big-buck history per estimated bow-huntable acre on a national scale. That gives hunters a specific county comparison, while permits and the actual property still need to be checked separately.
KEY FINDINGS
- Outside the big metros, Southampton leads at 84. Inside the Virginia Beach metro, Isle of Wight leads at 86. FDR names the leaders on each side of the line, and a big metro means a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
- Isle of Wight leads at 86, followed by Southampton at 84. Surry is third at 78. Virginia's three big metros are Richmond, Virginia Beach and Washington, so the metro line splits the leaders.
- Sussex and Bedford share a displayed score of 72. Sussex is fifth and Bedford sixth. Montgomery and Amherst share a displayed score of 70 in eighth and ninth place.
- The table lists 133 places, with 98 rated. The 35 places marked Not rated are mostly inside city limits. The score is a relative Buck Index, not an official county harvest rate.
Virginia county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
10 of 133 entries shown
| State rank | County | Buck Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle of Wight Virginia Beach metro | 86 |
| 2 | Southampton | 84 |
| 3 | Surry Virginia Beach metro | 78 |
| 4 | Suffolk Virginia Beach metro | 73 |
| 5 | Sussex Richmond metro | 72 |
| 6 | Bedford | 72 |
| 7 | Pulaski | 71 |
| 8 | Montgomery | 70 |
| 9 | Amherst | 70 |
| 10 | Roanoke | 69 |
01County comparison
Isle of Wight leads, with Southampton next
Isle of Wight holds first place at 86 and Southampton second at 84. Surry's 78 holds third place, with Suffolk fourth at 73. The national scoring frame matters: Isle of Wight's 86 sits on a 0 to 100 scale built for the whole country, so the score reads against that wider comparison.
The denominator is estimated bow-huntable acreage. A county with less qualifying acreage can rank high when its documented big-buck history is concentrated relative to that acreage. The score does not identify which parcel produced that history or whether a hunter can gain access to it.
02County comparison
Pulaski, Montgomery and Amherst fill seventh through ninth
Pulaski is seventh at 71. Montgomery and Amherst share a displayed score of 70 in eighth and ninth place, and Roanoke ranks tenth at 69.
Sussex and Bedford share a displayed score of 72 in fifth and sixth place. Charles City and Floyd share a displayed score of 64 in eleventh and twelfth place. A rounded tie is not a measured difference in hunting opportunity.
03County comparison
Fairfax, Albemarle and Scott sit in different bands
Fairfax ranks thirteenth at 63, and Albemarle is sixty-fourth at 44. Scott ranks ninety-eighth at 25, last in the rated list.
Fairfax sits inside the Washington metro, while Albemarle and Scott do not. These comparisons show why a broad regional impression can be too coarse for the county question.
04County comparison
Keep the county, the management unit and the parcel separate
The state wildlife agency's deer hunting regulations page supplies the agency context for the rules that apply to each area. This report does not allocate management-unit harvest totals to counties. Before a county becomes a trip, check the unit and the rules for the exact ground being considered.
The agency's public lands page provides the next step for public access. Start with a county you can actually hunt, then compare the substitutes that fit the same trip. A move from Isle of Wight to Southampton changes the rank number while the displayed score moves from 86 to 84. Access may make that decision long before the index does.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR derived this October 17, 2026 snapshot from the 2011 through 2025 history window. Scores use estimated bow-huntable acreage and national scaling. They are sensitive to reporting and modeled-area choices. The public display ranges from 0 to 100, with no interpretation as harvest odds, population density or guaranteed access.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
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