Wildlife management area · Braxton County
Elk River Wildlife Management Area
18,396 acres · 38.642, -80.648 ↗
Live · updatedWhitetail Deer
Legal light: 5:51 AM – 9:06 PM ET · 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Whitetail Deer season is closed at this spot today.
SLOW conditions
- 56°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
- Dead calm Scent hangs and carries; deer are edgy, so play the wind carefully
- Wind out of the N Pick a stand that keeps your scent off the bedding and approach
- Bright moon Heavy nighttime feeding under a full moon can slow midday movement
- Ground Deciduous Forest · 1392 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Wild Turkey
Legal light: 5:51 AM – 8:36 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset (all day)
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Wild Turkey season is closed at this spot today.
GOOD conditions
- 56°F Right in the comfortable activity band
- 3 mph (light) Calm, quiet air; gobbles carry and birds relax
- Wind out of the N Set up so a called bird approaches without the wind in your face
- Clear morning Bluebird calm mornings are classic gobbling weather
- Full moon Birds feed at night and fly down late; mornings can start slow
- Ground Deciduous Forest · 1392 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Squirrel
Legal light: 5:51 AM – 8:36 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Squirrel season is closed at this spot today.
GOOD conditions
- 56°F Right in the comfortable activity band
- 3 mph (light) Calm and quiet; you can hear them cutting and spot the shaking limbs
- Clear & calm Bright, still mornings; squirrels move and you can spot them
- Ground Deciduous Forest · 1392 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Mourning Dove
Legal light: 5:51 AM – 8:36 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Mourning Dove season is closed at this spot today.
FAIR conditions
- 56°F (cold) A cold snap and the doves are gone south
- Dead calm Calm and quiet
- Wind out of the N Doves decoy into the wind; set up with it at your back
- Fair weather Warm, settled days keep doves working the fields
- Ground Deciduous Forest · 1392 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Ducks
Legal light: 5:51 AM – 8:36 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Ducks season is closed at this spot today.
SLOW conditions
- 56°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
- Dead calm Slick water; birds raft up and loaf, and decoying is tough
- Wind out of the N Set the spread so birds finish into the wind, coming over the guns
- Ground Deciduous Forest · 1392 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Canada Geese
Legal light: 5:51 AM – 8:36 PM ET · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Canada Geese season is closed at this spot today.
SLOW conditions
- 56°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
- Dead calm Slick water; birds raft up and loaf, and decoying is tough
- Wind out of the N Set the spread so birds finish into the wind, coming over the guns
- Ground Deciduous Forest · 1392 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Conditions at the pin
Dawn/dusk low
56°F
the cool hunt window the score uses
Daytime high
79°F
today
Wind
3 mph N
plan your scent
Barometer
1011.9 mb
steady · 0 hPa/3h
Moon
100%
full
Sunny
The ground
County herd density
4.39 deer/sq mi
Braxton County took 2,242 deer last season
Habitat
Deciduous Forest
sampled across the tract
Elevation
1392 ft
USGS surface elevation
Access: Central-WV forest along the Elk River in Braxton County; public deer & turkey.
Where it is
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Public-land data: WVDNR — Public Land (verified 2026-07-27). Conditions from the NWS, USGS and NLCD, recomputed each rebuild.