Will ReedyWill Reedy

Will Reedy is a West Virginia writer and contributor to West Virginia Explorer Magazine whose work focuses on hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. Through essays and feature writing, he explores the landscapes, communities, and traditions that define West Virginia, bringing a thoughtful perspective to stories about heritage, travel, and everyday Appalachian life.
A white-tailed buck peers out from behind a woodpile.

2018 buck firearm season in W.Va. opens Nov. 19

The 2018 West Virginia buck firearms season begins Monday, Nov. 19, and runs through Dec. 1, according to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources, which estimates that approximately 250,000 deer hunters will roam the state’s woods through the period. Hunting contributes $500 million to the state’s economy each year, and deer hunters spend an estimated … Read more

Cullen MacGregor peers out from beneath a fur-lined collar during his travails in a post-apocalyptic West Virginia.

Story set in post-nuclear West Virginia predates Fallout 76 game

A science-fiction author who popularized monsters featured in the Fallout 76 video game also penned a story set in a future West Virginia that survives a nuclear apocalypse. Both the story and the game take place in versions of central Appalachia insulated by mountain ranges that protect it from atomic blasts — explosions that decimate eastern … Read more

in West Virginia

Sibray discusses Braxton County Monster, role in Fallout 76

Braxton County’s monster is unique among legendary West Virginia creatures in that its origins are quite clear: it came from outer space! Beyond that, little is known of the monster, also known as the “Green Monster” or “Flatwoods Monster,” or of what became of it, at least as far as the legend goes, says David … Read more

Trail-builder Gary Morefield walks through a mist on the Ship Rock Trail in the Grey Flats Trail System at Beckley, West Virginia.

Halloween hike to legendary haunted locale set in Beckley

Need to stretch your legs Halloween night? Two proponents of active living in southern West Virginia are leading a group hike to what’s been called one of West Virginia’s most chilling locales — the old farm at Grey Flats in Beckley. Levi Moore, senior community captain for Active Southern West Virginia, and David Sibray, a … Read more

Spooky any time of year, the old West Virginia State Penitentiary becomes one of the top destinations for Halloween in West Virginia.

WVExplorer lists top 10 Halloween venues for 2018

Looking for the ideal spooky venue for Halloween in West Virginia? West Virginia Explorer, in cooperation with WVGhosts.com, Saturday unleashed its list of the 10 most popular Halloween attractions in the Mountain State for 2018. Traffic at both websites was increased this year by interest in spooky West Virginia folklore brought on by the Fallout … Read more

David Sibray reflects on the diversity of Wheeling, West Virginia, while visiting the Wheeling Suspension Bridge.

Sibray: W.Va.’s many landscapes present marketing challenges

The diversity of West Virginia’s cultures and landscapes presents challenges when it comes to marketing the state, says David Sibray, publisher of the West Virginia Explorer. Many parts of West Virginia are dramatically different, Sibray told radio-show host Steve Novotney during an interview Friday on AM 1600 WKKX in Wheeling, West Virginia. While discussing his … Read more

Hunters Helping the Hungry in West Virginia

Wild game — a low-fat, high-protein alternative in W.Va.

Wild game provides a low-fat, high-protein alternative to beef or other commercial meats, says a wildlife biologist with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Its abundance in West Virginia also provides an opportunity for many families to fill their freezers with highly nutritious wild game. “Many West Virginians incorporate venison, wild turkey and other … Read more

A Wild Turkey In West Virginia

West Virginia’s fall wild-turkey season opens Oct. 13

West Virginia’s fall wild-turkey season opens Oct.13 — the third year that all 55 counties will have at least a one-week fall season and the first fall turkey season during which Sunday hunting is permitted on both private and public lands. “Fall seasons are based on county-specific spring gobbler season harvest, excluding the 14 traditional … Read more

Trout being stocked in WV State Parks

DNR: autumn trout stocking pushed back to help spawn

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will stock 26 streams and 11 lakes in the Mountain State with trout during the weeks of Oct. 15 and 22. Autumn trout stocking traditionally occurs during the week of Columbus Day and the following week, but this year’s stocking will begin a week later to help ensure … Read more