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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.
Bluestone Lake on New River extends into the mountains near the Virginia border.
Communities

Input sought on boating, rafting, New River, Cabwaylingo

by Will Reedy

The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources is seeking public comments on proposed and modified rules that concern boating, permitting rentals on the New River, establishing new safety standards for whitewater, and allowing off-road vehicles in Cabwaylingo State Forest. The first rule, according to a press release from the division, involves designating a new section of … Read more

West Virginia Explorer has launched FalloutWV, a newsletter launched to track the development of Fallout 76 in West Virginia.
Arts

Newsletter to explore Fallout 76 version of West Virginia

by Will Reedy

An e-newsletter being published by a West Virginia online travel guide this coming week will explore the virtual landscape presented in Fallout 76, a soon-to-be-released video game set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Mountain State. According to a spokesman for the newsletter, fans awaiting the November launch of the game are combing the Web … Read more

Fishing

New hand-fishing season opens June 15 in W.Va.

by Will Reedy

A new West Virginia “noodling” or hand-fishing season launches June 15, according to the state Division of Natural Resources. A law passed during the 2018 legislative session will allow anglers to hand-fish, or “noodle,” in public waters from June 15 to Aug. 31 between sunrise and sunset. Noodlers may only hand-fish in naturally-occurring habitats, such … Read more

The megasloth from Fallout 76.
Arts

“Fallout 76” driving record traffic to West Virginia Explorer

by Will Reedy

Fallout from the announced release of the “Fallout 76” West Virginia-based video game is driving record traffic to West Virginia Explorer, according to its publisher. The post-apoclyptic game set in West Virginia features many of the landmarks and characters about which the guide has published. “Our advertisers should certainly be happy that we’re driving numbers … Read more

Longhorned ticks confirmed in Hardy County, W.Va.
Agriculture

Longhorned tick confirmed in W.Va.’s eastern panhandle

by Will Reedy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of the Longhorned tick in Hardy County in eastern West Virginia, according to the W.Va. Department of Agriculture. Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks were collected from cattle on two farms in Hardy County near the Virginia border, according to W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “We now have … Read more

A hunter calls a gobbler during spring turkey season in West Virginia.
Hunting

Spring turkey harvest in West Virginia reaches 15-year high

by Will Reedy

Turkey hunters in West Virginia harvested 12,274 gobblers in spring 2018 — a 15-year high and a six-percent increase over 2017, according to preliminary data gathered by the state Division of Natural Resources. This harvest was also more than 10 percent above the 10-year average, according to Mike Peters, Game Bird and Small Game Project … Read more

Elk In West Virginia
Communities

W.Va. governor to speak at elk-release event near Logan

by Will Reedy

The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources will host a public ceremony May 15 to introduce 50 elk recently acquired from Arizona. Gov. Jim Justice and division director Stephen McDaniel will speak about this next important step in the state’s elk reintroduction program. The event, which will start at 1 p.m. at the Tomblin Wildlife Management … Read more

Invasive Northern Snakehead dumped in Opequon Creek according to state, federal officials.
Communities

Invasive snakehead fish dumped in Berkeley County stream

by Will Reedy

The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources and U.S. Geological Survey have confirmed that a northern snakehead fish was killed in another body of water and illegally dumped into Opequon Creek near W.Va. Route 9 in Berkeley County. [Add your comments about this potentially devastating crime below!] The survey received the dead fish at its Leetown … Read more