Will Reedy
OLD FIELDS, W.Va. — Applications for a controlled mourning dove hunt at the South Branch Wildlife Management Area in Hardy County in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia are now available, according to officials at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The annual controlled hunt is scheduled for Sept. 1-2. Mourning dove hunters who … Read more
LOUDONDALE, W.Va. — A stream restoration project designed to improve fishing and recreation at Kanawha State Forest near Charleston, West Virginia, has been completed, according to West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice. Started in 2020, the project was a significant undertaking and included the removal of the Davis Creek Dam, which was built in the 1930s. … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice today announced the winners of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources second annual Big Buck Photo Contest. The 20 youth and five adult winners were announced at a press conference at the State Capitol on Wednesday. Justice, an avid hunter, thanked state officials and all who had submitted … Read more
West Virginia Explorer Magazine publishes an updated list of waters stocked by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources as the division publishes announcements. Trout Stocking in West Virginia, March 6-10, 2023. The following West Virginia waters were stocked with trout from March 6-10, 2023. Anthony Creek Big Clear Creek Little Clear Creek Big Sandy Creek … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will host 12 in-person public meetings in mid-March 2023 to discuss proposed hunting, trapping, and fishing regulations, according to division director Brett McMillion. The meetings are scheduled at various locations around the state on Monday, March 13, and Tuesday, March 14, from 6 to … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Deer hunters in West Virginia have had a very good year, according to officials at the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. According to preliminary numbers released by the division, hunters harvested 118,606 deer during the 2022–2023 seasons, which is a 12.7 percent increase over the 2021 harvest and 12.2 percent above … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Officials at the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources are reminding hunters and trappers that West Virginia’s 2023 furbearer trapping and small-game hunting seasons will end in February and March. Hunting and trapping seasons for red and gray foxes, bobcats, and raccoons will close on Feb. 28. Trapping seasons for coyote, otter, … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunters harvested 1,727 black bears during the combined archery, crossbow, and firearms seasons in West Virginia in 2022, according to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The preliminary harvest for the combined 2022 seasons is 37 percent below the 2,756 bears killed in 2021. According to Colin Carpenter, black bear project … Read more
FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — Will West Virginia suffer more winter or enjoy an early spring? “French Creek Freddie,” the Mountain State’s unofficial weather-prognosticating groundhog, will weigh in during the 46th annual Groundhog Day Festival at the West Virginia Wildlife Center on Thursday, Feb. 2. According to Trevor Moore, a wildlife biologist at the center, the public … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunters and anglers who attend the West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show are sure to notice a change when the three-day event returns to the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on January 20–22, 2023, for its 35th year. In addition to the famous Whitetail Hall of Fame and free buck trophy … Read more
