West Virginia Explorer West Virginia Explorer News
Browse

Hunting

See our Recreation Travel Guide

Hunting in West Virginia offers rewarding experiences and numerous benefits for outdoor enthusiasts and new residents relocating from big U.S. cities due to the remote-work revolution. With abundant forests, diverse wildlife, and well-managed public hunting lands, West Virginia provides hunters with opportunities to pursue deer, turkey, bear, and small game in breathtaking Appalachian settings. Hunting in the Mountain State promotes sustainable wildlife management, supports local traditions, and allows families to bond while spending time in nature. For remote workers seeking a balanced lifestyle and a deeper connection to the outdoors, hunting in West Virginia delivers fresh air, self-sufficiency, and a chance to enjoy the peaceful wilderness that makes living in this scenic state so rewarding. Be sure to visit our Hunting Travel Guide for more information about hunting and hunting areas in West Virginia.

Re-introduced to West Virginia, an elk is featured on the front of the new W.Va. DNR wildlife calendar.
Hunting

W.Va. DNR seeks wildlife paintings for 2019 calendar

by Will Reedy

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is requesting original color wildlife paintings for the 2019 edition of the award-winning West Virginia Wildlife Calendar. The deadline for submitting artwork is Feb. 19, 2018. Paintings may depict popular game and fish species, or feature the state’s other wildlife, such as snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, … Read more

White-tailed Buck
Hunting

West Virginia’s buck, antlerless-deer seasons open Nov. 20

by David Sibray

West Virginia’s traditional buck firearms season will start Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, and run through Dec. 2. Hunters should see plenty of deer this year due to the season opening close to the “rut,” or, mating season. November firearms deer season traditionally opens the Monday before Thanksgiving, so the season can start as early as Nov. 19 and as late as Nov. … Read more

A black bear hides in a thicket in rural West Virginia
Hunting

State to poll residents regarding black bears in W.Va.

by Will Reedy

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is conducting a study of state residents’ opinions on and attitudes toward black bears and black bear management. According to Colin Carpenter, black bear project leader for the division, residents may receive a phone call from Responsive Management, a research firm contracted to conduct the study, asking them … Read more

Biologists are predicting a good season for small-game trappers and hunters.
Hunting

Small-game hunting seasons in W.Va. commence mid-October

by Will Reedy

Hunting and trapping seasons for small game in West Virginia will commence in mid-October, and wildlife biologists with the state Division of Natural Resources are predicting good opportunities for success this season. An increase in the availability of mast this year and a mild winter in 2016-2017 should contribute to a bountiful season, according to … Read more

West Virginia Mast
Hunting

Plentiful autumn mast in W.Va. should influence hunting for years

by David Sibray

The production of acorns, apples, walnuts, and hickory nuts is significantly higher than in 2016 and will have noticeable effects on the 2017–2018 hunting seasons in West Virginia, according to the state Division of Natural Resources. Deer, bear, and turkey harvests should all be influenced by a season of plentiful “mast”—the seed and fruit produced … Read more

West Virginia Hunting Fishing
Hunting

Redesigned interactive hunting and fishing map of West Virginia available

by Will Reedy

An updated, online interactive map that provides valuable information on hunting and fishing adventures in West Virginia is now accessible on smartphones and tablets, according to Stephen McDaniel, director of the state Division of Natural Resources. Hunters will find the locations of license agents, check stations, public shooting ranges, wildlife management areas, Class-Q hunter-access roads … Read more

Mourning doves perch on a branch
Hunting

Applications being accepted for South Branch dove hunt

by Will Reedy

Hunters of mourning doves who wish to participate in a controlled hunt at South Branch Wildlife Management Area in Hardy County have until midnight on July 30 to apply, according to the release fromthe W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. The hunting of mourning doves in the preserve is by permit only on Sept. 1, 2, … Read more

West Virginia DNR Districts
Hunting

West Virginia hunters harvest 11,539 spring turkeys in 2017

by Will Reedy

Spring turkey hunters harvested 11,539 gobblers in 2017, an increase of more than 11 percent over the 2016 harvest, according to preliminary numbers provided by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The harvest is the largest since 2006 when 11,735 birds were harvested and is more than 18 percent above the 10-year average. “Weather … Read more

A hunter in West Virginia uses a turkey call to attract a spring gobbler.
Hunting

2017 spring gobbler season in West Virginia begins April 17

by Will Reedy

Spring gobbler season in West Virginia opens Monday, April 17, and state officials are predicting a good season boosted by the 2016 cicada emergence. Hunters may kill only one bearded turkey per day and two during the season, which runs through Saturday, May 13, according to Gary Foster of the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Youth … Read more

Unnamed in West Virginia
Hunting

DNR to host Archery-in-the-Schools tournament March 25

by Will Reedy

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will host the 12th annual West Virginia Archery-in-the-Schools state tournament at the Charleston Civic Center Saturday, March 25, according to Art Shomo, Program Coordinator. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Students from the following schools have … Read more