Hunting

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia officials are urging hunters to participate in the state’s 2024 early antlerless deer firearms season, which will open Oct. 24–27.The early season is vital to the health of the state’s high deer population, says Brett McMillion, director of the W.Va. Department of Natural Resources.“In addition to giving hunters more opportunities … Read more

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — December hunting season for deer and bear in West Virginia is underway, according to officials at the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources.Hikers, bikers, hunters, and other explorers of the outdoors in West Virginia are reminded to wear blaze orange when wandering forests through the remainder of 2023.Hunters are required by law … Read more

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the raccoon hunting season underway, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is reminding hunters and trappers that the state’s various furbearer trapping and small game hunting seasons will open on Nov. 4.Small game hunting and trapping seasons open on Nov. 4 include those for red and gray fox, bobcat, … Read more

FARMINGTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced that new hunting regulations for migratory game birds will go into effect on Sept. 1 in accord with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s annual guidelines.The new regulations include an increase in the mallard duck daily bag limit. Hunters may harvest four mallards daily, … Read more

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. —  Officials at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources are reminding hunters to review several essential changes to hunting seasons for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and black bear before their seasons open this autumn.Included in the 2023-24 West Virginia Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary, now available online at WVDNR.gov/hunting-regulations, hunters who … Read more

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Applications to hunt in 12 limited-permit areas in West Virginia during the 2023 antlerless deer season are now available, according to officials with the W.Va Division of Natural Resources.The limited-permit areas provide antlerless deer hunting opportunities in areas where wildlife biologists have determined that issuing a limited number of antlerless deer … Read more

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

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 photography.“Each … 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 the … 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, mink, … Read more