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.
West Virginia’s 2022 muzzleloader deer-hunting season will be open Dec. 12-18, and hunters who want to harvest an additional deer are reminded to buy appropriate stamps before the season starts. Holly Morris, an assistant district wildlife biologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, lauded the benefits of the muzzleloader season. “The muzzleloader season … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced today that the West Virginia Division of Natural Resource’s lifetime license giveaway is back for the fourth year. Hunters and anglers who purchase an annual 2023 hunting, trapping or fishing license in December will automatically be entered into the drawing, according to Justice. “There’s a lot … Read more
SUTTON, W.Va. — Beginning this week, hunters will have several opportunities to target deer and bear in December 2022. The next segments of West Virginia’s antlerless deer and bear firearms seasons are set to open early in the month. The next segment of West Virginia’s antlerless deer firearms season will be open Dec. 8–11 in … Read more
FARMINGTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is reminding hunters that they must bring deer harvested in Barbour, Jackson, Mason, and Upshur counties on Nov. 21-22 to a biological data collection station for carcass examination. Assisting in a study of deer in those counties, division personnel will collect data on harvested deer … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The next segment of West Virginia’s 2022 firearms season for hunting black bears opens Nov. 21 in 36 counties and parts of six other counties. The season runs concurrently with the buck firearms and antlerless deer seasons through Dec. 4. Only bear hunting without dogs is permitted during the season, according to … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s two-week buck firearms season will open Nov. 21, 2022, and hunters who want a chance to harvest an extra buck must purchase their specialized stamps before the season starts. Resident hunters must purchase their Class RG, and non-resident hunters must purchase their Class RRG stamp by 11:59 p.m. on … Read more
The first segment of West Virginia’s wild boar firearms season will take place from Oct. 22-29 in Boone, Logan, Raleigh and Wyoming counties, according to Colin Carpenter, project leader for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Carpenter said hunters should begin looking in advance for stands of white oak on which the boars feed. … Read more
SHADY SPRING, W.Va. — The first segment of West Virginia’s antlerless deer firearms season is set to open for four days on Oct. 20 in the state’s 51 counties open to deer firearms season. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion said the hunt should be particularly spectacular this year given the brilliance … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunters who want a chance to take up to two additional deer during West Virginia’s statewide deer archery season have until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2022, to purchase their archery deer stamps. The state’s deer archery season starts on Saturday, Sept. 24, and runs through Dec. 31. Hunters who purchase … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Early black bear gun hunting, with or without dogs, is available in four counties from September 3-11, 2022, and will open up in five additional counties on October 1, according to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Colin Carpenter, black bear project leader for the division, said an excess population of the … Read more
