CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia no longer requires children to be at least eight years old to participate in the state’s special youth hunting seasons, a change taking on new relevance as the first youth black bear season of the fall opens Saturday.
The W.Va. Natural Resources Commission eliminated the minimum age requirement in 2025. Previously, youth hunters had to be at least eight and younger than 18 to participate in the special seasons.
The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources now specifies no minimum age for the youth seasons, though hunters younger than 15 must be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 18.
Brett McMillion, the division director, said emphasized the role of youth hunting in announcing the season.
“Hunting in West Virginia is a time-honored tradition passed down for generations,” McMillion said. “We encourage parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to share their love for hunting and the outdoors with family members.”
Seven-year-old hunter brought attention to age rule
Questions about the former minimum age had surfaced years before the commission eliminated it.
The issue drew public criticism at an October 2022 meeting of the Natural Resources Commission in Flatwoods, where Thomas Wood, of Buckhannon, spoke about his seven-year-old daughter.
Wood said his daughter enjoyed hunting during regular seasons but could not participate in a special youth season because she had not reached the minimum age of eight.
“I’m just asking for consistencies in youth season same as regular hunting season,” Wood told commissioners, according to MetroNews.
The commission subsequently began a formal examination of the requirement. Its August 2023 agenda included a presentation on the history of the minimum age and the process and possible implications of changing it.
The matter remained under consideration into 2025. At its May meeting that year, the commission scheduled a presentation, recommendations, and a vote specifically on the youth-season minimum age.
The state subsequently announced that the commission had removed the restriction.
The change also gives families greater discretion in deciding when a child is ready to begin hunting. Rather than establishing a statewide minimum age for participation, the regulations rely on adult supervision requirements for younger hunters.
West Virginia has used special youth seasons to provide young hunters opportunities separate from the regular hunting calendar, when they can gain experience in the field with an adult nearby. The approach reflects the state’s broader effort to introduce new generations to hunting while maintaining specific safeguards for younger participants.
Adult supervision still required
The change did not eliminate supervision requirements for younger hunters. Hunters younger than 15 must be accompanied by a licensed adult who is at least 18 and remains close enough to provide guidance and assistance, according to the division.
A separate change approved by the West Virginia Legislature in 2025 clarified that an accompanying adult may handle a youth hunter’s firearm to provide safe-handling advice and assistance.
The accompanying adult, however, may not carry a firearm to take wildlife while assisting the youth hunter during a special season.
Hunters ages 15–17 must comply with applicable state and federal licensing requirements, and youth hunters who harvest big game must register the harvest through their own W.Va. DNR account.
Youth bear season opens Saturday
The age change is back in focus as West Virginia begins its 2026–27 youth hunting seasons.
The first split of the youth black bear season runs Sept. 12–13. A second is scheduled for Oct. 17–18, concurrently with a youth season for white-tailed deer.
Youth waterfowl hunting days are scheduled for Sept. 19 and Oct. 31, while the youth spring turkey season is scheduled for April 17–18, 2027.
“West Virginia has youth seasons for squirrels, bears, deer and turkey to give our younger hunters a chance to experience hunting firsthand,” McMillion said.
“The more opportunities they get, the more likely they’ll make it a lifelong experience.”