11/5/2010
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The gun seasons for deer open soon in West Virginia, and to meet the needs of young or new hunters, the Law Enforcement Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will be sponsoring a Hunter Education course “Blitz Weekend” across the state November 13 and 14. During that weekend, there will be at least one Hunter Education class offered in nearly every county. Some counties will offer the course the week before, Nov. 8-12. Any person born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, must complete a Hunter Education course before purchasing a hunting license.
Many Hunter Education courses are being offered throughout West Virginia now and will continue through the Sunday before the deer buck season, which begins Nov. 22. However, during the Blitz Weekend, some counties will have as many as three courses running at the same time. There is no charge to take the Hunter Education course, but you should register in advance to make sure you can get into a class.
“Classes held between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 are generally small, while classes held September through November could be as large as 200 if we had the available space and instructors,” said Lt. Tim Coleman of the DNR Law Enforcement Section. Coleman is state coordinator of the DNR Hunter Education Program. “So don’t miss out on these extra opportunities available during the Blitz Weekend. You will have only yourself to blame if you cannot hunt this year because you did not take the Hunter Education course.”
As an alternative, classes are continuously offered online at www.wvdnr.gov for a fee, and the required practical exam that must be taken in person will be offered in various locations across the state during Blitz Weekend.
For information about class locations, go to www.wvdnr.gov, scroll to “Law Enforcement” and click on “Hunter Education,” and then “Class Search,” or call the DNR District Office in your area:
- Farmington 304-825-6787
- Romney 304-822-3551
- Elkins 304-637-0245
- Beckley 304-256-6945
- Nitro 304-759-0703
- Parkersburg 304-420-4550
- Charleston 304-558-2784
Contact Information
Lt. Tim Coleman, Law Enforcement Section
304-558-2784
dnr.law@wv.gov