Mountain State tradition, West Virginia Hunting 2008 

Both wild and wonderful can be found in West Virginia during the winter hunting seasons. It’s close by, it’s not expensive, and most importantly, it’s fun.

Hunting is a tradition in the Mountain State. From big game like deer, bear and wild turkey to small game like squirrels and rabbits, West Virginia is a hunter’s paradise. More than 1.6 million acres of public land are open to hunting. Nonresident hunters have long been attracted to West Virginia not only by abundant public land and game populations, but also by reasonable license fees.

West Virginia offers a wide variety of seasons, including those for archery, firearms and muzzleloaders. Details about the various hunting seasons in West Virginia can be found online at www.wvdnr.gov.

This year’s hunting outlook in West Virginia is so good that some seasons have been expanded. For example, black bear hunting seasons are more liberal, with specified counties having open days in November and December. Some counties have doubled the bag limit for bear from one to two.

As for white-tailed deer, all private land in counties having a firearms antlerless deer season will be open Nov. 24 – Dec. 13 and Dec. 24-27, and all public lands will be open Nov. 26 – Dec. 13, and Dec. 24-27 to antlerless deer hunting. Bag limits vary among counties but will be one, two or four antlerless deer. Of course, the two-week buck season always begins the Monday before Thanksgiving, providing an opportunity for family-style hunting during a time when many former residents return home for the holiday.

In recent years the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has set up a number of “older-aged deer management areas” designed to allow bucks to grow older and bigger, resulting in the larger racks that hunters treasure. All antlered deer taken on Beech Fork Lake, Bluestone Lake, Burnsville Lake and McClintic Wildlife Management areas and Coopers Rock State Forest must have a minimum outside antler spread of 14 inches (ear tip to ear tip). This has been a successful program that has excited many West Virginia hunters and has begun drawing hunters from out of state who are looking for a trophy to take home.

The wild turkey season continues to be popular in West Virginia, and hunters have the opportunity to take a bird of either sex in 26 counties through November 22. Brood counts the past couple of years have been good, and that’s an encouraging indicator that hunters will have success in the field.

West Virginia also has many opportunities for small game hunting, which is sometimes a better choice for youngsters or anyone who is new to hunting, because the chance of success is higher. Squirrels and rabbits can be found almost anywhere but provide enough of a challenge to encourage continued interest. Most small game seasons continue into the early months of 2009, but you must purchase a 2009 hunting license after Dec. 31, 2008.

Hunters between the ages of eight and 14 may participate in the Youth Antlerless Deer Hunt Dec. 22-23. They must be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 21 years of age who may not carry a gun or bow and must remain near enough to the youth to provide advice and assistance. Nonresident youth hunters ages eight to 17 can buy a Junior Sportsman hunting/trapping/fishing license for only $15.  They also will need to buy the Conservation/Law Enforcement stamp for $12.  Details can be found on the West Virginia DNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov.

To make it even easier to hunt in West Virginia, DNR has made it possible to purchase a hunting license online. All that’s required is Internet access, a credit card and a printer to print out the license immediately once it is purchased. Visit www.wvhunt.com for easy instructions. This is especially convenient if you are traveling from out of state or if you want to avoid lines at regular license agents.

West Virginia offers plenty of public hunting land with an abundance of game and liberal bag limits, along with many different types of hunting opportunities. Don’t miss the big game this winter.

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