West Virginia’s buck firearms season opens next Monday, November 23. The season has been extended to 14 days and includes an additional Sunday this year.
“The buck firearms season traditionally opens on the Monday before Thanksgiving and closes two weeks later on a Saturday, but hunters will be able to get out into the woods for an extra day of hunting this year,” said Brett Skelly, assistant deer project leader for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR).
During West Virginia’s buck firearms season, hunters also have the unique opportunity to participate in the concurrent antlerless deer and bear firearms seasons, if they have purchases Class N/NN and DS stamps.
“You can take a buck, doe and bear on the same day,” Skelly said. “I don’t know of any other state that has anything like that.”
Hunters who want to try and take one additional buck must purchase a RG or RRG stamp by November 22, before the season starts. Hunters who don’t purchase a stamp may only harvest one buck on their base license.
On a base hunting license, hunters may take a maximum of three antlerless deer during the firearms season, a portion of which runs at the same time as buck season. Resident landowners must follow the same season bag limit on their property.
West Virginia hunting licenses and stamps are managed through the state’s hunting and fishing website at www.wvhunt.com.
Hunters are required to wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange when hunting in a county or area where a deer firearms season is presently open. They also need to electronically check big game online at www.wvhunt.com, at a license agent or by calling 844-WVCHECK.
The buck firearms season runs through December 6 in all but four counties. Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming are closed to firearms deer hunting. Hunters who want to hunt at a wildlife management area or on other public hunting land, should check out the WVDNR’s online map at mapwv.gov/huntfish.
More information about the buck firearms season and West Virginia’s hunting regulations are in the hunting regulation booklets, available at stores and outdoor retailers.
Hunters can also find regulations online at www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/hunting_regs.shtm or get more information by calling the West Virginia DNR District II Law Enforcement & Wildlife Resources in Romney at 304-822-3551.
photo courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
