The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) has published its annual pamphlet outlining the rules and regulations for hunting during the 2023-2024 season. The WVDNR has introduced a new option for nonresident hunters, offering lifetime licenses for hunting, trapping, and fishing instead of the usual annual licenses.
The pamphlet provides a comprehensive list of opening and closing dates for hunting seasons, daily bag limits, possession limits, and season limits for different types of game. It is important to note
that species marked with an asterisk (*) must be checked or registered electronically. Additional regulations for these species can be found in the WVDNR's "Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary, July 2023-June 2024."
Some notable hunting seasons include those for wild boar, deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, ring-neck pheasant, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, bobcat, mink, muskrat, fisher, beaver, otter, crow, coyote, skunk, opossum, and weasel. It is worth mentioning that hunting seasons for woodchucks, English sparrows, European Starlings, and pigeons are open year-round, with no daily bag, possession, or season limits.
According to the WVDNR's hunting guide, there are no open seasons for animals like elk, owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, songbirds, and insectivorous birds. However, "nuisance crows" can be killed at any time. Nuisance crows are defined as those that cause harm to trees, crops, gardens, livestock, wildlife, and pose a health hazard or nuisance.
For certain game species such as geese, ducks, mourning doves, gallinules, rails, woodcock, and common snipe, hunters must register through the Harvest Information Program.
Hunters should take note of some changes for this season. The dates and open counties for antlerless deer, fall wild turkey, and black bear have been modified. Additionally, the Special Youth, Class Q, and Class XS bear seasons will be split seasons in the counties open to bear hunting.
During the muzzleloader deer season, firearms such as single-shot, muzzle-loading pistols or rifles with a bore diameter of .38 caliber or larger are now legal. These firearms use encapsulated propellant charge loading from the breech and have the projectile loaded from the muzzle. However, they cannot be used during the Mountaineer Heritage Season.
In Barbour, Jackson, Mason, and Upshur counties, any deer harvested on November 20th and November 21st must be taken to a designated Biological Game Examination Station. This three-year study aims to assist biologists in managing deer populations in West Virginia.