If you’ve spent the last few weeks anxiously waiting for the fall hunting seasons to start, your patience is about to be rewarded because West Virginia’s archery seasons for deer, bear and wild boar will open on Saturday, Sept. 26.
There’s still time to gather up your gear, get your tree stand ready and plan your hunting adventure. If this is your first year hunting or if you need a little help getting ready, check our pre-season checklist below to make sure you’re good to go on opening day.
1. Purchase your license and stamps
If you want to hunt during the archery and crossbow season, you need a valid 2020 West Virginia hunting license. Many hunters opt to purchase a lifetime license or renew their license at the start of the year, but if you still need to get your license, visit www.wvhunt.com today. And don’t forget to purchase your RB/RRB stamps before the start of the season if you want to take additional deer.
2. Review hunting regulations
Make sure you’re familiar with West Virginia’s hunting regulations for the archery and crossbow seasons, including rule changes, bag limits and special rules for harvesting antlered and antlerless deer. If you don’t have a copy, click here to download one.
3. Inspect your equipment
The best hunt is a safe hunt and you need to check your gear regularly to make sure everything is in proper working order. Look over your tree stand, safety harness and any other piece of gear you use during the season. And make sure your weapon is in proper working order and safe to fire by taking your bow out for a practice session.
4. Plan a hunting trip
Whether you hunt on your own property or on public land, you’ll want to plan a trip and scout the location. If you plan to hunt on public land, use our online map to find a location near you. The map is a powerful tool that provides details about the landscape, amenities and nearby hunting opportunities.
The archery and crossbow seasons are only the start of West Virginia’s incredible big game hunting opportunities. Don’t forget about the fall turkey season opening on Oct. 10, the antlerless deer split seasons starting on Oct. 22 or the buck firearms season opening on Nov. 23.
And don’t forget to share your hunting adventures with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag #wvhunt.