Y license holders to use a crossbow during the crossbow deer season in. New season proposed for west virginia whitetail deer. Hd mediawest virginias 2018 archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear and wild boar will open saturday, sept. South charleston, wv west virginias 2015 archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear and wild boar began.
West virginia hunters harvest 108,856 deer during fall 2018. The west virginia department of natural resources wvdnr will have to see where there would be enough time to squeeze crossbow hunting season in. The west virginia state legislature took action earlier this year to legalize the use of crossbows during big game firearms seasons. Shoot, hunt or trap upon the fenced or posted grounds of another person without having in your possession written permission from the landowner. West virginia hunters harvest more than 99,000 deer in. The slings and arrows well, mainly the arrows of hunting fortunes take a new turn this weekend. Crossbow hunting information new york hunting seasons.
West virginias 2018 archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear and wild boar will open saturday, sept. Archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear, and wild boar will open saturday, sept. Bow season opens for deer hunters saturday across west virginia and for the 1st time any hunter can take aim with a powerful crossbow. Crossbow hunting regulations and laws in west virginia. Fall wild turkey season dates and open counties have changed. Virginias combined 70,000 bow and crossbow hunters represent less than 30 percent of total deer hunters and harvest about 10 percent of the states deer annually. Consider the following before buying your new crossbow. Check your states regulations before making your purchase. Crossbows finally legal for deer hunting in wv the. With the start of a new decade this year, i decided to take a look back at the most notable changes that took place to hunting seasons in west virginia. The new rule adds 30 days to each crossbow season in zones a, b, and c, and adds 33 days in zone d, thereby coinciding with the archery season on private. Were kicking things off for season 10 with an exciting turkey hunt with tommy alford and his young son, jack.
Changes to hunting season over the previous decade sports. Wild boar seasons will be split, with the second portion for gun, archery and crossbow to be held feb. Hunters who plan to hunt with a crossbow must have in their possession while afield either their completed hunter. Commissioners also approved the dnrs proposal to split the states existing archeryandcrossbow season for urban deer into two segments, and to hold one of those segments in midtolate january. The new rule adds 30 days to each crossbow season in zones a, b, and c, and adds 33 days in zone d, thereby coinciding with the archery season on private land only. I am a life long hunter, been bow hunting about 10 years, and just pulled the trigger on my first crossbow. There will be no new license fee door 2015 and the season will be the entire length. From the wv department of natural resources south charleston west virginias 2018 archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear and wild boar will open saturday, sept. The officials also proposed splitting the states existing archeryandcrossbow season for urban deer into two parts, with one. Dnr answers questions about crossbow season outdoor. Crossbow hunting qualifications and safety information crossbows may be used by any person age 14 or older to hunt deer, bear, unprotected wildlife and most small game species except waterfowl and other migratory game birds. Hunt in state parks, in safety zones in state forests or wildlife management areas,and in harpers ferry national historical park. New season proposed for west virginia whitetail deer hunting. Wvs 2018 hunting season will extend into 2019 news.
Again, there may be further restrictions applied during these seasons such draw weights and the use of scopes. The following is a quick guide to crossbow hunting regulations in west virginia. At the same time the commissioners voted to split several seasons, they voted to consolidate the states archeryandcrossbow season for black bears. Official site of the west virginia division of natural resources els for wv state parks and wv hunting and fishing licenses. Arizona elk prepared for their new west virginia home may 15, 2018. West virginia deer gun season kill totals down from 2018. State prepares for inaugural crossbow season august 28, 2015 west virginia, the rut is.
Thus, a convicted felon may hunt with a crossbow without violating federal law. United states crossbow hunting regulations game categories. After doing a ton of research, i settled on the amped 415. Opening day of the 2019 wv archery hunt with the ravin r9 crossbow. From new hunters to the oldseasoned deer camp veterans, this season is special to all. The archery and crossbow deer and bear seasons run through dec. Despite being a smaller state, west virginia is home to more than 350,000. If you find a better price on a crossbow from another qualifying retailer, well match it with our best price. For example, federal law does not consider a crossbow to be a firearm. Aptly named the mountain state, west virginia gives hunters the opportunity to hunt in majestic solitude while pursuing deer, bear, turkey and small game. Some changes to 201819 wv hunting regulations sports.
Jeremy rowbotham shoots a good buck last day of the new york crossbow season 2019. Alabama, delaware, kansas, nebraska, new hampshire, nevada, new york, pennsylvania, rhode island, utah. Everything you need to plan your west virginia hunting trips for 2020. Crossbow hunters of protected species require a hunting license in all states, for which completion of a hunting safety course is sometimes a prerequisite. Bag limits, special seasons and hunting regulations for west virginia hunting seasons do vary based on animal and seasons.
Hunters are required to purchase a crossbow permit to use one during the archery only season. Wv archery asscociation member of national field archery assoc. West virginia dnr deer archery regulations fact sheet. Archery and crossbow hunting for antlered and antlerless deer is. The muzzleloader deer season dates have changed, and the season will run december 1016. West virginia division of natural resources director stephen mcdaniel says the states 2019 archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear and wild boar will open saturday, sept. Our staff will manage these new lands to enhance essential wildlife habitat for a variety of forestland. Official site of the west virginia division of natural resources, wv state parks, and wv hunting and fishing license. State wildlife officials have voted to extend the 2018 whitetail hunt into 2019 by creating an entirely new season and. Its hard to believe were in our 10th season of delivering the best in online bowhunting adventure to hunters across the country. West virginia is the latest state to acknowledge that crossbow hunting is just like hunting with any vertical bow. West virginia archery and crossbow season kicks off on saturday. West virginia deer gun season kill totals down from 2018 wildlife officials say the number of antlered whitetailed deer killed in west virginia during. Draw weight is key, as some states have specific minimum and maximum requirements for hunting to ensure ethical harvesting.
West virginia offers several big game hunting seasons through the beautiful appalachian mountains. Sunday hunting is legal on public lands throughout west virginia. In the past, bowhunters were prohibited from hunting bears during the firearm season for buck deer. West virginias archery and crossbow seasons open sept. The seasons harvest was nine percent below the 2018 harvest of 108,856. The use of a crossbow is legal in the following states during deer or game hunting seasons only. The west virginia division of natural resources wvdnr has released preliminary counts that show hunters in west virginia harvested more than 99,000 whitetailed deer during the 20192020 seasons. West virginias whitetail hunting season extended to 2019. Crossbow laws and regulations are crossbows legal in my. Sergeant michael coberly, a west virginia division of natural resources police officer, says that crossbow hunting is now legal in the mountain state. Take your hunt to the next level with a powerful, dependable crossbow from dicks sporting goods. Crossbows are legal in west virginia during archery seasons.
Bow and crossbow hunting is prohibited on bright mccausland homestead wildlife management area. Lists of properties available for hunting are not maintained by the department or local governments. Crossbows were legalized for all virginia deer hunters in 2005. Finally, crossbows that are built like a longrange, precision rifle.
Archery or crossbow deer hunters hunting during the early urban archery deer season are required to wear blaze color on the youth and apprentice deer hunting weekend. West virginias archery and crossbow seasons to open on. Typically wild game animals are divided into several categories for regulatory purposes. However, some states, such as new york, prohibit convicted felons from possessing and using crossbows, so it is illegal for a felon to hunt with a crossbow in those jurisdictions. The wvdnr could combine compound and crossbow season or add a whole new season for crossbow hunting. Crossbows may not be used to take carp or any other fish.
Bought it a long way out from the season so i could become comfortable with it and make any upgrades i need within plenty of time before deer season. Photo courtesy of the west virginia department of commerce. Effective july 2011, the florida fish and wildlife conservation commission passed a new rule which will extend zonal crossbow seasons by a month. West virginias deer, bear and boar archery and crossbow. Archery and crossbow seasons for whitetailed deer, black bear and wild boar will open on saturday, september 28 and run through december 31, according to west virginia dnr director stephen mcdaniel. Im a retired disabled veteran and served with the us army for 10 years. Now that crossbow seasons have been established for all of west virginias biggame animals. Interest in archery and crossbow hunting continues to be very strong and west virginia provides an incredible opportunity for our state.
The west virginia division of natural resources has restrictions for yearround and seasonal hunting. It has been estimated that hunters harvested 99,437 deer during the season. Crossbows may legally be used to hunt during the firearm and archery seasons. Ny state senate bill s86a the new york state senate. The opening of buck season is upon us sports columns register. Us crossbow regulations tenpoint tenpoint crossbows. Hunting in the 21st century is a sport full of compound bows and modern firearms. Many cities and towns in west virginia are experiencing problems with deer vehicle collisions and damage to ornamental shrubs and gardens due to increasing deer populations. Our benchmark fire control technology features a twostage, match grade trigger, our easyload boltretention arm, and our oneofakind decocking button that allows shooters to safely decock their crossbow without disengaging the. Want to know if its legal to hunt using a crossbow in west virginia. West virginias season historically has opened the monday before.
Ap west virginia wildlife officials have stretched the states 2018 whitetail hunting season by creating a new season and extending an existing one. West virginia, wvns today, january 10, 2019, kicksoff a new hunting season in west virginia called mountaineer heritage season. The state has eliminated the handicapped regulations for the use of a crossbow in their deer season. They also instructed the division of natural resources to establish a separate crossbow hunting season and identify those game species that could be. Class y crossbow permit for persons with permanent and substantial physical impairment ddfl application fishing license for wv residents with a. There would be many options open to put crossbow season in effect. Further, the director shall designate a separate season for crossbow hunting and identify which species of wildlife may be hunted with a crossbow. West virginias traditional buck firearms season opens the monday. Commissioners also approved the dnrs proposal to split the states existing archery and crossbow season for urban deer into two segments, and to hold one of those segments in midtolate january. West virginia hunting seasons, 20192020 hunting season hq. As an additional exception, if youre a class yyy holder, you are allowed to hunt with a crossbow in these counties as. Wvs 2018 hunting season will extend into 2019 hunting. Another change to the 2015 regulations was the use of crossbows. Be sure to visit the divisions website for additional details and regulations.