Overview
Known For
West Virginia is known for great hunting opportunities for four primary species–whitetail deer, black bear, turkey, and wild boar. For black bear hunting, particularly, West Virginia is known for having the most liberal hunting opportunities in the lower 48 U.S. states and bears have been harvested in 53 of the state’s 55 counties in recent years. The state also recently introduced elk with the hopes of one day offering an elk hunting season.
Terrain
West Virginia’s terrain varies from mountains to river valleys to plateaus. Most of the state lies in the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests, with its eastern border in the heart of the Appalachian/Blue Ridge Mountains. There are over 1,000 named peaks in West Virginia, and per square mile, the state is officially the most mountainous in the U.S.
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West Virginia Hunting Seasons
See Regulations for more details.
See Regulations for more details.
Youth, Class Q & XS
See Regulations for more details.
West Virginia Licenses, Permits, and Regulations
West Virginia hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the official website of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every West Virginia hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. West Virginia hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunt zones, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for West Virginia.
Hunt Zones
West Virginia’s hunt zones are part of the state’s management of 96 wildlife management areas (WMAs), which are inside six different districts. Each hunt zone has different rules, regulations, and bag limits for different species. Click below to view West Virginia’s hunt zones in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
WV Private Lands
Over 1,000,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer shows property owners in West Virginia. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
WV Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 1,700,000 acres in West Virginia. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
WV Game Mgmt Units
West Virginia Game Management Units
Includes 7 Sublayers
- WV Antlerless Deer Hunt Zones
- Whitetail Deer Muzzleloader Hunt Zone
- Whitetail Deer Firearm Hunt Zone
- Archery Whitetail Deer Hunt Area
- Boar Hunt Zone
- Fall Turkey Hunt Zone
- Bear Hunt Zones
WV Possible Access
onX has mapped 580,000 acres of possible access lands in West Virginia including timber and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
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