West Virginia buck hunting bag limit reduced & other changes announced for 2024-25 seasons

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) has released its 2024-25 hunting seasons and regulations, and there are a few changes.

One of the biggest changes is the annual bag limit for antlered deer. For all regular deer seasons combined, the bag limit for antlered deer has been dropped down from three to two—a change that was announced back in 2023 . The only exception is that three antlered deer may be taken in a West Virginia CWD Containment Area by Class XS license holders.

The season for black bear hunting has been extended. Last year, the first day for bear hunting was in late October, but this year, there’s an extra week of hunting in select counties from Sept 21-27, including Harrison, Lewis, Monongalia, Taylor and Upshur.

According to a press release, the antlerless deer and fall wild turkey dates and open counties have also changed.

This coming fall, antlerless deer season will be:

• Oct. 24-27
• Nov. 25-Dec. 8
• Dec. 12-15
• Dec. 28-31

Fall turkey season will be:

• Oct. 12-20 (most counties)
• Oct. 28-Nov. 3 (fewer counties)
• Nov. 3-17 (14 counties)

Wirt and Jefferson counties have been removed from the late-October to early-November season for fall turkey hunting.

Since the confirmed spread of chronic wasting disease in Jefferson County , carcass transportation regulations are now implemented there.

“With West Virginia’s world-class deer seasons and other small and big game hunting opportunities, hunters have a lot to look forward to this fall, so we want to encourage everyone to review these important changes and plan accordingly,” WVDNR Director Brett McMillion said in the release.

To read the new 2024–25 West Virginia Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary, click here .

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