Hunting in West Virginia: 6 Things for Landowners to Know About Hunting on Private Property

West Virginia is a huge hunting state that welcomes more than 350,000 hunters a year. Because of the sheer number of incoming hunters, it is important for a private land owner to know all of the laws and regulations about hunting on private property.

That way, the landowner will be prepared if they are approached by someone seeking permission to hunt on their lands.

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Here are six things for landowners to know about hunting on private property in West Virginia.

1. According to West Virginia's Division of Natural Resources it is legal to hunt on private land during Sundays if you choose to hunt in any of the following counties: Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Calhoun, Clay, Hancock, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marshall, Mason, Mingo, Nicholas, Ohio, Roane, Wayne, Webster, Wirt, Wetzel, or Wyoming.

2. No person or group can legally force any private landowner to allow hunters to use their land. They cannot force the landowner to allow hunters even if they wish to use it for urban deer hunting. Urban deer hunting properties are used to lower the deer population around populated areas.

This is because when deer populations get too large there is a greater likelihood that a deer will cause a car crash, eat cultivated gardens and crops, and gnaw on decorative plants.

3. The West Virginia Department of Commerce suggests that any landowner that wishes that their land could become part of the urban deer hunting initiative should contact their nearest Wildlife Biologist or Natural Resource Police Officers for guidance.

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4. Check West Virginia's Division of Natural Resources website here to see if your private property is located in a part of West Virginia in which Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is prevalent. CWD is a debilitating neurological disease. Whether or not you live in a CWD positive area, be sure to check every deer you harvest for the markers of the disease.

Signs that a deer may have CWD are extreme skinniness, possessing an ear tag, and looking noticeably ill. Scientists are not sure as of yet if CWD can be transmitted to humans.

5. Landowners may hunt on their own land without a hunting license. However, if they leave their land to hunt they need to obtain a hunting license.

6. Before giving any hunter permission to hunt on your land, ask to see their hunting licenses. It is important to make sure that they are a licensed hunter because that means that they have taken the hunter safety course and are less likely to injure themselves or your property.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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