West Virginia's prime hunting land has created an avid statewide hunting culture.
West Virginia's Department of Natural Resources says that, "Hunting in West Virginia is a time-honored tradition in which the majority of families have at least one member who participates on a regular basis."
As many as 350,000 hunters per year venture out into the wild searching for the perfect prey to harvest. Despite the rudimentary nature of hunting, it can be a very expensive sporting activity.
Sportsmen and sportswomen require weapons, hunting clothing, hunting equipment, hunting licenses, food and lodging during the duration of the hunting trip, and transportation. Hunting has generated almost $270 million of revenue for the state, and more than 5,000 jobs.
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Not only does hunting generate a substantial amount of money for the state, the money usually is made in the most rural areas of the state. This is because hunters travel to the most remote areas of the state which tend to be the areas most densely populated with animals.
Blogger David Boston states that West Virginia's rural areas tend to be substantially more impoverished than its urban and suburban areas. Here are five things to know before applying for a West Virginian adult hunting permit:
1. Nearly all West Virginian residents and nonresidents must acquire both a conservation stamp and a hunting and trapping license before they may legally hunt. The conservation stamp is available for a small fee and the hunting and trapping license is free.
2. Landowners, their families, and tenants on the landowner's land may hunt without a permit on their own land. However, if they wish to hunt outside of their property they must purchase a license. Regular open season dates still apply to those who hunt on the land where they or a family member lives.
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3. There are annual licenses and lifetime licenses to choose between. Annual licenses become invalid after a year, but lifetime licenses ensure that the hunter will never have to renew that license again. Here is a link to applying for a lifetime license. Lifetime and annual license applications may be filled out at any Department of Natural Resources office or official West Virginian licensing agent.
4. All resident United States military active duty members who return to West Virginia on military leave can hunt during the appropriate seasons without getting a hunting license. As proof of identity they need to carry their leave papers with them at all times while hunting.
5. Any West Virginia resident who was at least 65 years old on January 1, 2012, does not need a hunting license. Instead, they may just keep their driver's license or West Virginia photo identification on their person while hunting.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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