West Virginia is blanketed with dense forests that hold bountiful amounts of wildlife. However, either sometimes hunting on the same public land gets boring or a hunter may hear of a hunting hot spot on private land.
Every hunter who aims to hunt on private land should thoroughly familiarize themselves with West Virginia's hunting rules concerning private land. If they do not know the laws they may end up getting prosecuted for trespassing.
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To prevent that from happening, here is a list of four things to know about hunting on private lands in West Virginia.
1.
West Virginia's Division of Natural Resources established that hunting on Sundays during open season is permissible if done on private land that is located in specific counties. The counties where it is legal are: Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Calhoun, Clay, Hancock, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marshall, Mason, Mingo, Nicholas, Ohio, Roane, Wayne, Webster, Wirt, Wetzel, and Wyoming.
2. Check West Virginia's Division of Natural Resources website here to see if the property is located in a part of West Virginia where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is prevalent.
Whether or not the property is in a CWD positive area, make sure to check every deer you harvest for the markers of the disease. Signs that a deer may have the degenerative neurological disease that is Chronic Wasting Disease are extreme skinniness, possessing an ear tag, and looking noticeably ill.
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Scientists are not yet sure if Chronic Wasting Disease can be transmitted to humans. So, if the property you were considering is located in a CWD positive area, it may be wise to search for another private property to hunt in.
3.
Hunters who enjoy hunting deer should check if there are any private lands near them that are taking part in the Urban Deer Hunting Initiative.
According to wvcommerce.com, any hunter that takes part in this program can legally bag more deer in a season.
These hunters also are helping to prevent deer related accidents such as car crashes in urban and suburban areas.
4. Often, private property owners want monetary compensation in exchange for allowing a hunter to hunt on their land. So, every hunter considering requesting access to private property should plan out how much they would be willing to pay the landowner before speaking with them.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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