SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. — West Virginia’s archery and crossbow seasons for deer, bear and wild boar open on Saturday, Sept. 26 and the state Division of Natural Resources is reminding hunters to be safe, get their license and purchase necessary stamps before the season starts.

“Most hunters are already out in the woods practicing their shot and scouting the area they want to hunt, so we want to remind folks to be smart and safe out there and to respect game laws and other hunting regulations,” said WVDNR Law Enforcement Lt. Warren Goodson.

Archery and crossbow seasons for deer and bear open statewide on Saturday while the wild boar season is open only in Boone, Logan, Raleigh and Wyoming counties. Hunters should also note that crossbows cannot be used to hunt deer in Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming Counties, except for those who have a Class Y/YY permit.

“These rules are in place to protect hunters and make sure wild game is humanely harvested,” Goodson said. “A lot of hunting incidents occur when hunters aren’t being safe or paying attention, so we always encourage people to be mindful of their surroundings and use a harness and fall restraint system if they’re going to hunt from a tree stand.”

RB and RRB Stamps Must Be Purchased Before Sept. 26
During the archery and crossbow season, resident hunters who purchase RB and nonresident hunters with RRB stamps can take up to two additional deer. Only one deer can be taken with each stamp. Hunters who don’t purchase RB or RRB stamps may only harvest one deer on their base license.

If two deer are taken on RB or RRB stamps, one of the two must be an antlerless deer taken in a county open to Class N antlerless hunting. Additional regulations for using RB and RRB stamps and taking antlered and antlerless deer during the archery and crossbow seasons may be found in the 2020-2021 West Virginia Hunting Regulations.

West Virginia hunting licenses and stamps are available to purchase online at wvhunt.com.