Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - As is traditional every Monday before Thanksgiving, West Virginia's two-week antlered (buck) firearm season begins Monday, Nov. 24, and continues through Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. The West Virginia's buck gun season provides a wealth of recreational opportunities for hunters and has a tremendous economic impact on the state's economy.
"Hunters should enjoy a great deer season in 2014," said Curtis I. Taylor, chief of the Wildlife Resources Section of the Division of Natural Resources (DNR). "Hunters can harvest an additional buck with the purchase of the appropriate stamp."
Resident hunters wanting the extra buck must purchase the Class RG stamp prior to the beginning of the season. The cost is $21. The RG stamp must be accompanied by a Class A and CS, A-L, AB-L, X, XS, XJ, AH, AHJ or free license.
Resident landowners have the privilege of harvesting an extra buck without purchasing the RG stamp if they are hunting on their own property. Nonresident hunters wanting an extra buck must purchase an RRG stamp prior to the beginning of the season, and the cost is $43. The RRG stamp must be accompanied by the Class E, AAH, AAHJ or XXJ license.
Nonresident hunters who own land in West Virginia are not exempt from purchasing a license or the extra buck stamp, even if hunting on their own property.
Buck firearm hunters in 31 counties (see 2014-2015 Hunting and Trapping Regulations) are required to take an antlerless deer with a firearm (required Class N permit for residents or Class NN permit for nonresidents) prior to harvesting a second antlered deer during the buck firearms season.
Most counties are open to concurrent antlerless deer season hunting during the traditional buck gun season. Class N or Class NN permits to hunt during the antlerless deer season can be purchased at any time. Antlerless deer firearm season opens Nov. 24 on private land and selected public lands. Hunters should consult the 2014-2015 Hunting and Trapping Regulations available at license agents and at www.wvdnr.gov for specific antlerless deer regulations in each county and wildlife management area.
Hunters may harvest two deer on the same day, but only one of those can be a buck. The first deer does not have to be legally checked at an official checking station prior to harvesting the second deer in the same day. However, all deer must be checked at an official game checking station prior to hunting during any subsequent day.
| 
