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Several hunting seasons open Saturday, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said.
The first split of youth black bear season is Saturday and Sunday and the first split of youth waterfowl season is Sept. 19. Minimum age restriction for youth seasons has been removed.
"Hunting in West Virginia is a time-honored tradition passed down for generations. We encourage parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to share their love for hunting and the outdoors with family members," Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion said. "West Virginia has youth seasons for squirrels, bears, deer and turkey to give our younger hunters a chance to experience hunting firsthand. The more opportunities they get, the more likely they'll make it a life-long experience.
A second youth black bear season will concurrently run with a youth season for white-tailed deer on Oct. 17-18. The second youth waterfowl season date is scheduled for Oct. 31. The youth spring turkey season will be April 17-18.
The Natural Resources Commission in 2025 removed the minimum age restriction for youth seasons. Youth hunters under the age of 15 must still be accompanied by a licensed adult who is 18 years of age or older and must remain close enough to provide guidance and assistance.
The Legislature also approved a change to make it clear an adult assisting a youth hunter during any special youth season may handle the hunter's firearm to provide safe handling advice and help. When assisting a youth hunter during a special youth season, the accompanying adult is still prohibited from carrying a firearm for the purpose of taking wildlife.
Hunters aged 15-17 must comply with all applicable state and federal licensing requirements and all youth hunters must check big game harvests using their own Natural Resources account. Hunting licenses can be purchased and game checks can be completed online at WVhunt.com.
More information about youth hunting in West Virginia is on pages 27, 34 and 40 of the Hunting Regulations Summary available to download at WVdnr.gov/huntingregulations.
West Virginia's regular squirrel season will open statewide on Saturday and runs through Feb. 28.
“Squirrel hunting is a long-standing tradition in West Virginia and is how many hunters are introduced to the sport,” McMillion said. “We encourage folks to give squirrel hunting a try or use it as practice for an upcoming season. It's a great time to be outdoors in West Virginia.”
Squirrel hunting plays a role in wildlife management by managing squirrel populations, hunters help maintain ecosystem balance to ensure adequate resources remain available for other wildlife.
Hunting regulations are available for download at WVdnr.gov/hunting-regulations, including bag limits.
The division also offers durable physical license cards, which hunters can purchase as an upgrade to an existing license or add during renewal. Hunting licenses can be purchased online at WVhunt.com.