West Virginia 2013 Wild Boar Archery and Firearms Seasons Open
OutdoorHub 10.23.13
Wild boar archery season opened Oct. 12 and will run through Dec. 31. The firearms season will open Oct. 26 and run through Nov. 2, according to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR).
These seasons are open to West Virginia residents only. To hunt wild boar, hunters must possess one of the following licenses: Class X, XJ, XS, AB-L, A-L or Class A+BG+CS or be exempt from purchasing a license.
Hunting is restricted to Boone, Logan, Raleigh and Wyoming counties. Boar of either sex may be taken but only one boar may be taken per year. Each animal that is harvested must be checked at an official big game checking station in the county of kill within 24 hours. Concurrent hunting of deer and bear, where legal, is permitted.
The number of boar harvested has decreased since the record high of 158 in 1995. Due to declining boar numbers, gun hunters are restricted to an October firearms season.
“In 2012 we experienced a slight increase in the boar harvest due to the spotty mast crop and the early snow that fell in the boar hunting areas, making it easier for hunters to locate the elusive animal,” said Curtis Taylor, chief of the DNR Wildlife Resources Section. “Last year’s spotty mast conditions, coupled with the increased harvest, should result in fewer hogs available to hunters in 2013. A lower harvest of boars is predicted for 2013.”
