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Deer - Antlerless Season
2012-2013 Hunting Regulations

COUNTIES WITH A BAG LIMIT OF THREE CLASS N OR NN DEER IN ANTLERLESS SEASON AND COUNTIES WITH A BAG LIMIT OF THREE CLASS N OR NN DEER WITH SPECIAL REGULATIONS | COUNTIES AND/OR WMAS WITH LIMITED RESIDENT AND NONRESIDENT CLASS N OR NN PERMITS, AND UNLIMITED RESIDENT AND NONRESIDENT CLASS N OR NN WITH A BAG LIMIT OF ONE | Concurrent Hunting during the Antlerless Deer Season

An antlerless deer is any deer having no antlers or having no antler greater than three inches long above the hairline.
The maximum annual bag limit in a county or any legal combination of counties is three Class N or NN antlerless deer.

Counties* or parts there of
open to Unlimited Resident Class N, Nonresident Class
NN and Two Additional
Class N or NN

Season Bag Limit: 3

Three Class N or NN deer may be taken in each county, not to exceed an annual total bag limit of 3 Class N or NN deer.
October 25-27 (Private Land Only)
November 19 – December 1, December 13-15 and December 28-31 (Private and Public Land**)

Counties or parts thereof
open to Unlimited Resident Class N and Nonresident
Class NN and Two Additional Class N or NN

Season Bag Limit: 3

Three Class N or NN deer may be taken in each county, not to exceed an annual total bag limit of 3 Class N or NN deer.
October 25-27 − (Private Land Only)
November 19 – December 1,
December 13-15 and December 28-31 (Private and Public Land**)

Counties or parts thereof open to Unlimited Resident Class N and Nonresident Class NN

Season Bag Limit: 1

One Class N or NN deer may be taken in each county, not to exceed an annual total bag
limit of 3 Class N or NN deer.
October 25-27 (Private Land Only)
November 19 - December 1,
December 13-15 and December 28-31 (Private
and Public Land**)

Counties or parts thereof and Wildlife Management Areas open to Limited Resident Class N or Nonresident Class NN (Must Apply)

Season Bag Limit: 1

Only one Class N or Class NN antlerless deer may be taken in this group of counties and WMAs.
October 25-27 (Private Land Only)
November 19 - December 1,
December 13-15 and December 28-31
(Private and Public Land**)

Brooke
Hampshire
Hancock
Hardy
Marshall
Mineral
(East Portion, see map on page 23)
Monongalia
Ohio
Tyler
Wood

*In these counties, archery hunters are required to take an antlerless deer during the archery season prior to harvesting a second antlered deer during the archery season. In addition, buck firearms season hunters are
required to take an antlerless deer during the antlerless deer gun season prior to harvesting a second antlered
deer during the buck firearms season.

Berkeley
Calhoun
Doddridge
Harrison
Jackson
Jefferson
Lewis
Marion
Mason
Morgan
Pendleton
(East Portion, see map
on page 22)
Pleasants
Preston
Putnam
Ritchie
Taylor
Upshur
Wetzel
Wirt

Barbour
Braxton
Cabell
Gilmer
Grant
Greenbrier
(South Portion, see map on page 23)
Kanawha
(North of Elk River and West of Corridor G)
Lincoln
(Northern Portion, see map on page 22)
Mineral
(West Portion, see map on page 23)
Monroe
Randolph
(private land)
Roane
Summers
Tucker (private land)
Wayne
(North Portion, see map on page 23)

Counties or Parts Thereof

Clay 300
(North portion - north of Elk River)
Fayette 200
(East Portion – see map on page 22)
Nicholas 200
(East portion - east of Route 19)
Pocahontas 400
(private land)
Webster 400

Wildlife Management Areas

Calvin Price State Forest 100
(Pocahontas County)
Elk River 200
(Braxton County)
Tucker County 300
(National Forest)
Upper Mud River 50
(Lincoln County)

Counties not listed in the table are closed to firearms antlerless hunting.

**See pages 16-17 for exceptions and special regulations regarding antlerless season on WMAs and other public lands.

A maximum of three antlerless deer may be taken on Class N or NN stamps (one per day, except that two may be taken on the same day during October 25-27 and December 13-15, 2012 on private land only, provided the first deer is legally checked prior to hunting a second deer).

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All antlerless deer taken during the antlerless deer season or the portion of the antlerless deer season concurrent with buck firearms season must be taken on a Class N or NN stamp, Class DT license or as a landowner. See exception for concurrent archery hunting on page 25.

All West Virginia residents must purchase a Class N stamp to hunt during the antlerless season with the following exceptions:

  • Resident landowners (see page 10) may hunt antlerless deer on their land without a license provided the land is in a county or part thereof open to antlerless deer hunting.
  • Resident landowners, their resident children or resident parents do not have to live on the property. However, a resident tenant must permanently live on the land.
  • Resident stockholders of resident corporations formed for the primary purpose of hunting or fishing who own in fee no less than 1,000 acres may hunt antlerless deer on their own land, provided the land is in a county or part thereof open to antlerless deer hunting.
  • Residents or nonresidents who hold Class DT licenses are not required to purchase Class N or NN stamps but must abide by all other antlerless regulations.

All nonresidents, military personnel, senior citizens, Class Q and QQ, Class XS, disabled veterans, former POWs and underage
hunters not exempted must purchase a Class N or NN stamp to hunt antlerless deer during the antlerless season.

Class N or NN stamps may be purchased at any license agent, county clerk’s office, the DNR offices in Charleston and Elkins, or on the DNR Web site (see page 41).

Class N or NN stamps are nontransferable. Class N or NN stamps are not county specific, but in limited resident counties or WMAs, the Class N stamp must be accompanied by a valid eligibility card.

During the antlerless season, a Class N or NN stamp holder may substitute a bow for a firearm to take antlerless deer.

Only one antlerless deer may be taken on each Class N or NN stamp.

Only one antlerless deer may be taken per day, except that two antlerless deer may be taken on the same day during October 25-27 and December 13-15, 2012, on private land only, provided the first deer is legally checked prior to hunting a second deer.

No person may actively participate (driving) in any manner in hunting antlerless deer without a valid Class N or NN stamp or otherwise being exempt from having a Class N or NN stamp.

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COUNTIES WITH A BAG LIMIT OF THREE CLASS N OR NN DEER IN ANTLERLESS SEASON AND COUNTIES WITH A BAG LIMIT OF THREE CLASS N OR NN DEER WITH SPECIAL REGULATIONS

Counties with a bag limit of three Class N or NN deer in antlerless season having a special regulation

There are 10 counties or parts thereof where a hunter may take three antlerless deer during the antlerless season by purchasing multiple Class N or NN stamps (see pages 13 and 18). Hunters may take up to three antlerless (Class N or NN) deer in each county or part thereof not to exceed the bag limit specified in each county or part thereof and not to exceed the maximum statewide bag limit of three antlerless (Class N or NN) deer. In these counties, archery hunters are required to take an antlerless deer during the archery season prior to harvesting a second antlered deer during the archery deer season. In addition, buck firearms season hunters are required to take an antlerless deer during the antlerless deer firearms season prior to harvesting a second antlered deer during the buck firearms season. See pages 16-17 for antlerless regulations on WMAs and other public lands.

Counties with a bag limit of three Class N or NN deer in antlerless season

There are 19 counties or parts thereof where a hunter may take three antlerless deer during the antlerless season by purchasing multiple Class N or NN stamps (see pages 13 and 18). Hunters may take up to three antlerless (Class N or NN) deer in each county or part thereof not to exceed the bag limit specified in each county or part thereof and not to exceed the maximum statewide bag limit of three antlerless (Class N or NN) deer. See pages 16-17 for antlerless regulations on WMAs and other public lands.

  Unlimited Resident and
Nonresident with special
regulation: bag limit of three
2 or 4 N map
  Unlimited Resident and
Nonresident: bag limit of three

 

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COUNTIES AND/OR WMAS WITH LIMITED RESIDENT AND NONRESIDENT CLASS N OR NN PERMITS, AND UNLIMITED RESIDENT AND NONRESIDENT CLASS N OR NN WITH A BAG LIMIT OF ONE

Counties with a bag limit of one Class N or NN deer in antlerless season

Fifteen counties or parts thereof have an unlimited number of Class N or NN stamps for resident and nonresident antlerless deer hunting (see pages 14 and 18). No application is necessary for these counties. Hunters may take one antlerless (Class N or NN) deer in each county or part thereof in this group of counties, not to exceed the maximum statewide bag limit of three antlerless (Class N or NN) deer. See pages 16-17 for antlerless regulations on WMAs and other public lands.

Counties and public lands with limited resident and nonresident hunting for Class N or NN deer in antlerless season

There are five counties or portions thereof with resident Class N or nonresident Class NN antlerless deer hunting with prior application in 2012. Six wildlife management areas (WMAs) or portions thereof have a limited number of Class N or Class NN stamps for antlerless deer hunting (see page 18). To be eligible to hunt in one of these counties or on one of these WMAs, an application must be submitted by August 20, 2012. Successful applicants will receive notification from the DNR by mail. See pages 16-17 for antlerless regulations on WMAs and other public lands.

In limited resident and nonresident antlerless WMAs, a hunter may take only one deer in the antlerless season.

To apply, ask your license agent for an antlerless permit application or download one from www.wvdnr.gov.

  Unlimited Resident and
Nonresident: bag limit of one
1 N Map

 

Limited Resident and
Nonresident: bag limit of one
* Private land only in Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker counties.

WEST VIRGINIA CWD Containment Area

See page 12 for special regulations regarding deer carcass transport and baiting and feeding of wildlife within Hampshire and portions of Hardy and Morgan counties.

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Concurrent Hunting during the Antlerless Deer Season

During antlerless season, concurrent hunting for small game and bear (where the season is open) is legal; however, no hunter except those legally hunting antlerless deer or bear shall be afield with a firearm with solid ball ammunition or shot shells containing larger than No. 4 shot, except for waterfowl hunters using nontoxic shot.

Concurrent archery hunting for antlered and antlerless deer is legal during the antlerless season subject to all archery deer hunting regulations. All persons hunting during deer firearms seasons (except those engaged in farming activities on their own land and waterfowl hunters) must wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange as an outer garment.

Concurrent waterfowl hunting is legal (see separate WVDNR Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations publication).

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