Deer - Buck Season
2012-2013 Hunting Regulations

Buck Counties Map | Additional Buck Season Gun Stamps | Special Seasons and Restrictions | Concurrent Hunting during Buck Deer Season

Only deer having one or both antlers more than 3 inches in length above the hairline are legal during the buck season (see concurrent hunting for antlerless deer during buck season on page 27).

Two deer may be taken with a gun or bow during the buck season. One must be taken on one of the following valid base licenses or license combinations: resident license (Class X, Class XJ, Class AB-L, Class A-L, Class XS or Classes A+CS); or free license (Military, Disabled Veteran, former POW, Class DT
or Senior Citizen); or nonresident license (Classes XXJ+CS/LE, Classes E+CS/LE or Class DT). Underage residents and resident landowners hunting on their own land (see page 10) may take an antlered deer without a license. An additional deer may only be taken with a Class RG stamp, Class RRG stamp, Class DT license or by resident landowners hunting on their own property. Class DT license holders must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or, with written consent of the parent or guardian, any other competent licensed adult 21 years of age or older.

A hunter may take no more than three antlered deer per calendar year in all archery and firearms seasons combined.

Legal firearms for hunting deer during the buck season shall include:

• a rifle using centerfire ammunition.
• a rifle using .25 caliber or larger rimfire ammunition.
• a muzzleloading rifle, with or without scope, and muzzleloading pistol of .38 caliber or larger.
• a handgun using a straight-walled case of .357 magnum cartridge or larger or a bottle-necked case of .24 caliber or larger (see page 5). A Class A-1 handgun stamp is required.
• a shotgun loaded with solid ball ammunition.

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Buck Counties

All counties except Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming are open.

	Open: Buck Firearms Season November 19 – December 1, 2012 (See pages 16-17 for special public land regulations)
	Closed: to all firearms deer hunting

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Additional Buck Season Gun Stamps

Class RG and Class RRG

During a calendar year, a resident may purchase only one Class RG stamp and a nonresident may purchase only one Class RRG stamp.

Only one deer may be taken with a Class RG or Class RRG stamp. The Class RG and Class RRG stamps must be purchased prior to the opening of buck season. The Class RG and Class RRG stamps are valid for buck hunting in all counties open to buck season.

To take an additional deer, all residents, except resident landowners (see page 10) hunting on their own land or holders of a Class DT license, are required to purchase a Class RG gun stamp. All nonresidents are required to purchase a Class RRG gun stamp or possess a Class DT license if they choose to take an additional deer (see license requirements on page 11).

There are 10 counties or portions thereof (see pages 13, 18 and 20) that require buck firearms hunters to take an antlerless deer during the antlerless firearms deer season prior to harvesting a second antlered deer during the buck firearms season.

Deer taken on a base license or license stamp combination or Class RG or RRG stamps may be checked in any order. A hunter may not hunt an additional deer until all previously taken deer have been checked.

Only one deer may be taken per day.

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Special Seasons and Restrictions

Wilson Cove Deer Study Area and Hillcrest
Wildlife Management Area

Wilson Cove Deer Study Area located in Hardy County on the George Washington National Forest and Hillcrest WMA, located in Hancock County will have a deer muzzleloader season November 19 - December 1, 2012. During this period, only single shot muzzleloaders, including “in-lines” of .38 caliber or larger, are legal for deer hunting on these areas. These two areas will not be open to the traditional buck firearms season. All muzzleloader license requirements apply (see pages 10-11, 17 and 28). The annual antlered deer bag limit is one deer for archery and muzzleloader seasons combined.

Older-aged Deer Management Areas

All antlered deer taken on Beech Fork Lake, Bluestone Lake, Burnsville Lake and McClintic WMAs, and Coopers Rock and Calvin Price State Forests must have a minimum outside antler spread of 14 inches (ear tip to ear tip). The annual antlered deer bag limit is one deer for all archery and firearms seasons combined. It is illegal to bait or feed wildlife on these areas (see page 12).

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Concurrent Hunting during Buck Deer Season

Antlerless deer hunting is legal on private land in 48 counties or portions thereof and all public lands having an antlerless season November 19 – December 1, 2012. To hunt antlerless deer during the buck season, a valid Class N or NN stamp or Class DT license is required for all hunters except for resident landowners (see page 10) hunting on their own land. Hunters may take only one deer per day; therefore, a buck and an
antlerless deer may not be taken on the same day.

Small game hunting is prohibited during the first three days of buck season in all counties having a buck season; provided, waterfowl hunting is legal on lakes, rivers and waterways during the open waterfowl season, bear hunting is legal in specified counties, and coyote hunting is legal. Small game hunting is legal during open small game seasons beginning November 22, 2012. While hunting small game during the buck
season, No. 4 shot or smaller and slugs may be carried with a shotgun only if the hunter is legally hunting deer or bear.

A combination rifle-shotgun (over-under, etc.) is legal for deer hunting and concurrent small game hunting.

After killing the legal limit of deer, a hunter shall not be afield with any firearm with solid ball ammunition (unless legally hunting bear) or shot shells containing larger than No. 4 shot. Waterfowl hunters may use nontoxic shot larger than No. 4.

It is illegal to hunt small game during the buck season with any centerfire, with any rimfire larger than .22 caliber, or with a shotgun using solid ball ammunition or shot larger than No. 4 in a county that is not open to buck season.

Archery hunting for antlered and antlerless deer is legal during buck season subject to all archery deer hunting regulations. A bow may be substituted for a firearm to take antlered deer, or if hunting on a Class N or NN stamp or Class DT license, antlerless deer may be taken during the buck season on private land in
specified counties and on specified public lands (see pages 16-18).

All persons hunting during a deer firearms season, 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.

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