West Virginia’s wild boar firearms season is Oct. 22-29

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia’s 2016 wild boar firearms season opens Oct. 22, runs through Oct. 29, and is 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.

Boar 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 harvested animal must be checked in to the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) by calling 1-844-982-4325 (1-844-WVCHECK), going online at www.wvhunt.com, or going to an official DNR license agent. Concurrent hunting of deer and bear, where legal, is permitted.

In 2015, hunters took 99 boars during the boar firearm, archery and crossbow seasons, with the majority of the harvest in Logan and Boone counties.

“Poor mast conditions could have been a factor in last year’s high harvest, or it could be an indication of boar numbers increasing,” according to DNR Wildlife Resources Section Chief Paul Johansen. “This year’s acorn crop is spotty, so hunters should scout before the season to locate fresh rooting and other boar sign in their hunting areas to increase their chances of a successful wild boar hunt.”