What hunters look for in West Virginia
Hunters want to learn a specific ridge system and set stands on travel corridors and mast, because the fall acorn crop often decides where the deer and bear will be. Black bear and Eastern turkey are strong across the state, so the same mountain ground can carry several seasons, without the competition found on the busy national forest and public tracts.
The Monongahela National Forest highlands, the Allegheny Mountains, the rugged southern coalfields, and the eastern panhandle's mix of ridge and farmland are the popular hunting areas.
When hunters want to be on your land
Archery deer and bear typically open in early fall and run into December, with the buck firearms season traditionally in late November. Spring turkey generally runs through April into May, small game seasons span fall and winter, and some rules are set county by county.
Seasons, licenses and regulations are set by the state and change every year; treat this as background, not official information. Some states also have rules for landowners who lease hunting rights.
Official source: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Leasing your West Virginia land, answered
- Who would be hunting my land in West Virginia?
- A HuntingLeaseUSA member with a paid membership, booking under their own name, not an anonymous reply to a classified ad. In West Virginia, the hunters who lease private land are mainly deer, bear and turkey hunters. On a season lease, one party holds the ground for the season, bound by your rules.
- How do I get paid for a hunting lease in West Virginia?
- The hunter pays us when they book, so you never chase anyone for money. We keep our fee and pay your share to your bank account on our regular payout run after the month the access period starts. There is no fee to be listed.
- What about liability when hunters are on my West Virginia land?
- The hunter who books signs the Access Agreement, with your rules in it, and the Liability Waiver at checkout, before they pay. Check with your own insurer or attorney about what applies to a landowner who leases hunting rights in West Virginia.
Leasing land somewhere else? See every state.
How many acres, and what’s on it?
Tell us on a short call: ridges, hollows or reclaimed ground, where the oaks are, and the deer, bear and turkeys you have seen. We’ll go through how listing works and what comparable ground nearby has been leasing for. No account to create and no fee to be listed.