Bear Hunting in WV

[Boomerang]

I might be doing some freelance black bear hunting with a friend who lives in West Virginia this fall. Any suggestions on the best places to go on public land?  

[Jayrod]

I hear tucker county is really good from what I have heard

[J. Cook]

Bear hunting with a bow in WV is mostly dumb luck.  I grew up there (Grant County) and still hunt there every single year. Baiting for bear is illegal in WV, so you won't be able to sit above a bait pile as they do in most northern bear hunts.  

Most bears are killed off of dogs in WV, so that's an option if you enjoy that.  Outside of that, it's a tough hunt to get on a bear with a bow in a natural environment.  I'm lucky enough to have a 1/2 mount of a beautiful black bear on my wall that I killed with a bow, but I was deer hunting and it was just pure happen-stance that he walked by my stand.  In fact, I had never seen a bear on that farm before or since.  

Good luck!  There are lots of bears up there.  Tucker county was mentioned, and it definately has a good population - as do most of those central counties.  Nicholas county has a very good bear population as well.  The southern tier has a good population as well.  It's a beautiful state to hunt.

Bottom line, there is a really good population of bear there, but it's not easy to bow hunt them as they don't pattern out like a deer, and again - you cannot bait for bear.

[WildmanSC]

Kumbrabow State Forest in Randolph County.

Bill

[sswv]

Two bears may be taken during the bear firearms season provided that at least one bear must be taken in Boone, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Nicholas, Raleigh or Wyoming Counties.

A bow, but not a crossbow, may be substituted for a firearm during bear firearms season.

additional information can be found at  www.wvdnr.gov

to be honest...any of the counties listed above are decent for seeing bear. the eastern counties do have an earlier 3 day season but FYI, archery season starts September 27th. for bear in WV BUT, read the regulations for counties or parts of to be sure you're hunting legal.

good luck

[Boomerang]

Thank's guys. I didn't figure we had a real high chance of getting one, but it will be nice just spending time in the woods with bow in hand and the weather should be nice that time of year.