Summary of Changes
2007-2008 Hunting Regulations

1. All counties having a firearms antlerless deer season (Class N or NN) will have a 22 day season. Private land only will be open November 19 - December 1 and December 26-29, 2007. Public and private land will be open December 3-8, 2007. Bag limits vary between counties but will be either: one, two or four antlerless deer. See Deer - Antlerless Season.
2. The youth and Class Q deer season will be open on private land and specified public lands in all counties having a firearms deer season. This special split season will be open on October 27 and on December 24-25, 2007. The bag limit is one antlerless deer each day (see Deer - Special Split Youth and Class Q Seasons).
3. The law regarding field tagging big game animals has been modified effective June 9, 2007. Hunters must still complete a field tag before moving the animal from where it was killed, but now have the option of attaching the tag to the deer, bear, turkey or boar or staying with the animal and keeping the completed field tag on their person. Immediately upon arriving at their residence, camp, hunting lodge, vehicle or vessel the field tag must be attached to the carcass and remain there until the animal is retagged with an official game checking tag (see the general regulations for Deer, Turkey, Bear, and Boar).
4. No person other than the owner of a registered dog may remove a tag, collar or other identifying apparel, nor remove or turn off a radio transmitting collar without the permission of the owner unless it is necessary to prevent or treat an injury to the dog, or is done by a law-enforcement officer for law enforcement purposes (see dog training in General Regulations and Bear - General Regulations).
5. Effective June 9, 2007, it is illegal to have a crossbow with a nocked bolt in or on any vehicle or its attachments. Further, it is illegal to have an uncased crossbow in a vehicle during specified times of the day (see Archery Regulations).
6. There is a two-day resident and nonresident Antlerless Deer Season in Hampshire County on October 26-27, 2007, with a bag limit of one antlerless deer. Also, see deer carcass disposal and feeding or baiting of wildlife in the Hampshire County CWD Containment Area.
7. A law change effective June 9, 2007, requires bobcat hunters and trappers to field tag each bobcat before moving the animal from the location where it was killed. The field tag must remain on the carcass until it is retagged with an official game checking tag (see Trapping Regulations).
8. It is illegal to feed or bait wildlife, including deer, on Beech Fork Lake, Burnsville Lake, Bluestone Lake and McClintic WMAs and Coopers Rock State Forest (see baiting and feeding regulations).
9. The Cranberry Closed Area located in portions of Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Webster counties will be open for bear hunting during the appropriate open bear seasons in those counties (see Bear - Archery and Firearms Seasons).