J U L Y 2 0 1 4 - J U N E 2 0 1 5 R E G U L A T I O N S S U M M A R Y 33
Resident and Nonresident
Turkey Hunting License Privileges
Three wild turkey may be taken by hunters who possess one
of the following valid base licenses or license combinations:
resident license (Class X, Class XJ, Class AHJ, Class XS, Class
AB-L, Class A-L, Classes A+CS+BG , Classes AH+CS+BG); or a free
license (Military, Disabled Veteran, former POW, Class DT or
Senior Citizen); or nonresident license (Classes E+CS/LE+WW,
Classes AAH+CS/LE+WW, Classes XXJ+CS/LE , Classes AAHJ+CS/
LE or Class DT). Class DT license holders must be accompanied
by a properly licensed parent, guardian or other designated
competent adult 21 years of age or older. Underage residents
and resident landowners hunting on their own land (see page
10) may take three turkeys without a license. Two bearded
turkeys may be taken in the spring and one either-sex turkey in
the fall. However, no more than one turkey may be taken in the
fall. No more than one turkey may be taken per day.
Additional licenses must be purchased:
• to hunt on national forest lands: Class I (required for Class E
or Class AAH).
• to hunt with a handgun: Class A-1 (must be age 21 or older,
required for all hunters except resident landowners hunting
on their own land).
Resident Landowner Privileges:
West Virginia resident landowners (see page 10) may hunt on
their own land without obtaining a license.
Resident landowners hunting on their own property without
a license can take the same number of turkeys as a licensed
hunter. A hunter (licensee or landowner) cannot take more than
the number of turkeys allowed in the respective seasons.
Firearms and bows legal for hunting
wild turkey:
Wild turkey may be hunted with rifles, handguns,
muzzleloaders, shotguns, or bows (see exception for Youth
Spring Gobbler Season on page 35).
Field Tagging, Checking
and Transporting
Each person killing a turkey must either attach a completed
field tag to the turkey or remain with the turkey and have upon
their person a completed field tag before removing the carcass
from where it was killed. A person who does not possess a
field tag must make one. This tag must bear the hunter’s
name, address, hunting license number (if required) and the
date, time and county of kill. Immediately upon arriving at a
residence, camp, hunting lodge, vehicle or vessel the field tag
shall be attached to the turkey and must remain on the carcass
until it is tagged with an official game checking tag.
The carcass of each turkey shall be delivered to an official
game checking station or a Natural Resource Police officer
for checking and retagging before it is either skinned or
transported beyond the boundaries of the county adjacent to
that in which the kill was made and within 72 hours from when
it was killed or 24 hours from the close of the respective season,
whichever comes first. The checking tag shall remain on the
bird until it is dressed for consumption.
No person may transport or possess wildlife killed by another
hunter, unless the wildlife or parts thereof are accompanied
by a paper tag filled out legibly bearing the signature, address,
date of kill, hunting license number (if required) and the official
game checking tag number (if required) of the hunter who
killed the wildlife. The tag shall also specify the species and
quantity of wildlife.
COMMON VIOLATIONS
Following are the most common violations observed
by Natural Resource Police officers during the turkey
hunting seasons:
• Hunting over bait
• Hunting without license
• Improper license
• Making false application for license
• Exceeding the limits
• Loaded gun in a vehicle
• Failure to field tag turkey
• Illegal possession of wildlife
• Hunting without permission
Reward
Reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of
person found guilty of:
• illegally killing a turkey - $200
• hunting turkey over bait - $100
• willfully destroying a turkey nest or eggs - $100
Sponsored by: WV Chapter of NWTF
General Regulations TURKEY
34 W E S T V I R G I N I A H U N T I N G A N D T R A P P I N G
Season Limit: 1
October 11-18
October 11-18 and
October 27 −
November 1
October 11-18 and
October 27 −
November 15
Barbour
Harrison
Jackson
Marion
Mason
Monongalia
Pleasants
Ritchie
Summers
Taylor
Tyler
Wetzel
Wyoming
Brooke
Hancock
Marshall
Ohio
Preston
Wirt
Wood
Berkeley
Grant
Greenbrier
Hampshire
Hardy
Mineral
Monroe
Morgan
Nicholas
Pendleton
Pocahontas
Randolph
Tucker
Webster
Shooting hours: 1/2 hour before
sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.
Only one either-sex turkey may be
taken during the fall hunting season
with either bow or gun.
It is illegal:
• to use electronic calls.
• to hunt with the use of bait.

Closed:
to all fall
turkey hunting
TURKEY 2014 Fall Season Regulations
For information about BOW workshops:
(304) 558-2771 • www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/bow.shtm
Learn new outdoor skills and recreation activities.
Weekend workshops provide a
comfortable learning environment
just for women.
J U L Y 2 0 1 4 - J U N E 2 0 1 5 R E G U L A T I O N S S U M M A R Y 35
Season Limit: 2 bearded turkeys Statewide: April 27 - May 23, 2015
Shooting hours: ½ hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.
It is illegal to:
• have an uncased firearm or a bow in your possession in the
woods after 1 p.m.
• hunt with dogs
• use electronic calls
• hunt with the use of bait
• take more than one bearded turkey per day
Spring Gobbler Survey
The Division of Natural Resources conducts an annual
Spring Gobbler Survey. Spring turkey hunters interested in
participating in the survey should contact:
Division of Natural Resources Operations Center
c/o Dr. Randy Tucker
P.O. Box 67 • Elkins, WV 26241
(304) 637-0245 • email: Randy.L.Tucker@wv.gov
Youth Spring Gobbler Season
A special one-day youth spring gobbler season will be held
on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Class Q/QQ and Class XS license
holders are not eligible.
The bag limit is one bearded turkey and the harvested bird
will count toward the hunter’s annual bag limit. Only shotguns
using shot size no larger than #4 or smaller than #7½ are legal.
Youth hunters:
• must be at least 8 and less than 18 years old; youth hunters
age 15-17 must comply with all licensing requirements (see
pages 41).
• between the ages 8-14 must be accompanied by a licensed
adult who cannot carry a gun or a bow and must remain
close enough to render advice and assistance.
and, if a nonresident,
• possess a Class XXJ license + CS/LE stamp or Class
AAHJ+CS/LE stamp.
Nonresident adults accompanying youth hunters must
possess Class E+WW+CS/LE licenses and if hunting on
National Forest lands, a Class I stamp.
ATTENTION
SPRING TURKEY HUNTERS
Starting with the 2015 Spring Gobbler
Seasons, you may check game by one of
the following three methods:
1. Going online to www.wvhunt.com.
2. Stopping at any hunting and fishing license agent. For
a current list of license agents, visit www.wvdnr.gov.
Note: you are not required to bring the animal to the
license agent.
3. By calling 1-844-824-3251 (1-844-UCheck1). Hunters
must be registered in the system and know their unique
DNR ID number to use the telephone check option – to
obtain a DNR ID number (which will be valid for your
lifetime) please see information below.
If you are not required to buy a license (e.g., landowner,
underage, etc.), you may visit any license agent or log onto
www.wvhunt.com after January 1, 2015 to obtain a
DNR ID number.
If you are a lifetime license holder (e.g., AB-L, A-L, XS, etc.),
you will already be in the system. To obtain your DNR ID
number, visit www.wvhunt.com or any license agent after
January 1, 2015.
Holders of annual base licenses (e.g., X, XJ, E, etc.) will
receive their DNR ID number at the time of license purchase.
No matter what classification of hunter you are, your
DNR ID number will be valid for your lifetime and will
be used in all future game checking transactions with
the DNR.
Upon finishing the electronic game check process, you will
be given a 13-digit number that will serve as verification
that you have completed the game checking process. This
unique number must be written down on a sheet of paper
with your name and address, or on your field tag, and
attached to the animal. This number shall be affixed to the
animal or parts thereof and remain affixed until it is dressed
for consumption or processed into commercial fur. It will let
the Natural Resources Police officers know that the animal
has been officially checked.
You may view your game checking history at
www.wvhunt.com.
2015 Spring Gobbler Season Regulations TURKEY