The leaves are gone and the wind is chilly. Folks across the state take to their tree stands to stare down the scope at the prized buck that has ravaged the tomato garden all year long. Thanksgiving equates to hunting in West Virginia. With the onset of buck gun season, it’s important to note some practical considerations to keep you and your loved ones safe as you try to bag the big one.
1. Speaking of tree stands, make sure your stand is safe. Homemade tree stands can be serious trouble. Most modern tree stands employ a full body harness the hunter should wear and attach to the tree. As the hunter enters and exits the tree-stand, the hunter should do so with an unloaded firearm.
2. According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, hunters may legally hunt on private land on Sundays in Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Calhoun, Clay, Hancock, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marshall, Mason, Mingo, Nicholas, Ohio, Roane, Wayne, Webster, Wirt, Wetzel, and Wyoming Counties.
3. In a similar train of thought, landowners may hunt on their own land without a hunting license. Hunters need to know the metes and bounds of the property upon which they hunt. If a hunter strays from property owns onto another’s property, the hunter must have a license with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
4. If someone asks to hunt on your property, ask that person to show you their hunting license. Hunter safety is an integral part of hunter licensing, which means licensed hunters should be safer than unlicensed hunters.
Wherever you hunt or however you celebrate Thanksgiving, KCC hopes you have a safe and happy holiday.
William M. Swann, Esquire
Attorney at Law
Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC
A Meritas Firm
Phone: 304.345.8900, ext. 142
Fax: 304.345.8909
e-mail: Wswann@kaycasto.com
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