Public Land Bruins
West Virginia
Hi Everyone!
I'm up here in NJ and have hunted extensively in PA,NY, and NJ for bears. I've had some pretty good luck so far but would really love trying my hand down in WV. I just think it's some of the prettiest country east of the Rockies I've ever seen! It looks like the season opens on 9/27 and runs all to 11/22. Much longer than what we're used to up here! I was hoping to get some suggestions on any good public land spots for a bear this fall? I'll be bowhunting so hopefully I can connect with a decent buck if a bear doesn't decide to step out. It looks as though the best counties with the highest harvest rates are Randolph and Pendleton. Since Pendleton is right on the VA border, I may hunt the line in the GWNF with a VA tag as well. But this may be like finding a needle in a haystack. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated! I plan on doing a 5-7 day stint if possible.
Best,
Ed
You might try Kanawha, Fayette and or Raleigh Co, lot's of bear in those areas, Just out of Charleston and down along paint creek in Said counties. Lot's of public land in Randolph Co also.
Good Luck and God bless you------>Ron
I have a cabin in Pendleton county. There are lots of bears there but Ron is correct. The counties he mentioned have a lot of bears.
Thank you both for your thoughts! Any suggestions on a specific WMA or state forest? Since baiting is not an option, I'd prefer a spot and stalk set up. I'd assume mid October down that way would yield a pretty good mast crop in the way of apples and acorns? Also on some of the WMA's up this way, quite a bit of land is ag managed for corn. Are there any WMA's in bear country with a good supply of standing corn? If so, I could probably have a decent chance of getting set up in a climber over a corn field. Thanks!
Ed
I don't know of any corn fields in WMA. Monongahela National forest. There is a ton of land there. I hunt there a lot. Lots of bears in the grant and pendleton county areas.
call the DNR and ask. they would know the best options. Also check to see if you can hunt Cranberry still. They did have a season and that is a beautiful area
Also bear archery is 9/27 to 12/31 so maybe you could do more than one trip to increase your odds.
The way things are looking here in Kanawha Co, lot's---I mean lot's of ACORNS, I have also saw Wild Cherry. The areas I mentioned are good. Cheat Mtn in Randolph Co would be good also. JR knows a whole lot more about Pendelton Co than I do..
good luck and God bless---->Ron
I've heard of Monongahela; it seems to butt up to GWNF? Is it heavily forested? Kanawha sounds pretty good too! I will also check out this Cranberry still area.
Bud, it sure looks like mast hit go0d this year everywhere I've been. Stick to the NE, east, central, and southern counties for bear. Bear every where but, lots of bear in any of those places. If you come earlier, find the soft mast like poke berries, grapes, and wild cherry. Mid October and later, acorns, beech, etc... If you find white oak in the mountains key on it if you find bear sign. Bears love White oak acorns the best when they have different species of acorns to choose from.
Your going to have to find logging activity recent or in the last 3-4 years to find the poke. So contact the WV Division of forestry and the National Forest head quarters in Elkin's to find out those locations on public land. If your here in late September and early October and can find a good concentration of poke, the bears will be there. Even if it is to thick to see them. You can find the cherry on any mountain in eastern WV. Oaks are every where. Good luck and God Bless
There's lots of bear from Charleston, up paint creek towards Beckley. But I think he ask about public land. I've never seen any National or State forest or WMA along there. Most of that country is private land and a lot is leased also. There may be some access but it's definately not public land. There may be a WMA at plum lake but I don't know anything about it.
Mast is good in my area.,
There may not be Public Land---but there are Lot's of bear---and Plenty of places to hunt. Do your homework---Try around Mahan.
God Bless------->Ron
There may well be places to hunt, I agree. However from someone from out of state, that has never been here before, that is asking about "public land bruins", I think that if I were him that I would like to know that the place that I'm being pointed to is almost 100% private land.
Not wanting to step on toes, but I think that is something that he might like to know before driving down here and expecting to be in "public land". I , personally, would hate to invite a fellow bowhunter here and tell him to go somewhere just for him to get arrested for trespassing.
Now that he knows, he may be able to come down and scout and put in his homework to find a place to hunt for "private- land bruins".
But, that is just my opinion.
Pocahontas land owns a lot of land along the turnpike. It is being managed by Advantage Timberland. And it is all open to public hunting unless it is being leased to mine. Just because it is posted doesn't necessarily mean it isn't truly open to hunting. Lots of good ole boys will spend $50 on posted signs to keep the unknowing from hunting. I assume that is why Ron said, do your homework.
Pocahontas's land office is in Bluefield WV. They are a great bunch of guys and will likely get you the info you need to make the right decision. Just call them before you come. God Bless
I just went back and pulled up an old thread by paintcreekbh where he was looking for members for a 7000 acre lease right in the middle where fayette joins Kanawha. It's named new hunt lease. That's why I was thinking some of that land was getting leased up. I don't know if they still have openings or not, but that area would have a lot of bear plus a few stud bucks.
Thank you all so much for your advice! I've checked out several of the areas mentioned and it does appear that there a quite a few WMA's within some of the higher bear harvest districts. The highest for 2013 would be districts 3/4. Southeastern WV is the general region. Within district 3 are Becky Creek, Handley, Huttonsville, and Summersville Lake WMA's. District 4 has Anawalt Lake, R.D. Bailey Lake, and Tug Fork. All of the above listed are WMA's and specifically reference bear as a prospective game animal.
Some of these WMA's are actually part of state and national forests while others are separate. I prefer WMA's because the land tends to be managed specifically for game. State and national parks generally are not and comprise of more standing timber etc., and its unlikely you'll see any one area of concentration for game, especially deer and bear. Unless of course you can find an oak ridge or some other reliable food source.
WMA's tend to have higher concentrations; which is why I'd think focusing there at first would be a smart play for a greenhorn.
Happy to hear your thoughts and recommendations. I do appreciate your help!
I would think there would be plenty of places in Kanawha , Fayette , and Clay Counties to hunt. I know that you can ride a side by side from Quick { Kanawha Co } to Gauley Bridge { Fayette Co } about 6-8 hours of nothing but wilderness. Almost all of it you can hunt. Most of this is OLD STRIP, as WV MOUNTAINEER said---hunt the Poke, lot's of it growing thru there. I personally think there are more bear here in the South, South East than anywhere. I still say---lot's of places also along the WV Turnpike, Paint Creek areas to hunt. Spend 1 day looking and you will see and find more Bear country than you will ever be able to hunt. If you can't find a place send me a message--I will be more than glad to show you some places.
God bless you----->Ron
Ron,
Thank you for all of your help! I am certainly giving Kanawha Co. some serious consideration. In your experience, will Poke be available during mid October?
Best,
Ed
Here is the only WMA specifically located within Kanahwa Co.:
65. Morris Creek
Location: Clay and Kanawha counties Near Clendenin, primary access is from county Route 67 along Morris Creek, or county Route 65 in Leatherwood Creek. Size: 9,874 acres Terrain: steep and forested Hunting Prospects: bear, deer, squirrel, turkey
Fishing Opportunities Elk River: boat ramps at Queen Shoals and Clendenin Water Plant Game Fish: bass, catfish, muskellunge, walleye
Accommodations and Facilities On the WMA: Camping is not permitted. Nearby: Kanawha State Forest www.kanawhastateforest.com | (304) 558-3500
Owned by the Bruce. B. Cameron Foundation, Inc. and B.B. and Louise W. Cameron Charitable Trust Leased by WVDNR Managed by Wildlife Resources Section Back to WMA map | Back to Top
Get off the WMA's bud. We are talking corporation owned land that allows public hunting. Your not going to find many WMA's in the areas Ron and I am referring. So limiting yourself to only WMA's is akin to shooting yourself in both feet. Contact Ron and contact Pocahontas Land to open those options we are mentioning. They are your single best bet to kill a bear. It just requires you contact the right people to realize the sheer amount of land that you can hunt. And yes, the poke should still be available in mid October if it doesn't get too dry. God Bless
BCR 1985,,,, As stated earlier by myself and WV Mountaineer, I believe there are more bear on Lands owned by Big Timber and Coal than the WMA's, as I stated, Kanawha, Fayette and Clay Counties have Lot's of Huntable Bear. If you need A STARTING SPOT---send me a pm------God bless ya
Yes as gobbler and Ron Miller said Poke in 2-3 year old timbered areas holds lots of bears in the evening mostly. Autumn olives on old strips have bears but they disappear after the dog season, so try Raleigh Fayete or Kanawha countys the first five days before the dog season this year. Good luck!
I live in Fayette county on the new river gorge which has one of the highest bear population of bears in state to the point they get to be a problem on my property,,,the new river gorge national river and gauley river national river has many thousands of acres of public land that you could try but if your really going have a snow chance in --- better make some contacts down here who can point you in the right direction,,,,you have some of the most experienced Bowhunters in the state on this site many are personal friends of mine so I know their not arm chair hunters,some real old timers (thank goodness I'm not as old as these guys are) to share knowledge with but a reality check my be in order,,,unless you use dogs it will be nothing short of luck to legally bow kill a bear in wv being from out of state or a resident as no baiting is allowed and we are not an agricultural state ,,I have bowhunted for 40 of my 56 years here in wv and live in the best bear area in state and have only killed 1 bear with a bow (maybe I'm a bad hunter) and it was luck while deer hunting ...do a poll here and see how many have killed a bear with a bow that wasn't over a corn deer feeder ,,,,many of these guys on here have killed legal wv bears I know them,,,but if your going to drive all the way down here better spend a lot of time here with some locals ,,,DNR numbers are great but if they list Summerville lake as a top public bear area don't waste your time there I live near there and it's hunted to death,,,,one area comes to mind near me that's on the gorge called Beury Mountain wma lot of land and on edge of new river national river,,,,our top bear areas that are public are heavily forested with little to no agriculture much less much fields areas,,,u can pm me and I'd be glad to point you at some of the areas in Fayette Raleigh or Nicholas counties they are as good as any place as any place in state .....go hunt near mp's farm he got some brutes there right mike hee hee,,,or talk to Lonnie sneed about how wv bears will jump in the blind with u,,,,but serious it's tough to kill a legal bear here but can b done,,,,now you fellows that live here am I telling the truth? Pm me any time love talk bow huntin ,,,George c.
Well said gcoleman. Absolutely spot on. Come the last of September, first of October, they become very hard to find in the daylight, unless there is zero food to eat. If there is no food, you got about 2 weeks before they simple disappear in Mid October I've bowhunted for 30 years and killed exactly 1(one) with a bow. I've seen many more that were in areas or situations that protected them but, only one I could shot with a bow. I don't particularly hunt them specifically which might add to the situation or I might be a bad hunter too. :^) God Bless
If you need public land to hunt Bluestone WMA has a ton of them, lots of small bear but there are some good ones seen some 300lb but mostly 100 150 good bow bears here are some pics from this year and last
think this is a young sow
Thank Publichunter! I will definitely check it out! Looks like its near Indian Mills?
Best,
Ed
That last one looks like one of those Asian black bears with those squinty eyes.
Checking the WV state regs out, it doesn't appear that there are any bear-rich counties that are not open to hunting with dogs. Should this be a concern for me? It appears that both Fayette and Kanawha counties allow for hound hunting.
George is right in Most everything he said----Cept he is an OLD Timer----lol---plenty of bear---getting 1 is another story---LOL. I will say this for Granpapa George---He can get a 47 inch musky in the smallest net that I ever thought possible.
BCR1985------sent you a pm
God Bless---->Ron
I agree with George for the most part. I've been bowhunting for about 45 years and have killed 1 WV black bear and lost one cause I hit to far forward in shoulder. Plus I've had to pass on a couple cause I was hunting over bait.
The one thing different is that for the first 25 or more there simply weren't that many bear in the state. I think in the mid 70s there were only about 500 in the whole state. Only in the last 10-15 years has the population exploded. Right now is the best time since any of us have been alive that there is a realistic chance to see or kill a bear in any county of the state.
Your welcome BCR1985 but like I said if there is anyway you can hunt before the dog season you have a very good chance, if you do your homework and put your feet on the ground maybe a couple days before opener, do some serious scouting and driving in Fayette Kanawha and Raliegh counties,to try and find a good clearcut or old strip mine that allows hunting. But I suggest not hunting from a tree they are impossible to pattern and of the three i have killed and the eight that my dad has killed all have been on the ground, bears have poor eyesight and if you can beat there nose and ears you can stalk into bow range of one easily, very exciting trust me. Lots of bears in West Virginia but you have to target them not deer to be successful. pm if you want some good spots
400lbs come from Autumn olives on a stripmine and this one came from a clearcut on poke 200lbs
and just seen your post about the standing corn Bluestone WMA has lots of standing corn and no dog season also some new clear cuts on the ceder branch area, please help come kill some of the bears so the will stop eating and rearranging my deer scouting cameras lol
I see the dang things almost weekly cruising timber, many well within bow range. I see them on and around mining activity a LOT. I see them every where except when I have a bow in my hand!!!!!!!!! They are literally EVERY WHERE. However, catching up with one while deer hunting doesn't happen often. And when it does, they are to far to shoot, out of season if I'm rifle hunting, or for one reason or another, just never get to ride home in my truck.
Those are some great bears publichunter. The one in the back of the truck is a HOSS. God Bless
i have to say bluestone WMA is a great place with stading corn an no dogs. i shot my first there in 2011 im going after my 2nd this year also the bear #s are growing every year. there are several conties where you can take 2 bears nicholas co.has good public land in summersville with bears.also
Good luck bkbowhunter they are getting thick up there, ands thanks WVmountaineer, target them this year. this season is special because its the first time we have had a bow season before the dog season in the southern counties since the early bear season in Semptember started
Yep, I agree. Everywhere I've been there is mast. So, they are going to be tough if you don't get them early. God Bless
It might be just me, but Ii\'m having some difficulty reconciling the pre-dog archery season when I look at the regs page. Does have anyone have some particular dates they'd recommend? Looks like archery opens 9/27 statewide. But are there some earlier zones?
Best,
Ed
The grey counties on the map, which are your best chance, open on 9/27 and does not have a dog season until 10/4 that week is what I suggest. But for public land in summers county,Bluestone WMA doesn't matter what time. If you wanted to hunt before 9/27 any of the red counties have a two day season you could hunt on 9/18-20 but you would be fighting with the dogs unless your on public land
This is the problem. Rampant uncontrolled deviant sexual activity by boar bears on the prowl at night. Each one of these unprovoked attacks lead to 2-4 more bears the next year. It's a vicious cycle. They provide no financial or family social support for their offspring, leaving it up to hunters to spend their money and time to help control the population.
Each of these boar should be caught and undergo counseling, then placed under restraining orders. They then should be fitted with GPS chips so they can be tracked and kept away from innocent sows and cubs. If they are caught violating the terms of their release they should be caught and put in bear jail.
In the old days bear families used to stay together as a family unit like in the Charmin commercials. This is what happens with the breakdown of the family unit.
Well gang,
I finally made it down to the mountain state this weekend. It's really a beautiful place. Definitely a tougher hunt than anticipated. I started scouting around spruce knob and made my way down into the cranberry wilderness. We spent last night in Pocahontas co. In the town of case. Met some nice guys who gave me a few pointers for hunting near peters mountain. Made it down to bluestone Wma this afternoon but couldn't find any sections of planted corn. So were heading north again to either get back into the cranberry wilderness or May head west to kanawah and fayette. Tomorrow's our last day so if anyone has any suggestions am happy to hear. Tried getting in touch with some of y'all but don't know if my messages were ever received. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! Best,
Ed
Well gang,
I finally made it down to the mountain state this weekend. It's really a beautiful place. Definitely a tougher hunt than anticipated. I started scouting around spruce knob and made my way down into the cranberry wilderness. We spent last night in Pocahontas co. In the town of case. Met some nice guys who gave me a few pointers for hunting near peters mountain. Made it down to bluestone Wma this afternoon but couldn't find any sections of planted corn. So were heading north again to either get back into the cranberry wilderness or May head west to kanawah and fayette. Tomorrow's our last day so if anyone has any suggestions am happy to hear. Tried getting in touch with some of y'all but don't know if my messages were ever received. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! Best,
Ed
