SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Hunters in West Virginia have a lot to be thankful for this year. The buck firearms season, which opens on Nov. 23, has been extended to 14 days and includes an additional Sunday.

“The buck firearms season traditionally opens on the Monday before Thanksgiving and closes two weeks later on a Saturday, but hunters will be able to get out into the woods for an extra day of hunting this year,” said Brett Skelly, assistant deer project leader for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

During West Virginia’s buck firearms season, hunters also have the unique opportunity to participate in the concurrent antlerless deer and bear firearms seasons, provided they purchase Class N/NN and DS stamps.

“You can take a buck, doe and bear on the same day,” Skelly said. “I don’t know of any other state that has anything like that.”

The WVDNR also would like to remind hunters who want to try and take one additional buck to purchase a RG or RRG stamp by Nov. 22, before the season starts. Hunters who don’t purchase a stamp may only harvest one buck on their base license. West Virginia hunting licenses and stamps are available to purchase at www.wvhunt.com.

Hunters should also remember that they are required to wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange when hunting in a county or area where a deer firearms season is presently open. They also need to electronically check big game online at www.wvhunt.com, at a license agent or by calling 844-WVCHECK.

The buck firearms season runs through Dec. 6 in all but four counties. Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming are closed to firearms deer hunting. Hunters who want to hunt at a wildlife management area or on other public hunting land, should check out the WVDNR’s online map at mapwv.gov/huntfish.

For more information about the buck firearms season and West Virginia’s hunting regulations, visit www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/hunting_regs.shtm.