West Virginia · Public Land · 2026 Edition
West Virginia Public Hunting Land 2026: WMAs & Access Rules
2 wildlife management areas tracked here, from 19,646 to 22,928 acres. A hunting license covers you on West Virginia WMA land the same as anywhere else in the state — but read the access rules below before you assume that's all you need.
01 — Wildlife management areas
| Area | County | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area | Berkeley, Morgan | 22,928 | Deer, Turkey, Black bear, Small game, Waterfowl |
| Elk River Wildlife Management Area | Braxton | 19,646 | Deer, Turkey, Waterfowl, Squirrel, Grouse, Dove |
Sleepy Creek, six miles from Berkeley Springs in the Eastern Panhandle, is nearly 23,000 acres of oak-pine-hickory ridge built around its own 205-acre lake — deer and turkey are the draw, with bear, grouse and waterfowl rounding it out, all under plain license-only access. Elk River, in the steep hardwood hills of Braxton County further west, adds dove to the same big-game-plus-small-game mix. Neither area runs a quota or lottery system — this list is a starting point, not WVDNR's full inventory of wildlife management areas statewide.
02 — Access rules beyond your hunting license
West Virginia runs the simplest access system of any state named alongside it in the search data: a standard WV hunting license covers hunting on any wildlife management area statewide, with no separate WMA permit, lottery or quota system layered on top. Trapping is the one exception — it needs its own free trapping permit from the area wildlife manager.
03 — Where to go next
Verified · West Virginia Division of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. WMA list and access rules read from WVDNR, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. This is a starting list, not the agency's full WMA inventory — confirm current rules for a specific area before you hunt it.