CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebration will return this fall to Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park in Lewis County. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources made the announcement this week the event will be Saturday, September 21st. The event was moved in 2021 to the Summit-Bechtel Reserve in Fayette County.
“While the Summit Bechtel Reserve was an excellent host for the event, we had decided we wanted to move it back to the central part of the state so that it would give a better opportunity for residents all around the state to access it,” said DNR Director Brett McMillion.
National Hunting and Fishing Day has been recognized nationally for more than 50 years as a celebration of hunting and fishing heritage in the United States. It’s designed to celebrate the outdoor pursuits and conservation efforts by the nation’s sportsmen and women. It’s always on the Fourth Saturday of September. However, West Virginia changed its celebration a few years ago when the opening day of archery hunting season was moved to the same date. That will be the case again this year.
“We all need to be out in a tree stand on opening day,” laughed McMillion.
Another change in the plan will be going from a two-day event to one day.
“It’s going to be Saturday only and we’re going to focus pretty hard on just action packed throughout the entire day,” he explained.
There will be a retooling of the popular Youth Outdoor Challenge which is held during the event. McMillion said there would be the old standards of hunting and fishing demonstrations, like casting, shooting, fish cleaning, game cooking, and other hands on activities. Visitors will also get to sample a variety of wild game, Appalachian favorites and signature dishes from West Virginia state parks with the return of last year’s popular new attraction, “A Taste of State Parks.”
“Me being an old Parks guy, I am partial to our State Parks and at Stonewall the event was always a success,” said McMillion. “Who knows where we’ll be in the future, we’ve kicked around several ideas about maybe moving it around the state to provide access to these activities to all residents of the state. I’m excited about that also.”
West Virginia’s National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration was originally held at the West Virginia Wildlife Center at French Creek until it outgrew the venue and was moved to Stonewall Jackson.
Vendor space is still available for businesses and organizations looking to showcase their products or services. Those interested in becoming a vendor should contact Jeremy Rowan at the WVDNR Elkins Operations Center by calling 304-637-0245.