At their regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, the Ronceverte City Council approved a measure to allow an Urban Archery Hunting Season. The dates for the season will be from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.
To participate, hunters must obtain a permit from the city. To be eligible, a hunter must have their WVDNR hunting license, present a property tax ticket to prove ownership of the property to be hunted and/or a signed permission document from the property owner and pay a permit fee of $50. With the safety of residents being paramount, the city must review the hunting location prior to approval of a permit.
The WVDNR legalized urban archery hunts in 1996. According to wvdnr.gov, urban deer archery hunts provide additional hunting opportunities and help control deer populations.
In a WVDNR press release from 2020, a WVDNR wildlife biologist said “As deer populations grew, we saw an increase in vehicle collisions and got complaints from homeowners. By allowing hunters to come in and harvest deer in these areas, they can help alleviate the problem in their community.”
The council discussed the possibility of selling the former True Value Hardware property. While indicating there has been some interest in purchasing the property, the council agreed the stated purpose of use for the property would have to be considered by the council before proceeding with a sale.
In the business of water projects, the stormwater project is continuing to progress, but the water and sewer projects are on hold at the moment pending a potential deal with West Virginia American Water.
In other business, the city’s pickleball court is essentially complete and should be open in the coming weeks.
The next Ronceverte City Council meeting is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.
