West Virginia hunting season dates

• Sep 26 – Dec 31 Archery Archery & crossbow — Sep 26 → Dec 31.
• Oct 17 – Oct 18 Youth Youth/Class Q/XS antlerless — October.
• Oct 22 – Oct 25 Firearm Antlerless firearm — early split (selected counties).
• Nov 23 – Dec 6 Firearm Buck firearms season.
• Nov 23 – Dec 10 Firearm Antlerless firearm — concurrent split (selected counties).
• Dec 14 – Dec 20 Muzzleloader Muzzleloader season.
• Dec 26 – Dec 27 Youth Youth/Class Q/XS antlerless — December.
• Dec 28 – Dec 31 Firearm Antlerless firearm — late split (selected counties).
• Jan 14 – Jan 17 Muzzleloader Mountaineer Heritage (primitive weapons) — deer, bear & turkey.

Bag limit: see agency · Bag limits and antlerless days vary by county (some counties have limited or no antlerless firearm season). For 2026-27 the four southern counties (Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Wyoming) gained expanded firearm/weapon options. Confirm your county with WVDNR.

Hours: 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset. Antlerless firearm seasons run only in selected counties on set splits (Oct 22–25, Nov 23–Dec 10, Dec 6–13, Dec 28–31) — confirm your county. The Mountaineer Heritage season (Jan 14–17, 2027) is primitive weapons only. Baiting/feeding wildlife is illegal on all public land.

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Summary

• Oct 10 – Oct 18 Shotgun Fall turkey — first split (selected counties); either sex, bag 1.
• Oct 26 – Nov 15 Shotgun Fall turkey — extended split (selected counties).
• Apr 17 – Apr 18 Youth Youth spring gobbler (2027).
• Apr 19 – May 23 Shotgun Spring gobbler (2027) — bearded birds only.

Bag limit: 2

Spring gobbler (bearded only): 2 per season. Fall turkey (either sex, bag 1) runs in selected counties on split dates. Hours: 30 min before sunrise to sunset, all day in spring. Spring 2027: Apr 19 – May 23.

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Summary

• Oct 4 – Oct 12 Shotgun Ducks — first split.
• Nov 8 – Nov 16 Shotgun Ducks — second split.
• Dec 21 – Jan 31 Shotgun Ducks — third split.

Bag limit: 6

Daily bag 6 ducks with federal sublimits. Hours: 30 min before sunrise to sunset. West Virginia’s migratory-bird seasons follow the federal frameworks and are published separately by WVDNR in August — dates shown are the latest published (2025-26). Confirm the 2026-27 migratory dates with WVDNR.

2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations (2025-26 latest published)

• Oct 14 – Oct 19 Shotgun Canada goose — first split.
• Nov 8 – Nov 16 Shotgun Canada goose — second split.
• Dec 8 – Jan 31 Shotgun Canada goose — third split.

Bag limit: 5

Canada goose daily bag 5. Hours: 30 min before sunrise to sunset. Migratory-bird seasons publish separately (August); dates shown are the latest published (2025-26). Confirm 2026-27 with WVDNR.

2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations (2025-26 latest published)

• Sep 1 – Oct 12 Shotgun First split.
• Nov 3 – Nov 16 Shotgun Second split.
• Dec 8 – Jan 10 Shotgun Third split.

Bag limit: 15

Daily bag 15. Hours: ½ hour before sunrise to sunset (migratory-bird hours). Migratory seasons publish separately in August; dates shown are the latest published (2025-26).

2025-26 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations (2025-26 latest published)

• Sep 12 – Feb 28 General Gray, black, albino & fox squirrel; statewide.

Bag limit: 6

Daily bag 6. Season Sep 12, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027. (Youth squirrel weekend Sep 5–6.)

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Summary

• Nov 7 – Feb 28 General Cottontail rabbit; statewide.

Bag limit: 5

Daily bag 5. Season Nov 7, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027. (Snowshoe hare runs the same dates, bag 2.)

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · WVDNR — 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Summary