To effectively manage wildlife populations and offer hunters numerous recreational opportunities in the long run, the state set up specific hunting seasons and regulations. Rather than looking through dozens of files to learn about the schedules and rules, we have collected the necessary information for the West Virginia hunting season for you.
West Virginia, known as the “Mountain State,” provides exceptional hunting chances in more than 100 wildlife management areas and forests. It offers a wide range of game animals, from large animals like deer, bear, and turkey to smaller animals such as squirrel and rabbit, making it an ideal destination for hunters.
What Hunting Season Is Right Now In West Virginia?
There are various species that you can hunt in West Virginia. Here we list the game animals you can hunt in each month:
January: Deer, Bear, Turkey, Red Fox, Gray Fox Crow
February: Wild Boar
March: Beaver, Crow
April: Turkey
May: Turkey
June: No open season
July: No open season
August: Bear
September: Bear, Wild Boar, Deer and Squirrel
October: Wild Boar, Deer, Bear, Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, Raccoon And Crow
November: Deer, Bear, Quail, Rabbit, Varying Hare, Pheasant, Furbearer Like Raccoon, Fox, Bobcat, Mink, Otter, Fisher, Skunk, Opossum
December: Deer and Bear
Each of the seasons has its own limits and regulations. In the next part, we will explain them to you and help you better understand and prepare for the upcoming West Virginia hunting seasons.
West Virginia Deer Season
The first and the most popular season is deer hunting season. The deer season lasts for 3 and a half months this year.
In West Virginia, the most common deer species you can hunt is white-tailed deer. Surprisingly, there are more than 200,000 hunters engaged in deer hunting in this state.
If you plan to be one of them, check out the details of the deer season as follows:
Buck Firearms
- November 25 – December 8, 2024
Deer Archery and Crossbow
- September 28 – December 31, 2024
Antlerless Deer Split Season
- October 24 – October 27, 2024
- November 25 – December 8, 2024
- December 12 – December 15, 2024
- December 28 – December 31, 2024
Deer Muzzleloader
- December 16 – December 22, 2024
Deer (Youth/Class Q/Class XS) Split Season
- October 19 – October 20, 2024
- December 26 – December 27, 2024
Deer Winter Mountaineer Heritage
- January 9 -January 12, 2025
The maximum number of deer you can hunt is three and no more than 2 antlered deer. The bag limit for each deer season varies in different counties. It is better to check with the 2024–25 WV hunting seasons pdf and follow the rules.
West Virginia Turkey Season
2025 Spring – Bearded Turkey Only: April 21- May 25, 2025
2025 Spring Youth Season: April 19- April 20, 2025
The bag limit for turkey seasons is One turkey daily and Two in total.
West Virginia Bear Season
Bear Archery and Crossbow Season
- September 28 – December 31, 2024
Bear Gun Season
- August 31 – September 8, 2024
- September 21 – September 27, 2024
- October 5- October 11, 2024
- October 24 – October 27, 2024
- November 25 – December 8, 2024
- December 9 – December 31, 2024
Bear (Youth/Class Q/Class XS) Split Season
- September 14 – September 15, 2024
- October 19 – October 20, 2024
The bag limit for bear season is 2 black bears in total and no more than 1 per day.
West Virginia Small Game Seasons
Squirrel General Season: Sep 14 – Feb 28
Squirrel Youth Season: Sep 7 – Sep 8
Ruffed Grouse: Oct 12 – Feb 28
Bobwhite Quail (Closed on Tomblin WMA): Nov 2 – Jan 4
Cottontail Rabbit: Nov 12 – Feb 28
Snowshoe or Varying Hare: Nov 2 – Feb 28
Ring-necked Pheasant (Cock Birds Only): Nov 2 – Jan 4
Ring-necked Pheasant (Hillcrest WMA – Cock Birds Only): Nov 9 – Dec 7
West Virginia Furbearer Seasons
Raccoon (Hunting): Oct 12 – Feb 28
Raccoon (Trapping): Nov 2 – Feb 28
Red Fox, Gray Fox (Hunting and Trapping): Nov 2 – Feb 28
Red Fox, Gray Fox: Jan 1 – Feb 28
Bobcat (Hunting and Trapping): Nov 2 – Feb 28
Mink, Muskrat (Trapping): Nov 2 – Feb 28
Fisher (Trapping): Nov 2 – Jan 31
Beaver (Trapping): Nov 2 – Mar 31
Otter (Trapping): Nov 2 – Feb 28
Coyote: Year-around
West Virginia Hunting License Price
To hunt in the state legally, a valid license and stamp is a must. Now let’s check out the costs of each type of hunting license in West Virginia.
Resident Licenses
| Conservation Stamp(Class CS) | $5 |
| Hunting and Trapping (Class A) | $19 |
| Apprentice Hunting and Trapping License (Class AH) | $19 |
| Sportsman Hunting/Fishing/Trapping (Class X) | $35 |
| Sportsman Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Plus (Class XP) | $45 |
| Sportsman Hunting/Fishing/Trapping | $105 |
| Sportsman Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Plus | $135 |
| Junior Sportsman Hunting/Fishing/Trapping (Class XJ) | $16 |
| Apprentice Junior Hunting/Trapping/Fishing (Class AHJ) | $16 |
| Antlerless Deer Hunting Stamp (Class N | $10 |
| Additional Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RB) | $21 |
| Additional Firearms Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RG) | $21 |
| Additional Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RM) | $16 |
| Resident Big Game Stamp (Class BG) | $10 |
| Lifetime Hunting and Trapping License | $782 |
Non-resident Licenses
| Conservation/Law Enforcement Stamp (Class CS/LE) | $13 |
| National Forest Hunting/Trapping/Fishing Stamp (Class I) | $2 |
| Statewide Hunting /Trapping License (Class E) | $119 |
| Apprentice Hunting/Trapping License (Class AAH) | $119 |
| Junior Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing License (Class XXJ) | $16 |
| Apprentice Junior Hunting/Trapping/Fishing License (Class AAHJ) | $16 |
| Bear Hunting License (Class EE) | $162 |
| Small Game Hunting License (Class H) | $27 |
| Antlerless Deer Hunting Stamp (Class NN) | $27 |
| Additional Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RRB) | $37 |
| Additional Firearms Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RRG) | $43 |
| Additional Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RRM) | $37 |
| Lifetime Combination Hunting and Trapping License | $3,036 |
Who Doesn’t Need a License?
- Resident landowners and their immediate family members can hunt on their own land without a license.
- Disabled veterans and former prisoners of war can apply for a special license that allows them to hunt.
- Residents 65 or older (born before Jan. 1, 1947) do not need a license but must carry an ID.
- Residents under 15 can hunt without a license if accompanied by a licensed adult.
- Active military members on leave can hunt without a license.
- Participants in field trials do not need a hunting license.
- Persons under 16 do not need a migratory waterfowl stamp.
West Virginia Hunting Regulations
General Regulations
- Hunters should hunt with a crossbow with a draw weight of at least 125 pounds.
- Resident landowners and their families can hunt on their own land without a hunting license during open seasons.
- Residents 65 or older do not need a hunting license to hunt but must carry a West Virginia driver’s license.
- All hunters must check big games after harvesting in one of 3 ways: online, at an agent, or by calling 844-982-4325.
- Don’t break the regulations or your hunting license will be revoked.
- Sunday hunting is allowed on private lands if hunters have permission from the landowner.
❌Things You Should Not Do:
- Don’t carry any uncased in the woods, state parks, or wildlife management areas.
- Don’t hunt with a fully automatic firearm.
- Don’t carry a gun, air rifle or bow in the field at the same time.
- Don’t drink alcohol before the hunt.
- Don’t shoot a firearm too close to any public place.
- Don’t shoot any wildlife, such as deer or boar while they are in water.
- Don’t use any artificial light or night version to hunt animals except for coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and opossums.
- Don’t bait or feed bears and deer.
- Don’t discard animal carcasses beside the road or on any public and private lands.
- Cannot hunt small games with air rifles that are less than .22 caliber.
- Cannot hunt migratory birds with a pistol.
Deer Season Regulations
- The hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.
- Hunters need to purchase additional deer stamps in order to hunt extra deer, such as a Class XXJ license or a Class CS/LE stamp.
- It is not allowed to bait or feed deer.
- Deer hunters should wear a blaze hunter orange of at least 400 square inches.
- Youth hunters must be 8 years old.
- During antlerless season, hunters need a Class N Stamp to hunt, except resident landowners, or hunters who have Class DT licenses.
- These are the methods that deer hunters should not use:
- A fully automatic rifle, shotgun, or handgun.
- A muzzleloader of less than .38 caliber.
- A crossbow with more than one string; draw weight of less than 125 pounds.
- A bow with arrows with broadheads that is less than 2 sharp-cutting edges( less than 3/4 inch in width).
- An electronic call.
Bear Season Regulations
- The shoot hours are half hour before sunrise and half hour after sunset.
- It is illegal to bait beer.
- It is illegal to hunt bear with the following methods:
- Arifle less than .25 caliber.
- A muzzleloading pistol of less than .28 caliber.
- An air bow.
- A crossbow that has more than one string and doesn’t have a draw weight of at least 125 pounds.
- Don’t break the bear rules, or you will get a fine ($500-$5000)or in jail.
- It is only allowed to hunt with dogs in some counties. Make sure to check your local specific rules.
- The daily bag limit is one bear per day and 2 bears in total.
Turkey Season Regulations
- No more than one turkey per day. Hunters can take up to three turkey if they have the related licenses.
- The hunting hours are different from the season. For normal seasons, the hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. During the Youth Turkey season, the hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to 1 p.m.
- It is required to attach a field tag to the turkey you have harvested
- It is not allowed to hunt turkey over bait or use electronic calls.
- Landowners can hunt on their own lands without a hunting license.
- Turkey can be hunted with rifles, air rifles with .22 caliber or larger, handguns, shotguns, and crossbows.
- Youth turkey hunters must be at least 8 years old.
Conclusion
The above is all the available information about the West Virginia hunting season. Hunting is more than just a recreational activity; it is a tradition that has a strong relationship with the state’s culture. Before you hunt in the state, always make sure to stay up to date on the most recent season dates and regulations and to show respect for nature.
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