West Virginia 2022 Winter Hunting Season Primer

2022 Hunting Season Changes & Updates – West Virginia:

• Coyote Night Hunting 
  • West Virginia Division Of Natural Resources Announces Updated Regulations For Coyote Night Hunting
  • “Using any color artificial light or night vision technology, including image intensification, thermal imaging or active illumination, for coyote hunting in West Virginia is permitted between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 on private land.
    
    Hunting coyotes at night requires written permission from the landowner and prior notification to the local Natural Resources Police Officer or the DNR District Office during normal business hours. The hunter or landowner must provide the hunter’s name, the landowner’s name and the hunting location.” West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

• The Common Snipe is now Wilson’s Snipe.

 

Resources

• wvdnr.gov/hunting/
  • Big Game
  • Licenses
• West Virginia Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary 2022 – 2023
• West Virginia Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations Summary 2022 – 2023
• eRegulations

 

Important Dates:

• Buck Firearm Season
  • Nov 21 – Dec 4

• Antlerless Firearm Split Season
  • Dec 8 – Dec 11 & Dec 28 – Dec 31
    • Boone County
    • Clay County, South
    • Kanawha County, North
    • Nicholas County
    • Raleigh County, East
    • Webster County

 

• Bear Firearm Season 
  • Nov 21 – Dec 4
    • Boone County
    • Fayette County
    • Gilmer County
    • Kanawha County
    • Nicholas County
    • Raleigh County
    • Ritchie County
  • Nov 21 – Dec 31
    • Rest of Bear Hunting Counties
  • *Hunting with Dog only after Dec 5
    
• Mountaineer Heritage Season 
  • Jan 12 – Jan 15

 

• Wild Boar Firearm Season
  • Feb 3 – Feb 5

 

• Ruffed Grouse Open Season
  • Oct 15 – Feb 28
• Bobwhite Quail Open Season
  • Nov 5 – Jan 7
• Ring-necked Pheasant 
  • Nov 5 – Jan 7
• Crow Split Season
  • Oct 1 – Nov 19
  • Jan 1 – Mar 4

 

• Mourning Dove Split Season
  • Oct 31 – Nov 13
  • Dec 19 – Jan 24
• Wilson’s Snipe Open Season
  • Sept 1 – Dec 16
• Woodcock Split Season
  • Oct 15 – Nov 19
  • Nov 28 – Dec 6
• Duck, Coot, & Mergansers Split Season
  • Nov 7 – Nov 12
  • Dec 23 – Jan 31
• Scaup Split Season
  • Nov 7 – Nov 12
  • Dec 23 – Jan 11
  • Jan 12 – Jan 31
• Gallinules Last Season
  • Dec 7 – Jan 31
• Goose (Snow, Blue, Canada, & White-Fronted) Split Season
  • Nov 7 – Nov 12
  • Dec 4 – Jan 31
• Brant Open Season
  • Dec 13 – Jan 31

 

• Squirrel (Gray, Black, Albino, & Fox) Open Season
  • Sept 10 – Feb 28
• Cottontail Rabbit Open Season
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
• Hare (Snowshoe & Varying)
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
• Raccoon Open Season
  • Oct 15 – Feb 28
    • Hunting Season
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
    • Trapping Season
• Fox (Red & Gray) Winter Seasons 
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
    • Hunting & Trapping Season
  • Jan 1 – Feb 28
    • Night Vision Hunting Season
• Bobcat Open Season
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
• Mink & Muskrat Trapping Season
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
• Fisher Trapping Season
  • Nov 5 – Jan 31
• Beaver Trapping Season
  • Nov 5 – Mar 31
• Otter Trapping Season
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28
• Skunk, Opossum, Coyote, & Weasel Trapping Season
  • Nov 5 – Feb 28

 

Big Game:
White-Tailed Deer, Bear, Wild Boar
[no open season] Elk

 

Small Game:
Squirrel (Gray, Black, Albino, & Fox), Cottontail Rabbit, Hare (Snowshoe & Varying), Raccoon, Fox (Red & Gray), Bobcat, Mink, Muskrat, Fisher, Beaver, Otter
[year round] Coyote, Skunk, Opossum, Woodchuck, Weasel
[trapping] Skunk, Opossum, Coyote, Weasel

 

Upland Game & Migratory Bird:

Ring-Necked Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite Quail, Crow
[year round], English Sparrow, European Starling, Pigeon
[out of season] Turkey, Rail (Sora & Virginia), Youth Waterfowl
[no open season] Song Birds, Insectivorous Birds, Owls, Hawks, Falcons, Eagles
[HIP registration] Geese, Swans, Duck (Whistling, Mottled, & Harlequin), Mourning Doves, Gallinules, Rails, Woodcock, Wilson’s Snipe