West Virginia bear season 2026: dates and free maps
Season dates
Firearms, segments by county: Saturday, August 29 to Thursday, December 31, 2026
Which segments are open depends on the county: Aug. 29-Sept. 7, Sept. 19-25, Oct. 3-9, Oct. 22-25, Nov. 23-Dec. 6, Nov. 23-Dec. 31 and Dec. 7-31. Some allow dogs. See the county tables in the regulations.
Source: West Virginia DNR
Youth, Class Q and Class XS: Saturday, September 12 to Sunday, September 13, 2026
A second split runs October 17 and 18.
Source: West Virginia DNR
Archery and crossbow: Saturday, September 26 to Thursday, December 31, 2026
Source: West Virginia DNR
Mountaineer Heritage season (deer, bear and turkey): Thursday, January 14 to Sunday, January 17, 2027
See the regulations for the equipment allowed.
Source: West Virginia DNR
Checked on the agency's site November 6, 2026. Licenses, units, bag limits and shooting hours differ, and dates can vary by unit: the regulations are what count, so read them before you go.
Legal shooting hours for big game in West Virginia, generally: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Bear country is big timber and steep ground, usually with no signal. Download the maps for your spot ahead of time and Cartahaven shows your GPS position on them offline, so you can stay on public ground, find your stand or bait site and get back out after dark.
Free public land maps in West Virginia
Before you go
Cartahaven is not affiliated with or endorsed by West Virginia DNR. Season dates come from the agency pages linked above.