West Virginia Whitetail Hunting
Plan your West Virginia whitetail hunt with season dates, license options, and hunting opportunities organized by unit. Browse available private-land hunts and book access directly from landowners.
Last updated by Aricin Rotarius
Find Hunts by Unit
Browse private-land whitetail hunts across West Virginia, organized by unit, and book directly with landowners.
West Virginia Whitetail Seasons
These dates represent the “general” season dates. Check the individual hunting unit regulations for the most accurate season dates and regulations.
Urban / Archery/crossbow Split Season First Segment
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Archery And Crossbow
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Class Q/class Xs Season Split 1
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Youth hunters
Must be electronically registered (checked). See page 29 for details. Youth/Class Q/Class XS eligible.
Special Split Class Q And Class Xs Season First Segment
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Youth, senior, and disabled hunters; Veteran
Antlerless deer only. Only one antlerless deer may be taken per day. A bow or crossbow can be substituted for a firearm or muzzleloader. Held on private land in all counties having a firearms deer hunting season and on all public lands within these counties. Bag limit does not count towards annual deer season bag limit. Class N or NN stamp not required for youth. Class N stamp not required for seniors with Class XS or hunters with Class Q. Each deer must be field tagged and electronically registered within 24 hours of the close of each portion.
Antlerless Season Split 1 Selected Counties
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Must be electronically registered (checked). Selected counties only. See pages 15-20 for details.
Firearms Season Early Segment
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Rifle
Firearms Season First Segment
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Rifle
An antlerless deer is any deer having no antlers or having no antler greater than three inches long above the hairline. Deer can be checked in any order if you have the proper additional privilege.
Antlerless Firearms Season Concurrent Segment
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Rifle
Concurrent with Buck Firearms Season. Maximum season bag limit: 1. One antlerless deer may be taken on a Class N or NN stamp or by a resident landowner hunting on his/her own land.
Antlerless Firearms Season November Segment
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Rifle
Concurrent with Buck Firearms Season. Maximum season bag limit: 3. Up to three antlerless deer may be taken on Class N or NN stamps.
Antlerless Season Split 2 Selected Counties
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Must be electronically registered (checked). Selected counties only. See pages 15-20 for details.
Buck Firearms
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Rifle
Firearms Season Second Segment
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Rifle
An antlerless deer is any deer having no antlers or having no antler greater than three inches long above the hairline.
Wilson Cove Study Area Special Muzzleloader
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Antlerless Firearms Season December Segment
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Rifle
Maximum season bag limit: 3. Up to three antlerless deer may be taken on Class N or NN stamps.
Antlerless Season Split 3 Selected Counties
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Must be electronically registered (checked). Selected counties only. See pages 15-20 for details.
Firearms Season Late Segment 1
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Rifle
Maximum season bag limit: 1. One antlerless deer may be taken on a Class N or NN stamp or by a resident landowner hunting on his/her own land.
Firearms Season Third Segment
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Rifle
An antlerless deer is any deer having no antlers or having no antler greater than three inches long above the hairline.
Muzzleloader
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Class Q/class Xs Season Split 2
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Youth hunters
Must be electronically registered (checked). See page 29 for details. Youth/Class Q/Class XS eligible.
Special Split Class Q And Class Xs Season Second Segment
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Youth, senior, and disabled hunters; Veteran
Antlerless deer only. Only one antlerless deer may be taken per day. A bow or crossbow can be substituted for a firearm or muzzleloader. Held on private land in all counties having a firearms deer hunting season and on all public lands within these counties. Bag limit does not count towards annual deer season bag limit. Class N or NN stamp not required for youth. Class N stamp not required for seniors with Class XS or hunters with Class Q. Each deer must be field tagged and electronically registered within 24 hours of the close of each portion.
Antlerless Season Split 4 Selected Counties
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Must be electronically registered (checked). Selected counties only. See pages 15-20 for details.
Firearms Season Fourth Segment
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Rifle
An antlerless deer is any deer having no antlers or having no antler greater than three inches long above the hairline.
Firearms Season Late Segment
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Rifle
Maximum season bag limit: 3. Up to three antlerless deer may be taken on Class N or NN stamps.
Firearms Season Late Segment 2
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Rifle
Maximum season bag limit: 1. One antlerless deer may be taken on a Class N or NN stamp or by a resident landowner hunting on his/her own land.
Mountaineer Heritage
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Muzzleloader
Mountaineer Heritage Season
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Must be electronically registered (checked). Winter 2026 Mountaineer Heritage season. 1 deer, 1 bear, 1 turkey. See page 35.
Urban / Archery/crossbow Split Season Second Segment
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Mountaineer Heritage
Dates vary by unit
Specific dates not listed on this page. Requires a 2026 hunting license to hunt during the Mountaineer Heritage Season in 2026. See other pages for field tagging, checking, transporting, CWD containment area regulations, and special season restrictions.
Muzzleloader
Dates vary by unit
Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties are closed to all firearms deer hunting. Concurrent archery and crossbow hunting for antlered and antlerless deer is legal during the muzzleloader season subject to all archery and crossbow deer hunting regulations. Must wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange as an outer garment.
West Virginia Whitetail Licenses
Resident Licenses
| License | Availability | Eligibility | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RB) | OTC | — | $21.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class A+BG, AH+BG, AHJ, A-L, AB-L, X, X3, XP, XP3, XS, XJ or free license. Required by crossbow hunters for an additional deer. The Class RB stamp must be purchased prior to the opening of the statewide archery season. | |||
| Additional Firearms Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RG) | OTC | — | $21.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class A, AH, AHJ, A-L, AB-L, X, X3, XP, XP3, XS, XJ or free license. The Class RG stamp must be purchased prior to the opening of buck firearms season. | |||
| Additional Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RM) | OTC | — | $16.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class A+BG, AH+BG, AHJ, A-L, AB-L, X, X3, XP, XP3, XS, XJ or free license. The Class RM stamp must be purchased prior to the opening of the muzzleloader season. | |||
| Antlerless Deer Hunting Stamp (Class N) | OTC | Youth hunters | $10.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class A, AH, AHJ, A-L, AB-L, X, X3, XP, XP3, XS, XJ or free license. Not required during the Special Split Youth, Class Q and Class XS antlerless deer season (see page 29). | |||
Nonresident Licenses
| License | Availability | Eligibility | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresident Additional Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RRB) | OTC | — | $37.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class E+UU, AAH+UU, AAHJ, XXJ or E-L+UU-L or UU license. Required by crossbow hunters for an additional deer. Must be purchased prior to the opening of the statewide archery season. | |||
| Nonresident Additional Firearms Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RRG) | OTC | — | $43.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class E, AAH, AAHJ, XXJ or E-L license. Must be purchased prior to the opening of buck firearms season. | |||
| Nonresident Additional Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Stamp (Class RRM) | OTC | — | $37.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class E+VV, AAH+VV, AAHJ, XXJ or E-L+VV-L or VV license. Must be purchased prior to the opening of the muzzleloader season. | |||
| Nonresident Antlerless Deer Hunting Stamp (Class NN) | OTC | — | $27.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class E, AAH, AAHJ, XXJ or E-L license. | |||
| Nonresident Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class UU) | OTC | — | $32.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class E, AAH or E-L license. Required to hunt during the Archery and Crossbow Seasons. | |||
| Nonresident Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Stamp (Class VV) | OTC | — | $32.00 |
Must be accompanied by a Class E, AAH or E-L license. | |||
Frequently Asked Questions
West Virginia's approximate whitetail season dates vary by method and county. Archery and crossbow seasons begin in September, while firearms segments run October 23–26, November 24–December 7, December 11–14, and December 28–31, 2025. Muzzleloader season runs December 15–21, and the Mountaineer Heritage season runs January 8–11, 2026; youth and special-class hunts use separate October and December weekends. Check county eligibility and electronically register every harvested deer.
Yes, over-the-counter whitetail opportunities are available in West Virginia through the Class N Antlerless Deer Stamp for residents. Unlimited over-the-counter antlerless deer are available in 17 counties with a bag limit of one per county, and you are subject to an annual statewide bag limit of three antlerless deer. Limited opportunities requiring an application are also available in 5 counties and select wildlife management areas, state forests, and National Forest lands. Resident landowners do not need a permit to hunt antlerless deer on their own land.
