Hunting in West Virginia: 15 Animals to Hunt in the Winter

In West Virginia, hunting during the winter can be both a positive and a negative opportunity. The cold and wind chill factor may severely cut down on the amount of time a hunter can stand to stay outside.

However, the freezing temperatures ensure regular snowfalls. Eric Nestor of Wide Open Spaces shares how carpet of snow reveals the passage of any animals that have passed by.
He reveals that snow provides a clean white background against from which to clearly view paw prints, blood, and scat.

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The snow also provides easy camouflage for a hunter wearing white. Ideally, animals will not pay any more attention to a hunter wearing a good snowsuit than they would to a real pile of snow.

Here are numerous animals to hunt in West Virginia legally in the winter:

1. Wild Boars
Archery season for wild boars starts late September and continues until the end of December.

2. Deer
Archery season begins in late September and ends in late December. The season to hunt antlerless deer run between late October and late December.

3. Bears
The archery hunting season for bear is between late September and late December. Selected counties in West Virginia have an open gun season between early mid-September and late December. You can check here to view which counties are open.

4. Squirrel (Gray, Black, Albino, and Fox)
All four of these types of squirrel may be harvested from mid-September to late January.

5. Ruffed Grouse
Those who hunt ruffed grouse must do so between mid-October and late February.

6. Bobwhite Quails
These birds are legal to harvest from the beginning of November to the beginning of January.

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7. Cottontail Rabbits
Hunt these rabbits from the beginning of November to the end of February.

8. Snowshoe Hares or Varying Hares
Both of these hares are legal to shoot from the beginning of November to the end of February.

9. Raccoons
Raccoon season stretches from mid-October to late February.

10. Gray Foxes
Harvest gray fox legally starting at the beginning of November and finishing at the end of February.

11. Bobcats
Open season for bobcats stretches from the start of November to the end of February.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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