Key takeaways
- West Virginia squirrel season opens in early September. The traditional opener is the second Saturday of the month, which lands somewhere between September 8 and September 14 most years.
- The season runs a long time, well past deer season and into late winter, so opening day is not your only shot.
- You need a valid West Virginia hunting license unless you qualify for an exemption, and resident landowners hunting their own land are treated differently.
- Exact opening and closing dates, bag limits, and any spring season are set year to year by the WV Division of Natural Resources. Confirm them in the current hunting regulations summary before you go.
- Early September squirrel hunting is hot, buggy, and green. Different problem than a crisp October morning, and it changes what you wear and how you hunt.
Updated August 3, 2026.
On this page
- When does squirrel season open in West Virginia?
- How long does squirrel season run?
- What license do you need to hunt squirrels in WV?
- Is there a spring squirrel season in West Virginia?
- What are the legal hours, and do you need blaze orange?
- Where can you hunt squirrels in West Virginia?
- Why is opening week harder than people expect?
- What should you wear for a September squirrel hunt?
- Frequently asked questions
Squirrel season in West Virginia opens in early September. The long-standing opener is the second Saturday of the month, which puts opening day in the September 8 to 14 range depending on how the calendar falls.
That makes squirrel the first real gun season of the fall for most West Virginians, weeks ahead of archery deer. Dates and limits are set annually, so pull up the current regulations at wvdnr.gov before opening morning.
When does squirrel season open in West Virginia?
Early September, traditionally the second Saturday. West Virginia has held that pattern for years, and it is the date most hunters here have circled without needing to look it up.
The one thing that trips people up is assuming last year’s date carries over. A Saturday opener means the calendar date shifts every single year, sometimes by a full week.
If you are planning time off work around it, check the DNR’s regulations summary for the year you are hunting. That booklet is also where the daily and season bag limits live, and those get reviewed periodically.
How long does squirrel season run?
A long time. West Virginia squirrel season stretches from the September opener deep into winter, running past the entire deer season and well into the new year.
That length is the underrated part of squirrel hunting here. Plenty of hunters never touch a squirrel gun until January, when the deer tags are filled and the woods are bare and quiet.
Late-season hunting is a completely different game. No leaves to hide behind, so you are glassing for movement in the treetops instead of listening for cuttings falling through the canopy.
What license do you need to hunt squirrels in WV?
A valid West Virginia hunting license, unless you fall under a specific exemption. Squirrel is small game, so there is no separate squirrel stamp or permit the way there is for some species.
Resident landowners and their immediate family hunting on their own land generally do not need a license, and there are exemptions tied to age and to certain veterans and disability classifications. The DNR spells all of that out, and the categories have changed over the years.
If you were born after a certain date, you also need hunter education before you can buy a license. Get that squared away in August rather than the Thursday before the opener, because class seats fill up.
Is there a spring squirrel season in West Virginia?
West Virginia has run a short spring squirrel season in recent years, typically a brief window in June. It is separate from the fall season and has its own dates and limits.
The spring season is not something to plan a whole year around, but it exists, and it catches people by surprise. It has also been adjusted more than the fall opener, so it is worth verifying rather than assuming.
Same rule as everything else here: the DNR regulations summary is the source of truth. Forum threads and old blog posts go stale fast.
What are the legal hours, and do you need blaze orange?
Small game hunting hours in West Virginia run from a set window before sunrise to a set window after sunset, and squirrel follows those hours. The specific number of minutes is printed in the regulations, and it is worth knowing precisely rather than guessing at gray light.
Blaze orange is not required for squirrel hunting on its own. It becomes required once your squirrel season overlaps firearms deer season, and that overlap catches a lot of casual hunters off guard in late November.
Sunday hunting rules are their own thing in West Virginia and depend on whether you are on private land with written permission or on public land in a county that allows it. Check before you assume.
Practically speaking, know your actual sunrise time for the day and the hollow you are hunting. A ridge-top field lights up twenty minutes before the bottom of a north-facing draw does, which is one reason a lot of folks hunt with a watch that shows sunrise and sunset rather than pulling out a phone.
Where can you hunt squirrels in West Virginia?
Almost anywhere with mature hardwoods. West Virginia has well over a million acres of public hunting ground between the Monongahela National Forest, state wildlife management areas, and state forests, and squirrels are everywhere in it.
Look for oak and hickory. A hickory grove that is dropping nuts in mid-September will hold more squirrels than a hundred acres of pine and poplar, and you can find one by walking slowly and listening for cutting.
Individual WMAs sometimes have their own rules on access, camping, and vehicle use. Some also close portions during specific seasons, so read the area-specific listing before you drive two hours to a gate.
Private land is fine with permission. In much of the state, asking a landowner in August for September squirrel access is an easier conversation than asking for deer access in October.
Why is opening week harder than people expect?
Because the woods are still full green and it is still summer weather. Early September in West Virginia can run into the eighties, the leaves block your view of the canopy, and you will meet every gnat in the county.
Squirrels are also feeding differently that early. They are working hickory and beech more than acorns, and they are active in short bursts at first light rather than moving all morning.
The move is to sit still under a cutting tree rather than still-hunt through crunchy dry leaves. Give a spot thirty or forty minutes of genuine quiet before you decide it is dead.
Snakes are the other September factor. Copperheads are still active in warm weather, so watch where you sit and where you put your hands on rock ledges.
What should you wear for a September squirrel hunt?
Light, breathable, and bug-resistant, with boots you can walk in for hours. This is not the layered-up gear you pull out for November, and dressing like it is November is how you end up soaked in sweat by eight in the morning.
Long sleeves and long pants still make sense even when it is warm, because of ticks, briars, and stinging nettle. Treat your pant cuffs and boot tops with permethrin ahead of time and let them dry fully.
Footwear matters more than camouflage for early-season squirrel hunting. You are covering ground on wet leaf litter and side-hilling on loose rock, so ankle support and a sole that grips beats anything else on the list.
Danner Logger Moc 917
Danner has been making boots for the Pacific Northwest woods for decades, and the waterproof leather Logger Moc is the kind of boot that handles a wet September morning without cooking your feet. Good pick if you want one pair that works for squirrel hunting, firewood cutting, and general fall knocking around. Sizing runs true for most people, but leather boots want a break-in period before opening day.
- Waterproof full-grain leather upper
- Ankle support for uneven Appalachian ground
- Works for hunting, firewood, and general fall wear
Once the weather turns in October and November, you can move into insulated hunting pants and heavier camo for the same woods. A hooded flannel covers most of the shoulder season between the two.
If you are taking kids along, the boots are the whole ballgame. Cold wet feet end a hunt faster than anything, which is why rubber boots for the family earn their keep on frosty mornings later in the season.
Squirrel season also runs straight through fall Saturdays, which means competing with kickoff. If you are the sort who hunts the morning and heads to Morgantown after, our rundown of what you can bring into a WVU game will save you a walk back to the truck. More seasonal gear picks live on the deals page.
Frequently asked questions
What time does squirrel season open in West Virginia?
Squirrel season in West Virginia traditionally opens on the second Saturday in September, which falls between September 8 and September 14 depending on the year. Legal hunting hours start a set number of minutes before sunrise, and that figure is printed in the current DNR regulations summary. Confirm both the date and the hours before opening morning, since the Saturday opener shifts the calendar date annually.
How many squirrels can you kill a day in WV?
West Virginia sets a daily bag limit for squirrels, and it is listed in the annual hunting regulations summary published by the WV Division of Natural Resources. Limits get reviewed and can change, so use the current year’s booklet rather than a number you remember from a few seasons back. The regulations also cover any season aggregate limits.
Do you need blaze orange to squirrel hunt in West Virginia?
Not for squirrel season by itself. Once squirrel season overlaps firearms deer season in late fall, blaze orange requirements kick in and apply to squirrel hunters too. That overlap surprises people every November, so it is worth checking the dates before you head out in a brown jacket.
What gun is best for squirrel hunting in WV?
A .22 rimfire or a 20 gauge covers almost every situation in West Virginia hardwoods. The .22 is the traditional choice for tight ranges and treed squirrels sitting still, and the shotgun is better for moving squirrels and thick early-season canopy. Both are legal for small game, but confirm any area-specific restrictions on the WMA or national forest tract you plan to hunt.
Can you hunt squirrels on Sunday in West Virginia?
Sunday hunting rules in West Virginia depend on whether you are on private land with written permission or on public land, and public land Sunday hunting varies by county. The law has changed in the past decade, so old advice circulating online is often wrong. Check the current DNR regulations for the county you are hunting.
Before opening day
Buy your license in August, not the night before. Confirm this year’s opener on the DNR site, sight in whatever you are carrying, and walk your spot once in daylight to find the hickories that are dropping.
Squirrel season is the cheapest, easiest way to get back in the woods after a summer off, and it runs so long that missing opening day costs you nothing. Take a kid if you can. It is the season most of us started with.
