Read from Division of Natural Resources on September 27, 2026.
Seasons and limits change, and corrections are issued mid-season. Confirm with Division of Natural Resources before you hunt.
Open the official West Virginia regulationsHunting West Virginia this season? Keep these dates and bag limits in your pocket — free in the BlindBook app.
West Virginia is part of the Atlantic Flyway, one of four major migratory bird corridors in North America. The 2026–2027 waterfowl season runs from September 1 through January 31, 2027, with 27 distinct season segments covering ducks, geese, coots, and other migratory game birds. Season dates and bag limits are set annually by the Division of Natural Resources within frameworks established by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Season dates, bag limits, shooting hours, and other regulatory information are provided for convenience only, may be inaccurate or out of date, and do not constitute legal advice. You are solely responsible for verifying current regulations with your state or provincial wildlife agency before every hunt.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3,4 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 6 No more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 scaup, 4 sea ducks (no more than 3 scoters and 3 long-tailed ducks). | 18 |
| Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Segment | 6 | 18 | |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Segment | 6 | 18 | |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Split | 6 No more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 scaup, 4 sea ducks (no more than 3 scoters and 3 long-tailed ducks). | 18 | |
| Dec 21 – Jan 31 Third Segment | 6 | 18 | |
| Dec 21 – Jan 31 Third Split | 6 No more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, scaup: 1 (Dec. 21-Jan. 11) then 2 (Jan. 12-Jan. 31), 4 sea ducks (no more than 3 scoters and 3 long-tailed ducks). | 18 |
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|
| Mottled Duck closed | 0 | 0 |
| Harlequin Duck closed | 0 | 0 |
| Mallard no more than 2 females · four (4) mallards [no more than two (2) of which can be female], two (2) black ducks, three (3) pintails, three (3) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, two (2) canvasbacks, scaup (see the above table), four (4) sea ducks (including no more than three (3) scoters and three (3) long-tailed ducks). | 4 | 12 |
| Black Duck four (4) mallards [no more than two (2) of which can be female], two (2) black ducks, three (3) pintails, three (3) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, two (2) canvasbacks, scaup (see the above table), four (4) sea ducks (including no more than three (3) scoters and three (3) long-tailed ducks). | 2 | 6 |
| Pintail (Northern) four (4) mallards [no more than two (2) of which can be female], two (2) black ducks, three (3) pintails, three (3) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, two (2) canvasbacks, scaup (see the above table), four (4) sea ducks (including no more than three (3) scoters and three (3) long-tailed ducks). | 3 | 9 |
| Wood Duck four (4) mallards [no more than two (2) of which can be female], two (2) black ducks, three (3) pintails, three (3) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, two (2) canvasbacks, scaup (see the above table), four (4) sea ducks (including no more than three (3) scoters and three (3) long-tailed ducks). | 3 | 9 |
| Redhead four (4) mallards [no more than two (2) of which can be female], two (2) black ducks, three (3) pintails, three (3) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, two (2) canvasbacks, scaup (see the above table), four (4) sea ducks (including no more than three (3) scoters and three (3) long-tailed ducks). | 2 | 6 |
| Canvasback four (4) mallards [no more than two (2) of which can be female], two (2) black ducks, three (3) pintails, three (3) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, two (2) canvasbacks, scaup (see the above table), four (4) sea ducks (including no more than three (3) scoters and three (3) long-tailed ducks). | 2 | 6 |
| King Eider combined with Common Eider; closed | 0 | 0 |
| Common Merganser combined with Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser; separate merganser line, in aggregate | 5 | 15 |
| Hooded Merganser combined with Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser; separate merganser line, in aggregate | 5 | 15 |
| Red-breasted Merganser combined with Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser; separate merganser line, in aggregate | 5 | 15 |
| Long-tailed Duck sea-duck aggregate: no more than 4 sea ducks (scoters, eiders, long-tailed ducks) combined | 3 | 9 |
| Common Eider combined with King Eider; closed | 0 | 0 |
| & Greater Scaup Statewide · Oct 3–Oct 11 · combined with Lesser Scaup | 1 | 3 |
| & Greater Scaup Statewide · Nov 7–Nov 15 · combined with Lesser Scaup | 1 | 3 |
| & Greater Scaup Statewide · Dec 21–Jan 31 · combined with Lesser Scaup | 1 | 3 |
| Greater Scaup Statewide · from Jan 12 · combined with Lesser Scaup | 2 | 6 |
| & Lesser Scaup Statewide · Oct 3–Oct 11 · combined with Greater Scaup | 1 | 3 |
| & Lesser Scaup Statewide · Nov 7–Nov 15 · combined with Greater Scaup | 1 | 3 |
| & Lesser Scaup Statewide · Dec 21–Jan 31 · combined with Greater Scaup | 1 | 3 |
| Lesser Scaup Statewide · from Jan 12 · combined with Greater Scaup | 2 | 6 |
| Scoter (Black) combined with Scoter (Surf), Scoter (White-winged); sea-duck aggregate: no more than 4 sea ducks (scoters, eiders, long-tailed ducks) combined (WV lists scoters + long-tailed ducks; eiders closed) | 3 | 9 |
| Scoter (Surf) combined with Scoter (Black), Scoter (White-winged); sea-duck aggregate: no more than 4 sea ducks (scoters, eiders, long-tailed ducks) combined (WV lists scoters + long-tailed ducks; eiders closed) | 3 | 9 |
| Scoter (White-winged) combined with Scoter (Black), Scoter (Surf); sea-duck aggregate: no more than 4 sea ducks (scoters, eiders, long-tailed ducks) combined (WV lists scoters + long-tailed ducks; eiders closed) | 3 | 9 |
1No more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 scaup, 4 sea ducks (no more than 3 scoters and 3 long-tailed ducks).
23-way split season. Scaup limit is 1 during this split (Oct. 3 - Jan. 11).
3No more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 2 black ducks, 3 pintails, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, scaup: 1 (Dec. 21-Jan. 11) then 2 (Jan. 12-Jan. 31), 4 sea ducks (no more than 3 scoters and 3 long-tailed ducks).
43-way split season. Scaup limit changes from 1 to 2 on Jan. 12 within this split.
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| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Sep 1 – Sep 13 Early Canada Goose Season | 5 | 15 |
| Oct 3 – Oct 18 First Segment | 5 | 15 | |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Segment | 5 | 15 | |
| Dec 8 – Jan 31 Third Segment | 5 | 15 |
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Oct 3 – Oct 18 First Segment | 5 | 15 |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Segment | 5 | 15 | |
| Dec 8 – Jan 31 Third Segment | 5 | 15 |
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Jan 2 – Jan 31 Regular Season | 1 | 3 |
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Oct 3 – Oct 18 First Segment | 5 | 15 |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Segment | 5 | 15 | |
| Dec 8 – Jan 31 Third Segment | 5 | 15 |
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 15 | 45 |
| Oct 3 – Oct 11 Gallinules First Split | 15 Gallinules only | 45 | |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Split | 15 | 45 | |
| Dec 2 – Jan 31 Gallinules Second Split | 15 Gallinules only | 45 | |
| Dec 21 – Jan 31 Third Split | 15 | 45 |
1Coots season listed as 'Same as Ducks' — dates inherited from duck season splits.
2Gallinules only
3Gallinules 2-way split season. Listed separately from coots.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2 | Oct 3 – Oct 11 First Split | 5 In aggregate (with mergansers). | 15 |
| Nov 7 – Nov 15 Second Split | 5 In aggregate (with mergansers). | 15 | |
| Dec 21 – Jan 31 Third Split | 5 In aggregate (with mergansers). | 15 |
1In aggregate (with mergansers).
2Mergansers listed as 'Same as Ducks' — dates inherited from duck season splits. Daily bag 5(d) in aggregate.
| Zone / Season | Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide1,2,3 | Sep 19 – Sep 19 Day 1 | 6 Youth only (under 18). Bag limit same as regular duck and geese seasons, except 2 scaup may be taken as part of the 6 duck daily bag limit. | 18 |
| Oct 31 – Oct 31 Day 2 | 6 Youth only (under 18). Bag limit same as regular duck and geese seasons, except 2 scaup may be taken as part of the 6 duck daily bag limit. | 18 |
1Youth only (under 18). Bag limit same as regular duck and geese seasons, except 2 scaup may be taken as part of the 6 duck daily bag limit.
2One of two single youth waterfowl days. Under 15 must be accompanied by licensed adult 18+.
3Second of two single youth waterfowl days. Under 15 must be accompanied by licensed adult 18+.
Season dates and bag limits are verified against official state wildlife agency publications and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Data shown is for the 2026-2027 season. This data was verified on September 27, 2026. Always confirm with the official regulations before hunting.
For waterfowl population trends, harvest analysis, and conservation research, see WaterfowlAI Insights.