- Black bear archery and crossbow season is Sept. 27 – Dec. 31, 2025.
- Black bear gun seasons – A special September and October bear firearms season and a bear firearms season running concurrent with the deer firearms season will again be in place for 2025. There are no permit only counties for any bear firearms season in 2025. Additionally, a concurrent antlerless deer and bear season will take place on private and public land in 41 counties, or parts thereof, from October 23-26, 2025. For more information, consult the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary.
- Black bear gun season includes Sunday closing days. For more information, consult the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary.
- All successful bear hunters must submit a first premolar tooth to the WVDNR by Jan. 31 of the year following the harvest.
Q. As a West Virginia resident, do I need any license to bear hunt on my own property?
No, but if you decide to hunt on your neighbor’s property (private or public), you need the appropriate hunting licenses.
Q. Is bear hunting legal during the antlerless and muzzleloader deer seasons in December?
This depends on the county you want to hunt in. See pages 41–42 of the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary.
Q. If I want to bear hunt on Nathaniel Mountain or Short Mountain WMAs, am I required to apply for a permit?
No. The special permit season for bear dog hunters was discontinued in 2016.
Q. What are the bag and season limits on black bears?
The daily bag limit is one bear per day with a season bag limit of two bears, provided at least one bear comes from Boone, Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Raleigh or Wyoming counties.
Q. Is it legal to hunt bears during the buck firearms season?
Yes, 41 counties, or parts thereof, will have a bear season during the buck firearms season on both public and private land where prior application for a permit is not required. All bear hunters must possess a Bear Damage Stamp (Class DS) to hunt bears, except hunters exempt from having to purchase one, i.e., resident landowners.
BEAR SEASONS – SPECIAL SPLIT YOUTH/CLASS Q/CLASS XS BEAR SEASON
- The first segment of the special split Youth/Class Q/Class XS bear season will be open Sept. 13–14, 2025 on public and private lands in all or parts of 26 counties open to bear hunting with or without dogs. Bears may be hunted with or without dogs during this segment.
- The second segment of the special split Youth/Class Q/Class XS bear season will be open Oct. 18–19, 2025 on public and private lands in the 51 counties open to firearms deer hunting season. The use of dogs is prohibited.
- See page 38 of the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary.
BEAR SEASONS – URBAN ARCHERY/CROSSBOW DEER/BEAR SEASON
- Approved homeowner’s associations, incorporated cities, towns and villages may participate in the split urban deer/bear archery/crossbow season which runs from Sep. 6 – Dec. 31, 2025 and Jan. 12–31, 2026.
- The season bag limit is one bear.
- A DS Stamp is required, except for underage resident and resident landowners hunting on their own land.