Quail Hunting Season in West Virginia: Dates, Limits, and Rules for Bobwhite Hunters
November 12, 2026
Quail hunting season in West Virginia is one of the shortest and quietest on the small game calendar, and that surprises many hunters. The bobwhite once ranged across the state’s farm country, but wild birds are scarce now, and the season you can legally hunt is mostly a matter of knowing exactly where you are allowed to be.
This guide walks you through the 2026-27 dates, the bag limit, the license you need, the guns you can use, and the public land and preserve options. Check every detail against the official regulations booklet before you go, since dates and county rules change from year to year.
Key Insight: The season is open on paper across most of the state, but quail hunting is closed on Tomblin Wildlife Management Area, the one place where the state has focused its restoration work.
Quail Hunting Season Dates in West Virginia
The 2026-27 season is short and sits in the colder part of the year. According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, bobwhite quail season runs from November 7 to January 2, with the Tomblin WMA closure noted next to the species.
The state’s small game page explains the broader pattern. Squirrel season starts in September, ruffed grouse in October, and bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbit, and snowshoe or varying hare in November. That makes quail one of the later upland seasons to open.
The dates follow a formula written into state code. Under West Virginia’s administrative rules, the quail season opens on the first Saturday in November and closes on the first Saturday in January, with the Tomblin exception. This year, the first Saturday in November falls on November 7, and the first Saturday in January falls on January 2, 2027.
| Season Year | Opens | Closes | Source Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | November 1, 2025 | January 3, 2026 | WVDNR regulations summary, July 2025 |
| 2026-27 | November 7, 2026 | January 2, 2027 | WVDNR regulations summary, July 2026 |
Important Note: A few third-party hunting sites list a January 31 or February 28 closing date for 2026-27. The WVDNR season page and the state’s July 2026 regulations summary both list January 2, so treat that as the legal date.
If you want to compare how other game seasons line up with quail, the West Virginia hunting laws overview covers the wider rule set.
Quail Species You Can Hunt in West Virginia
You have one legal quail species on the state’s season list: the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). It is the only quail with a regular hunting season in the state, and the regulations list it simply as bobwhite quail.
Wild bobwhites are a long shot. According to Project Upland, populations were essentially wiped out in the late 1970s, and restoration work has centered on Tomblin WMA in the southern part of the state. The same source suggests that bag limits today mostly apply to pen-raised birds or birds that escape from game preserves.
If you do hunt wild bobwhites, habitat tells you where to look. Bobwhite quail in West Virginia are most often found in early successional habitats, such as brushy field edges, fallow crop fields, and young clearcuts. Weedy fencerows, native warm-season grasses, and shrubby thickets give them nesting and roosting cover.
Plan for pointing-dog work if you have one. Working behind a pointing dog is the most effective way to locate coveys in brushy, uneven terrain, and birds flush low and fast.
Quail Bag and Possession Limits in West Virginia
The limits are simple. For 2026-27, the WVDNR lists a daily bag of 3 bobwhite quail and a possession limit of 9, with no season limit.
| Species | Daily Bag | Possession | Season Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobwhite Quail | 3 | 9 | None |
| Ruffed Grouse (for comparison) | 4 | 16 | None |
Possession means everything you have on hand, including birds in your freezer or vehicle. Once you reach nine, you cannot take more until you use or give away some of them under the rules in the regulations booklet.
One common mistake is relying on an old number. Some aggregator sites list a daily limit of 4 for quail, which does not match the state’s own published table. Use the figures in the July 2026 regulations summary.
Common Mistake: Treating a third-party blog as the final word on limits. The WVDNR booklet is the legal document, and any conflict with a blog goes to the booklet.
Licenses and Permits Required to Hunt Quail in West Virginia
Quail fall under small game privileges. According to Ultimate Upland, upland bird hunting falls under small game privileges, which are included in base hunting licenses. You do not need a separate quail stamp.
The basics look like this:
- A West Virginia base hunting license, resident or nonresident, unless you qualify for an exemption.
- Hunter education certification if you were born on or after January 1, 1975. Check the regulations booklet for the current wording.
- Written landowner permission when hunting private land.
There are exemptions. The kalkal-online summary of state rules says resident landowners and their families can hunt on their own land without a hunting license during open seasons, and residents 65 or older do not need a license but must carry a West Virginia driver’s license. Verify both with the DNR before you rely on them.
For fees and the full list of license classes, use our West Virginia hunting license requirements page. If you plan to train a dog on pen-raised birds during a closed season, Project Upland notes that the permit allows you to train your dog on pigeons or commercially pen-raised quail on private land.
Legal Weapons and Methods for Quail Hunting in West Virginia
A shotgun is the standard quail gun, and it is what most hunters carry for birds that flush at close range. West Virginia’s small game rules are written around what you cannot use, so it helps to read the prohibitions closely.
The July 2026 regulations summary lists several firearm prohibitions. You cannot hunt with a fully automatic firearm, and you cannot hunt small game with an air rifle of less than .22 caliber. Driving a vehicle, ATV, or snowmobile to harass or chase wildlife is also prohibited.
Pay attention to shot size in counties with a buck firearms season. The 2025 summary says it is illegal to hunt small game during buck firearms season with a shotgun using solid ball ammunition or shot larger than No. 4 in a county that is not open to buck firearms season. When in doubt, use a standard upland load in sizes 7.5 to 8.5, which sit well under that cap.
- Legal and common: shotguns with lead alternatives or approved shot, and dogs that point or flush.
- Restricted: baiting. The regulations say you may not bait or feed any wildlife on public land at any time.
- Prohibited: fully automatic firearms and underpowered air rifles.
Pro Tip: Small game hunting is closed in counties with a buck firearms season for the first three days of that season. Mark those dates on your calendar so you do not plan a quail trip into a closure.
Bowhunters may wonder if archery gear is allowed on quail. The state’s bow rules are covered in our West Virginia bow hunting laws guide, though a shotgun is the practical tool for flushing birds.
Shooting Hours and Sunday Hunting Rules for Quail in West Virginia
The summary I reviewed does not spell out a quail-specific shooting hour in the search excerpts, so check the hunting-hours section of the regulations booklet for the exact start and end times. Small game hunting hours are generally tied to sunrise and sunset, so plan to be in the field with daylight on your side.
Sunday hunting is more settled. According to the kalkal-online rules summary, Sunday hunting is allowed on private lands if hunters have permission from the landowner. Public land rules on Sundays can differ by area, so confirm the specific WMA or forest before you go.
That gives you a practical weekly plan. Saturday hunts on public ground and Sunday hunts on private land with permission are both possible, and a good dog and a landowner contact open up more days than most hunters expect.
If you also chase other game birds, our dove hunting season guide and turkey hunting season guide cover their hours and dates.
Quail Hunting on Public Land and Hunting Preserves in West Virginia
Public land is where most West Virginia hunters start, but quail is the exception. The Tomblin WMA closure matters because it is the state’s main bobwhite restoration site, and it is off limits during the season. According to the WVDNR regulations summary, bobwhite quail hunting is closed on Tomblin WMA.
Other public lands remain legal on paper. The state has national forests, state forests, and many wildlife management areas, and one hunting guide estimates more than 1 million acres of public land are open to hunters across West Virginia. That figure comes from an older blog post, so treat it as a rough size rather than an exact count.
Public ground has a few rules worth knowing:
- The maximum vehicle speed on WMAs and state forests is 30 miles per hour unless posted otherwise.
- Baiting is prohibited on public land.
- Some WMAs offer Class Q hunting access, so check area-specific rules.
Hunting Preserves and Private Land
If you want birds in the air without hours of walking empty cover, a licensed hunting preserve is the realistic path. Preserves release pen-raised quail, which is why published bag limits tend to apply to those birds. Call the preserve ahead of time to confirm its season, pricing, and whether you need to bring your own dog.
Private land with permission is the other good option. Look for brushy field edges, fallow ground, and fencerows where a landowner is managing for early successional habitat. Ask before you hunt, and respect any posted limits.
Before you head out, compare your plans against our neighboring-state resources if you travel, such as the Virginia dove hunting season page. For the full rule book, read the WVDNR small game page and keep a printed copy of the regulations summary in your truck.
West Virginia quail hunting rewards preparation more than most seasons. Know the November 7 to January 2 window, stay under three birds a day, carry the right license, and keep out of Tomblin WMA. Then spend your time finding cover, a willing landowner, or a good preserve.