Credit: USFWS Canaan valley is known for its woodcock population. These upland shorebirds nest and raise young here. It is also an important migratory stop for woodcock that breed farther north

Attention Hunters! Get your Refuge Permit now.

Hunt permits will be available weekdays only. Temporary permits will not be issued on weekends. To get your permit submit your name, address, phone number and date of birth to the Refuge by phone (304-866-3858), fax (304-866-3852), or e-mail (canaanvalley@fws.gov). You may also stop by the office weekdays, 8:00 am—3:00 pm to request a permit. Please help us spread the word to other hunters. Thank you.

Hunting is permitted in accordance with State, Federal and Refuge rules, laws and regulations from September 1 through February 28 and also during the spring turkey season. Except for spring turkey season, the Refuge is closed to hunting from March 1 to August 31.

The following game species may be taken on Refuge lands during applicable seasons: white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, mourning dove, waterfowl, coot, rail, gallinule, snipe, woodcock, rabbit, hare, squirrel, red fox, grey fox, raccoon bobcat, woodchuck, coyote, opossum, and striped skunk. All other species of wildlife are protected. Hunters must carry a current, signed Canaan Valley NWR hunt permit, the appropriate State hunting license and a photo ID to hunt on the Refuge.

Along with your hunt permit you will receive a copy of the Refuge special regulations and a hunt information form. Please read and follow State, Federal and Refuge rules, laws and regulations. Following your hunt, please complete and return the refuge hunt information form. The data will be used in planning future hunts. You must return this information form to get a Refuge permit next year.

Dog training is prohibited except during legal hunting seasons.

For West Virginia state hunting rules and regulations click here.

Refuge Hunt Plan and Environmental Assessment

Hunt Plan (PDF)

Hunt Environmental Assessment (PDF)

In response to a national lawsuit, the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge revised its hunt plan and environmental assessment. 

            The Fund for Animals, a national animal rights organization, sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003 alleging that the agency did not fully meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when it opened national wildlife refuges to hunting between 1997 and 2003. The lawsuit affects migratory bird, upland game and big game hunt programs at 74 national wildlife refuges throughout the U.S. U.S. Circuit Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbina ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in August. The court did not stop national wildlife refuge hunt programs and the Service worked to fulfill NEPA requirements for the hunts at issue by May 31, 2007.  The Service also addressed similar deficiencies regarding the opening of hunts for 30 refuges opened to hunting since the lawsuit was filed and for seven 2006-2007 proposed refuge openings.

            The revised hunt plan and environmental assessment for the hunt program at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge includes the Service’s analyses of the overall impacts of the hunts on resident wildlife, migratory species, threatened and endangered species, refuge facilities and visitor services, cultural resources, ecosystems, and neighboring lands. The Service also considered the cumulative impacts of past, present, and future hunts on wildlife species, refuge resources, and other wildlife-dependent refuge activities. Where appropriate, we assessed the cumulative environmental impacts at the local, regional, and migratory flyway levels.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.