The kickoff
Aug. 4—I hunkered deeper into the blind and peeked over the cover at the same time. I knew I should duck my head but I couldn't resist. The sight of those big Canada honkers gliding into us with set wings was too much. They were huge and beautiful and almost other worldly.
This was the pinnacle of the whole game, that moment you wish, hope and pray for, the time you dream about. Time stands still, the geese are suspended, seemingly motionless and no one breathes or moves. Even the dogs hold their breath and stop panting for a beat. There is no sound on the face of the earth.
"Now!" yells Andy, who is in charge of such things. We all rise as one, time and space start to flow again and the shotguns, even though they seem muted, begin to roar. Some of the geese claw frantically for altitude while others fall from the sky. It is probably over in 10 seconds or less but I am instantly reminded how much I love duck and goose hunting, even in West Virginia!
Yes, I did say "even in West Virginia," because truthfully, folks, we are not known for a lot of waterfowl hunting. But there is some here and shooting for ducks and geese can be had if you do a lot of scouting around and some homework on the phone and the computer. Doing your "look around" work is essential so when the time comes, and when you need to leave in the dark of night to get somewhere, you are ready.
In southern West Virginia, you can start along the New River and Greenbrier River valleys. Waterfowl means you are going to have to have some water somewhere, although in the early season Canada goose season, which is mainly for resident geese that stay year round, you may find them miles from any substantial water source and they may hang around small farm ponds. In truth, these resident geese are often considered pests and you may find you are welcomed for a goose hunt if you find the right situation (golf courses hate Canada geese).
Dove season and the early goose season are the traditional start of the hunting seasons for the year. West Virginia's hunting season dates and bag limits for migratory game birds have been set for the 2022-2023 season in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's annual guidelines. The mourning dove season is split into three segments, with the first segment running from Sept. 1 to Oct. 9. The second and third segments are Oct. 31 to Nov. 13 and Dec. 19 to Jan. 24, respectively. Shooting hours on Sept. 1 are noon to sunset. For the remainder of the season, shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
The woodcock season (woodcock are migratory) is split into two segments, from Oct. 15 to Nov. 19 and Nov. 28 to Dec. 6. The sora and Virginia rail season runs Sept. 1 to Nov. 9. The snipe season runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 16. The early Canada goose season runs Sept. 1 to Sept. 11. The duck season is split into three segments from Oct. 1 to Oct. 14, from Nov. 7 to Nov. 12 and from Dec. 23 to Jan. 31.
Shooting hours for woodcock, snipe, rails, Canada goose, ducks and other waterfowl are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
One notable change to this year's waterfowl regulations is the removal of the restriction on hooded mergansers. The five-daily merganser bag limit can now include up to five hooded mergansers with a possession limit of 15 in aggregate. (In truth, I don't know why anyone would want to shoot that many mergansers, as cooking one has to be like boiling a can of sardines, but the limit has increased.)
Federal regulations require all licensed migratory, including lifetime license holders and senior citizens, bird hunters to register with the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program and carry proof of registration while hunting. HIP cards are free and available at all hunting license agents and online at wvhunt.com. All waterfowl hunters 16 and older must also possess a federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp or duck stamp, which must be signed by the hunter. Duck stamps can be purchased at local post offices by calling 1-800-782-6724 or at usps.com/shop. Hunters should report harvested banded birds online at reportband.gov.
For more information about game bird hunting in West Virginia and for a full list of season dates and bag and possession limits, download a copy of the Migratory Bird Regulations at wvdnr.gov/hunting-regulations.
A rough plan for Sept. 1 (season opens at noon on opening day) could be to wait till noon and do the traditional afternoon dove hunt. You can blast away at doves and sweat a lot while you sit on a bucket on the edge of a dove field. Then allow time to get to a spot where you have scouted some geese where they feed in the late evening. Get the shotgun out, shoot some clay targets, fix that hole in your waders from last winter and drag out some warm weather camo. It's almost game time, folks.
