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Deer Hunters in West Virginia harvest 37,277 bucks during the buck firearms season
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Preliminary data collected from game checking stations across the state indicate deer hunters in West Virginia harvested 37,277 bucks during the two-week buck firearms season, which ran from Nov. 24 through Dec. 6, 2014, according to Frank Jezioro, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR). The 2014 buck harvest is down 34 percent from the 2013 harvest of 56,523. The top 10 counties for buck harvest were as follows: Preston (1,531), Greenbrier (1,384), Randolph (1,254), Lewis (1,159), Ritchie (1,157), Hampshire (1,069), Wood (1,019), Upshur (1,015), Monroe (1,001), and Mason (998).
This year’s overall buck harvest is lower than last year’s with decreases occurring in all DNR districts. The largest percentage decreases occurred in the western counties of the state, while the buck harvest in the mountain and southeastern counties had smaller decreases. Warm and very windy weather across the state on opening day; heavy snowfall Wednesday, the third day of the season, in the eastern panhandle of the state; and a rainy second week impacted hunter participation and contributed to the decreased harvest across the state.
The excellent acorn crop this fall also contributed to lower hunter success, just as a similar abundant acorn crop in 2010 led to a 31 percent decline in buck harvest followed by a 38 percent rebound in 2011. This year’s preliminary buck harvest remains 33 percent below the previous five-year average of 55,902.
Wildlife biologists and wildlife managers collected age-specific biological information at checking stations in 19 counties this year. They will analyze data from the combined 2014 deer seasons (buck, antlerless, archery and muzzleloader) before making appropriate recommendations for next year’s deer seasons.
These recommendations will be available for public review at 12 regulations meetings scheduled for March 16 and 17, 2015 (see current 2014 - 2015 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary page 6 or visit the DNR Web site at http://www.wvdnr.gov for meeting locations and dates).
Director Jezioro reminds hunters that several days of deer hunting opportunity still remain for 2014. The traditional antlerless deer season in selected counties on both public and private land opens Thursday, Dec. 18 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 20. The Youth, Class Q/QQ and Class XS deer season for antlerless deer will be open Friday and Saturday, Dec. 26 and 27. in any county with a firearms deer season.
This will be followed by the reopening of Class N/NN antlerless deer season Dec. 29-31 in 50 counties or portions of counties (see 2014 - 2015 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary or visit the DNR Web site at http://www.wvdnr.gov for county and area listings).
It sure was a tough year. Not only in WV too. From reports on Bowsite and the leatherwall, it appeared mast was heavy in a lot of forested states. It appears their harvests are down too. There is a common variable.
Last year every internet site on the web said Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois was ruined. The guys I've been talking to this year said it was awesome. HHMMMM. God Bless
Its time to look past adjusting doe harvest and adjust buck harvests.
I know you believe that we will not have results like other places. Give me proof that other states have not experienced positive results by lowering the buck harvests.
This is not a complaint about this year's harvest as much as a complaint of year after year of stagnant management. Management designed for additional bucks and not quality bucks.
And I'm worried as heck that when two don't work, it will go to one. I enjoy hunting with a bow and a rifle. I enjoy the heritage of deer camp in Pocahontas County. I can't do that with these regulations you pose. Where I hunt will not support a doe harvest with a rifle. Am I supposed to miss that, miss taking youngsters to experience that because you don't want to drive to the coalfields and hunt where the deer you seek roam in pretty dang good numbers?
By your thought process, I can be screaming things need to change because Mercer County doesn't have a draw for rifle doe. I mean, it isn't fair for me to have to drive to kill a doe on a purchase tag is it? Or is it? How is it different than what you want? I tell you how it's different, I accept the imitations and realize that if I want to be able to purchase a doe tag, I'd better find a place to hunt, in a county that houses an open doe season. What's wrong with you doing the same to see the deer you request seeing and leave my heritage and wishes alone?
My thought processes are a lot different than you imply with your "grown man" shooting another fork horn theory. I read on another forum last night where you commented on a thread a friend of mine wrote about our deer camp. Guess what, the deer camp you said would have been awesome for you as a kid, will not happen if you get your regulations. I don't want that for my nephews, my family or friends kids. I want them to experience what is awesome. The heritage of hunting the way it was/is for those of us that enjoy camping, hunting in wilderness, etc... I want them to be a part of deer camp. Not have to stay home because they killed a buck with their bow.
I posted a thread about the bruiser buck a friend of mine killed and got railed for broadcasting it. I was told we didn't need anymore people hunting here. well, I got news for you bud, if you get these regulations, you are going to have more people here hunting. driving up the cost for everyone. The days of $3/4 an acre leases are GONE. Right across the border in VA, the lease rate my brother gets for managing farms for several clients went well into the $20.acre average. Get ready, it's coming here too if we do this. Just ask anybody in PA, or any where else this has happened due to an increase in demand for hunting land.
In 2010, this same argument was rampant. It was due to the same causes. And, I refuse to surrender what is important to me, when I experience enough, both personal and through seeing the results of others, to know different from what you claim. Just to make it convenient for you or anybody else to kill a bigger buck close to home. You claim biological reasons for wanting the change. Me too. Show me biologically where we are failing. I'll change my mind.
We have such a balanced buck to doe ratio now, as a state, that we missed the rut this year for the most part. It was here and gone, in a blink of an eye. that is a sign of herd health. Not mis-management. I could go on and on. I won't. We just see things different, obviously have a polar opposite set of experiences to derive our thoughts from concerning this, and have different priorities for the future of hunting. No harm. I still think your a swell guy. God Bless
How is protecting bucks keeping you from hunting in Pocahontas County? I am fully aware that some counties cannot support a doe season. I live in one of those counties. Just what regulations am I proposing? I haven't said anything besides better buck management. I would advocate a one buck a year. I would advocate two bucks at one per weapon. I would advocate keeping our three buck limit with apr's. Actually, I have changed my mind recently on what I would like to see IMO.
How does better buck management keep you from camping, hunting in wilderness, etc? How often do you take more than one buck from the backcountry?
Did I say I am unwilling to drive to southern WV for a big buck and a great hunting experience? It is closer than Indiana or Ohio so I have no idea where you got the idea that I am not willing to drive somewhere.
I too have to drive for does. I too live in a permit county for does.
Southern WV might have a balanced buck to doe ratio but look north of Charleston and see if you can say the same.
More people hunting is essential to the future of hunting.
You state that this won't work then you state lease prices will go up because of bigger deer.
I didn't know that balanced buck to doe ratios lead to a diminished rut.
If someone from the DNR is reading this....I don't blame the limited buck kill this year on you.....but I sure would love to credit the limited buck kill on you next year!!! It is time....make a change.
It's ok we had a low buck kill in 2014. This is not a knee jerk reaction. It is just time to do something.
So we shouldn't get a better, more structured herd because lease prices "may" go up?
56% hunted private property 25% hunted personal property 8% hunted leased property 5% hunted State property 4% hunted Company land 2% hunted National forest
81% hunted personal or private property
8% hunted leased property
Now, while I still believe that is a part of it I am hearing too many stories of people conducting organized drives and still not seeing any deer.
Granted, if there is abundant mast and bad weather that will keep deer activity down. Bad weather will keep hunters out of the woods.
But on days where people are driving if there are deer there they will get them up and moving. I've heard several stories where people just didn't see deer on drives like they did in recent past years.
In my opinion there must be another factor other than mast or weather, and the logical answer would be that there just aren't as many deer as we had.
Now in Mingo, being my first year down there hunting on this lease, I can tell you I saw deer on all but 2 trips. Again, with the amount of food they had, you just had to adjust where you hunted.
Corey--I agree 100% with what you have said...except for the APR....I would just rather put a set limit..
WVmountaineer.....Why would a limit on buck numbers affect you yearly family hunting trip? If you go and have already killed a buck, it was probably a nice one or you wouldn't have shot it..If you wanted neat, shoot a doe or 2 and save your buck tags...do you really need to shoot 2 or 3 bucks?
But they are coming in groups.....
In fact on the way to farm Wednesday I stopped and talked to the region 4 biologist and he said that at all the DNR stations in region 4 they had set up this year the antler size was down this year compared to past years.
I know there are plenty of deer in the woods, because I see them beside the main roads (standing, as well as dead).
It won’t take too many years of low deer kill before there are too many deer for the forests to support. Then disease will cull the herds for us.pied from local paper:
I know there are still pockets thru the state that have good numbers of deer. I saw as many deer on my place as in years past and I wasn't even out in the woods hunting. But the majority of people that I talked to saw a lot less deer. The majority weren't sitting in a blind watching a corn feeder on the edge of a field, they were actually out in the woods hunting.
My point is that while there are still areas that have good numbers of deer, there are a lot of other areas where the deer numbers just aren't there.
