Ran in to Barry Wensel today
West Virginia
Went to the Great American Outdoor Show today and ran into Barry. He wrote a book about a year ago that I didn’t know about - needless to say I can home with one today.
There were not many at the show today so I got to talk to him for almost 30 minutes. Loved getting to pick his brain a bit. Plus he showed me some of the monsters he has been hunting.
Harrisburg, PA - it is put on by the NRA. It’s a pretty big show - I think they say some where close to 100,000 people go thru it each day - I think it goes on for 8 days.
Harrisburg, PA - it is put on by the NRA. It’s a pretty big show - I think they say some where close to 100,000 people go thru it each day - I think it goes on for 8 days.
Barry is a legend! And a two-time WVBA banquet guest!
LB - we talked about those banquets! Would love to see him come back! Not only for his stories but we talked about WV and how some are wanting some changes - I don’t think those wanting change would like what Barry has to say!
Great meeting an icon.
Wonder if Barry hunts Iowa or WV?
And yes I am well aware that Iowa is a 2 buck state.
Yes it was great seeing Barry again and listening to some of that knowledge, wisdom and common sense he has. Wish more people were like him....
I would like to spend a week with him, just picking his brain for info and tips.....
LOL BOJ - I believe for a price you can - I know he use to have a school/camp in the Spring that he use to do. Heck I want to say they even did something where they would even come to your place and evaluate it for you.
And I am knocking it that they do that either - heck if I were as good as he and his brother at killing big ole bucks I would too!
Him and his brother did a week long deer camp in spring time, but quit last year i believe.
Got to hunt where the big ones are. I'll give you guys that piece of advise and won't charge you a dime
JR Amen !!
Sunday, agreed, he can hunt Iowa or WV, hhmmm I bet he’s choose Iowa every time ! and it’s easy to have an Opinion and hunt Big deer when Others pay your way ! Just saying
Ron - you have taken some pretty nice deer here the past few years - they come from Iowa or WV? ;-)
JR I will ask again haven't you started doing more land management on your land? I thought you said it was making a difference? Even with doing all of that think you will see bucks the size that you see in a MidWest state? Just curious......
I am seeing a difference but there will never be bucks on my land like there are in Iowa or Montama. Apples and oranges.,
if Barry could hunt here or Iowa, or Montana, or anywhere else to hunt big deer, it wouldn't be WV
Agreed. That is why they have moved around for place to place. From Montana to Iowa and now back to Montana again I’m hearing. They follow the deer . When ur livelihood depends on big bucks you have to do that
JR you had it right above no matter what you do with your place - you could do everything perfect and so could your neighbors in Pendleton County - odds are your best buck would not be the same caliber as the best buck from just about any Midwest state! Different subspecies - and low and behold I am not saying WV cannot produce nice bucks. Again as you said it is comparing apples to oranges - but many on here do exactly that!
But right now I will argue with any of ya that on average a 4 year old deer from WV won't quite match up to a 4 year old buck from any of the midwest states.
As to what state they would hunt - according to some on here with their theories - why would it make a difference? Why not WV? They would pick out the best land and manage it the way they do best - so wouldn't they shoot monsters here just as well as Iowa, Kentucky or Ohio? I mean you all say it all the time WV could be just like like the midwest states! I would think they could buy some acreage where most of the bucks would stay on the home base - they could manage it - make it one buck only and presto-change-o Booner's are all over the place - right? That is what some of you say! Or maybe is it that they know certain regions have the ability to produce just a bit better?
I've been on here for years and I NEVER heard anyone say anything even remotely similar to that. Then again, I watched the State-of-the Union speach the other night, turned on CNN to hear their commentary and wondered what speach they heard. It surely couldn't have been the same one I listend to.
Most of us on this page have taken our share of mature deer and know that they are not behind every tree. I have never heard anyone on this site say 1 buck limit will change things over nite. But it will make a difference in time , look at some of the WMA where dnr has a 1 buck limit. There 150 class and bigger taken off MCclintic WMA every year.
Well said Jim Casto. I don’t think anybody expects mid west type deer but a little effort to improve the deer herd would be nice.
OMG - seriously! You have never heard some of these guys say we could be just like KY and OH?
Why cant it happen in wv ? We could be like KY in few years we have same sub species . May take some time but it can happen. I just cant understand why anyone who lives and hunts in wv wouldnt like to see wv have a older class of bucks and better buck to doe ratio.
We may not be exactly like OH-Ky, but we could get out bucks a lot bigger...........With age..How do we get age? dont kill 2-3 young deer.....1 and done or go to 2 tags with APR on 2nd tag
And we could definitely compare with KY......easily.
Simple math, carry over more buck every year, creates an older age class, which gets you the bigger bucks......
Jim - there you go just look at the two post right after my last post. We can be just like KY and AGE is the key factor. Yet you have not seen this stuff posted on here before. ;-)
".... be just like like the midwest states! I would think they could buy some acreage where most of the bucks would stay on the home base - they could manage it - make it one buck only and presto-change-o Booner's are all over the place - right? That is what some of you say! ..."
Nope! Never heard anything like that at all.
LOL JIm So let me ask ya a question - so sure I was being a little dramatic there to prove a point - basically what I was trying to state that these guys think just by lowering the buck limit - WV bucks can be just like bucks from the Midwest states. So do you disagree with that statement? Is that better for you? Oh if you disagree with that statement after reading some of the most recent post then I am at a lost for words. LOL well at least any that I could use on here!
Now how many times on here have you heard one of them talk about all of these WV hunters or NR hunters who kill 3 spikes (or any young buck) here in WV - I mean the Bubbas and good ole boys of WV do it quite often - according to some on here - is that a fair statement to make?
So the facts show that less than 1/3rd of 1 percent of WV hunters kill 3 bucks, but yet when these statements are made you never call them out on it. Why is that?
JayD,
I only know what I read. I do my best not to speculate what's in someone's head. I tried to explain that to you with the State of the Union allegory. It's all about perception.
I have an opinion. Opinion's are usually based on "some" knowledge and a "whole lot" of notion.
So, for the record... I'm a one buck limit guy; I have been for years, but not for the reasons you may think. I know the numbers of 2nd and 3rd deer havests and it has nothing to with them either. I'd like to see a better buck/doe ratio. I believe that would lead to a more mature buck population. A more mature buck will usually be a larger buck. Folks that can only shoot one buck will probably be more selective. I don't NEED to kill more than one WV buck per year and don't see the NEED for anyone else to do it either.
No, I don't think WV will ever have deer like OH or IL, but with better management toward a better ratio, the bucks could be a higher percentage of the population and more mature.
I could be wrong... heck, I might even be right, but I'm not going to argue about it.
Jim I was just curious - and your answer was pretty much what I figured. Guess what I don't think that makes you a bad guy what so ever. We just have a difference of opinions. I actually found an interesting article on ratios that you might be interested in. I have it saved to my phone - I will post it from there. And before anyone thinks I am making a statement by posting it I am not - just thought it was interesting and sort of implies that things are not quite as bad as you may thing they are. Everyone here can make the judgement if they agree with it or not.
Here it is - make you own opinion of it.
Thanks for that, JayD. That's just a little more knowledge that reinforces some of my notions.
:^)
Well the problem I see is that his pre hunt ratio is way off. No way do we have 1 buck to 5 does pre hunt.
