Deer Hunting Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Buck Gun Season Begins Monday, Antlerless Deer Included

More than a quarter million hunters will take to the Mountain State woodlands for the two week firearm deer hunting season starting Monday.

More than a quarter million hunters will take to the Mountain State woodlands for the two week firearm deer hunting season starting Monday. This year, hunters again can purchase an additional license stamp to harvest one antlerless deer, along with one buck.

Paul Johansen, the Wildlife Resources chief for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, said deer hunting seasons are structured to achieve harvest objectives set for all 55 counties.

“The focus is making sure that the appropriate numbers of female deer are removed from the population,” Johansen said. “Virtually all of the counties in the state have their buck season running concurrently with the antlerless season. There are some exceptions, and hunters need to make sure that they’re aware of that.”

Johansen said hunters in Upshur, Mason, Jackson and Barbour counties are in this year’s observation station rotation. Hunters in these four counties are asked to bring their deer to a biological check station, where the data received will help better manage the deer population.

“We look at the overall health of the deer population,” Johansen said. “We look at reconstructing the population through age data, we look at a suite of different biological parameters that help us better manage the deer population.”

Johansen said overall deer harvest numbers vary from year to year, depending upon a range of conditions, with weather being one of the primary drivers of success. He said last year, the numbers were good.

“In 2022, we took close to 50,000,” Johansen said. “That’s just the buck firearm season component. We have antlerless deer that are harvested. We have deer that are taken during archery season and more from our muzzleloader season.”

Johansen said the two week buck gun season will generate more than $500 million in statewide economic impact.

“Many of those dollars are spent at the small town ‘mom and pop’ stores,” Johansen said. “Those rural communities really make West Virginia a special place and deer season is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the economic impact that it provides to those towns and villages.”

Regarding hunting safety, Johansen said the key issue, besides wearing the required amount of blaze orange, is to know exactly what and where you are shooting.

“Make sure you identify your target and what’s behind your target so you’re taking a safe shot,” Johansen said. “Identify the target and make sure that you get a safe backdrop, if you will, and you know what that bullet trajectory is going to be. Taking a course in hunter safety is a great idea as well.”

If you’re hunting from a tree stand, Johanson suggests wearing the proper safety harness. More deer hunters die from heart attacks than gunshots. Johansen said hunters need to have good overall health and common sense.

“Once a deer is shot, really the work just begins,” Johansen said. “Now you’ve got to field dress the deer and you’ve got to drag it out of the woods. Hopefully, they’ve prepared themselves and are in reasonably good shape. Every hunter should take their time. If you get winded when you’re dragging a deer out, just pause for a moment. Don’t be afraid to go ask for help.”

Here are West Virginia’s rules, regulations and safety tips for the 2023 buck firearms hunting season.

More Deer Meat Processors Needed To Help Food Banks

With deer season comes the holiday season, when food banks and pantries around the state have greater demands for meat and that often comes from deer harvested by local hunters.

Department of Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion said the state needs more meat processors to work with the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, and make a profit in the process.

“We just don’t have enough processors,” McMillion said. “I personally would love to see one, maybe two in every county. We’re going to look at a couple of different ways to try to encourage more. I’ve heard concerns about the regulations and process and we are certainly working on that.”

McMillion said food banks and pantries need the nutritious protein venison offers to distribute among 600 charitable outlets throughout the state. He said a benefit not often advertised or talked about is how it actually helps to manage West Virginia’s deer herds.

“Especially when you’re talking about the antlerless population as a whole,” he said. “We really need to keep those numbers in check. This program gives hunters who may not want that deer meat the opportunity to actually get out and help us manage that herd and then utilize this program for such an excellent benefit.”

McMillion said during the 2022 hunting season, hunters donated more than 680 deer, providing nearly 25,000 pounds of venison for those in need.

Processors need government certification.

For details on the entire deer meat processing process, contact Trevor Moore with the WVDNR at 304-924-6211, or email him at trevor.m.moore@wv.gov. Processors are reimbursed at $3 per pound.

Hunters Encouraged To Donate Deer Meat To Combat Hunger

The Division of Natural Resources sponsors the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program, which provides thousands of pounds of venison to needy families across the state.

Hunters are encouraged to donate deer meat in order to help families around the state in need of food.

The Division of Natural Resources sponsors the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program, which provides thousands of pounds of venison to needy families across the state.

One in seven adults in West Virginia struggle with hunger.

Hunters who wish to participate in the program can take their deer to a participating meat processor and the venison will be donated to the state’s food banks.

The Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger Foodbank pick up the venison and distribute it to their statewide network of 600 charitable food pantries, senior centers, shelters, churches and more.

According to the WVDNR, more than 1 million pounds of meat has been provided to needy families and individuals throughout West Virginia.

W.Va. Taking Applications For Controlled Deer Hunts

Applications are being accepted for controlled deer hunts at four state parks in West Virginia.

Hunters have until Wednesday to apply for the hunts this fall at Beech Fork, Cacapon Resort, North Bend and Twins Falls Resort state parks, the Division of Natural Resources said in a statement.

A drawing will be held on Thursday. Successful applicants will be notified between Sept. 6 and Sept. 16, the statement said.

The hunts are aimed at controlling the local deer population.

Applications for the hunts must be submitted online at wvhunt.com. Each entry costs $15. A DNR identification is required to enter the lottery.

W. Va. House Rejects School Year Calendar Bill

The West Virginia House of Delegates very narrowly rejected a bill to create a statewide school calendar starting after Labor Day and ending before June 7.

The vote followed a lengthy debate on whether House Bill 2433 interferes with a county’s ability to establish a school schedule that takes into account snow days, holidays and — yes — deer hunting season.

According to Education Committee Chair Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, counties would be able to request a waiver for this calendar requirement, if the bill becomes law.

“State board may waive the requirements of the section upon request of a county board, and state board rule is required for the approval process,” Ellington said before Wednesday’s vote.

Some delegates who opposed the bill questioned how easy it would be to obtain a waiver.

“I think that the current system we have now where the school boards get to choose their days works great,” said Del. Carl Martin, R-Upshur. The schools around him, he said, start the second week of August.

Del. Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, spoke on Tuesday about “concerns that have been raised by the NRA,” or the National Rifle Association.

Espinosa directed delegates to look at a letter on their desks provided by the NRA’s “Institute for Legislative Action.” The document accused House Bill 2433 of imposing a “one-size-fits-all calendar on all schools in West Virginia.”

The NRA’s largest concern, shared through Espinosa, is that the bill would have run the risk of eliminating some school’s ability to grant their students a week off for deer hunting season.

Del. Cody Thompson, D-Randolph, said Tuesday he’s an advocate for the Second Amendment, yet he disagreed with Espinosa’s remarks.

“I’m a proponent of the Second Amendment,” Thompson said. “I own guns. I come from a long family of hunters. My dad and my uncles and my grandfathers, we’ve been generational hunters. The NRA, though, does not need to be dictating educational policy.”

Del. Caleb Hanna, R-Nicholas, said Wednesday he supported the bill because it would offer school staff and families a more secure schedule.

“To really say that we’re taking flexibility away from the counties, I really don’t think is fair,” Hanna said. “I think what we’re really doing is giving surety to our teachers, parents and students that they’ll know exactly when school will be every year.”

Del. Scott Cadle, R-Mason disagreed.

“About four years ago, we passed legislation to let the counties set their own schedule, because we had counties that had a lot of snow days,” he said on the House floor. “And they weren’t getting enough school days, so we gave them flexibility to do whatever they needed to do to get the 180 days in a calendar year … this bill would take their ability away, to do that.”

Del. John Kelly, R-Wood, was the lead sponsor on House Bill 2433. He said in his own testimony some county boards of education have “abused” the flexibility Cadle mentioned.

Kelly also said the bill would provide teachers more time to advance their degrees, e families more time to plan summer activities, allow teachers a chance to work a part-time job over the summer to supplement their income and allow students to take a part-time job over the summer.

“It would also reduce the need for families to take vacations after the start of the school year, and thus would reduce absenteeism,” Kelly said of the failed bill.

This was the first bill the House has rejected on the floor this session.

Note: The first paragraph originally read “create a statewide school calendar starting after Labor Day and ending before Jan 7”. It was update to the correct ending date, June 7.

Applications Being Accepted for W.Va. State Park Deer Hunts

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is accepting applications for controlled deer hunts at six state parks.

A DNR statement says the deadline for applications is Aug. 25. A drawing will be held the next day and successful applicants will be notified in early September. Hunters must apply online.

This fall’s hunts will be at Beech Fork State Park in Wayne County, Canaan Valley in Tucker County, Cacapon in Morgan County, North Bend in Ritchie County, Pipestem in Summers County and Twin Falls in Wyoming County.

State parks chief Sam England says the goal of the hunts is to bring deer populations under control.

Two parks that hosted hunts last year, Blennerhassett Island and Stonewall Jackson, aren’t participating this year because last year’s hunts reduced their deer populations.