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West Virginia Division of Natural Resources www.wvdnr.gov

Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

 

News Release : January 21, 2005

 

Hoy Murphy , Public Information Officer (304) 558-3380 hoymurphy@wvdnr.gov

Contact: Curtis Taylor , Wildlife Resources Section Chief (304) 558-2771 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

West Virginia Hunters Harvest 1,236 Bears in 2004

   West Virginia bear hunters harvested 1,236 bears during the combined 2004 archery and firearms season, according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the Division of Natural Resources. The preliminary harvest data is 28 percent (477) lower than the previous harvest record of 1,713 established in 2003. The official harvest numbers will be available in the West Virginia Big Game Bulletin in late March 2005 .

 

   “The harvest was very close to what we expected,” said Jezioro. “A dispersed white and chestnut oak acorn crop throughout the state made it much harder for archery hunters to harvest bears. However, it supplied gun hunters with one of the best bear seasons in the history of the state.

 

  “In addition to the good mast crop and healthy bear population, the Nicholas County gun season was shortened, which reduced the harvest slightly below last year. West Virginia continues to have one of the best bear populations in the country thanks to good management and research combined with great cooperation from hunters and private landowners,” Jezioro said.

 

  Gun hunters harvested 871 bears, which is the third highest on record. The top six gun counties were Randolph (92), Pocahontas (91), Pendleton (85), Greenbrier (80), Kanawha (67), and Boone (67).

 

  Archery hunters harvested 365 bears, which was 53 percent lower than the previous record of 771 established in 2003. The top five counties were Randolph (46), Nicholas (44), Webster (41), Greenbrier (35), and Kanawha (25).

 

**DNR**


West Virginia Black Bear Harvest 2004

County

Bow

Gun

Total

Barbour

7

7

14

Brooke

0

0

0

Hancock

0

0

0

Harrison

0

0

0

Marion

0

0

0

Marshall

0

0

0

Monongalia

2

0

2

Ohio

0

0

0

Preston

19

27

46

Taylor

0

0

0

Tucker

11

62

73

Wetzel

1

0

1

District I Subtotal

40

96

136

Berkeley

0

0

0

Grant

5

30

35

Hampshire

1

1

2

Hardy

13

39

52

Jefferson

0

0

0

Mineral

0

10

10

Morgan

1

1

2

Pendleton

8

85

93

Dist. II Subtotal

28

166

194

Braxton

4

3

7

Clay

2

1

3

Lewis

0

0

0

Nicholas

44

26

70

Pocahontas

19

91

110

Randolph

46

92

138

Upshur

6

1

7

Webster

41

53

94

Dist. III Subtotal

162

267

429

Fayette

9

52

61

Greenbrier

35

80

115

McDowell

11

1

12

Mercer

5

3

8

Monroe

4

9

13

Raleigh

16

60

76

Summers

3

0

3

Wyoming

7

2

9

Dist. IV Subtotal

90

207

297

Boone

13

67

80

Cabell

0

0

0

Kanawha

25

67

92

Lincoln

0

0

0

Logan

1

1

2

Mason

0

0

0

Mingo

2

0

2

Putnam

0

0

0

Wayne

0

0

0

Dist. V Subtotal

41

135

176

Calhoun

2

0

2

Doddridge

0

0

0

Gilmer

1

0

1

Jackson

0

0

0

Pleasants

0

0

0

Ritchie

0

0

0

Roane

1

0

1

Tyler

0

0

0

Wirt

0

0

0

Wood

0

0

0

Dist. VI Subtotal

4

0

4

STATE TOTAL

365

871

1236

 

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