Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

News Release
For release: March 1, 2005

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

Contact: Eugene Thorn, Wildlife Resources Section (304) 682-8633 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

West Virginia's 2004 Big Buck Contest Winners

  The winners of the 2004 West Virginia Big Buck Contest have been determined, according to Eugene Thorn, Chairman of the WV Big Buck Contest Review Committee. The contest is cosponsored by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, the Izaak Walton League of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Bowhunter's Association to recognize sportsmen who bagged extraordinarily large antlered bucks in West Virginia . In 2004, 220 hunters had their deer antlers scored at one of the six DNR District Offices, Field Offices, or the WV Hunting and Fishing Show in Charleston. Hunters who participated in the 2004 Big Buck Contest took 57 big bucks with gun or bow that met the minimum score requirements. Hunters were required to provide a Game Check Tag and sign a Fair Chase Statement. All entries were reviewed by the WV Big Buck Contest Review Committee for acceptance into the contest.

  Eight bucks killed by gun hunters scored above 140 points typical or 165 points non-typical. In the Typical-Gun category, the winner was Johnny Hatfield from Iaeger, WV, with a 10-point buck killed in Boone County that scored 156 0/8. There was a 12-point non-typical buck harvested in Mason County by Joe Day of Winfield , WV , that scored 175 0/8 and won the Non-Typical Gun category.

  Bowhunters killed 49 deer that scored above 125 points typical or 155 points non-typical. The winner of the Typical-Bow category was James Horrocks of Pax , WV , with a 12-point buck from Kanawha County that scored 161 1/8. The Non-Typical Bow category winner was Michael Mills of Ghent , WV with a huge 13-point buck killed in Raleigh County that scored 177 1/8.

  The Boone and Crockett Club or Pope and Young Club rating systems are used to score bucks, depending upon the method of harvest. The Boone and Crockett Club guidelines are used to score deer harvested with a firearm, and citations are presented for racks scoring at least 140 points typical or 165 points non-typical. Deer harvested with a bow are measured according to Pope and Young Club standards, and they are recognized with a citation for racks scoring at least 125 points typical or 155 points non-typical. A list of all bucks meeting the minimum qualifications will be published in West Virginia 's Big Game Bulletin next month.

**DNR**