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Administration Home News/Information Contact Us DNR Home   

Joe Manchin III, Governor

Frank Jezioro, Director

 

News Release : December 9, 2005

 

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

Contact: Paul Johansen, Wildlife Resources Section (304) 558-2771 wildlife@wvdnr.gov

 

Deer Hunters in West Virginia Harvest 56,347 Bucks and 27,790 Antlerless Deer During the Two-week Concurrent Buck and Antlerless Deer Season

 

  Preliminary data collected from game checking stations across the state indicate deer hunters in West Virginia harvested 56,347 bucks during the two-week buck season, which ran from November 21 through December 3, according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the Division of Natural Resources. The 2005 buck harvest was down 12 percent from the 2004 harvest of 63,873. The top ten counties for buck harvest were as follows: Preston (2,242), Mason (2,150), Hardy (2,037), Jackson (1,983), Hampshire (1,964), Wood (1,683), Roane (1,675), Wetzel (1,669), Monongalia (1,650) and Marshall (1,578).

 

  Properly licensed hunters could also participate in concurrent antlerless deer hunting opportunities during the two-week buck season in 41 counties or portions thereof. The antlerless deer harvest during this year's early portion of the antlerless deer season was 27,790 compared to 44,297 in 2004. This 37 percent harvest decline during the early antlerless deer season is a direct result of more conservative antlerless deer hunting regulations in place this fall, including fewer counties open to antlerless deer hunting and reduced antlerless bag limits in many areas.

 

  The decline in this year's buck kill is a result of the Division of Natural Resources' efforts to reduce deer densities in regions of the state exceeding their deer population objectives, as identified in its White-tailed Deer Operational Plan . Poor mast conditions in previous years, combined with severe winter weather at higher elevations, may have also contributed to population declines and lower harvest rates this fall. In 2004 deer populations exceeded desired population levels in 12 counties and this represented 12 percent of the state's deer habitat. Preliminary data from 2005 indicate deer populations exceeded management objectives in 7 counties or 6 percent of the state's deer habitat.

 

  “It is important to note the state's deer management program is designed to be very responsive to changing population conditions,” noted Jezioro. “These deer regulations can be adjusted annually to become either more conservative or more liberal, depending upon our data analysis and management objectives.”

 

  For example, several counties that were below deer population objectives in 2004 showed an increase in harvest this year, and these harvest increases normally reflect a population expansion that results from more conservative antlerless deer regulations. Wildlife Biologists and Wildlife Managers operating biological checking stations, as well as a number of meat processors, reported seeing healthy deer with good body weight this fall.

  The good physical condition of deer is a result of plentiful food conditions (e.g., abundant hard and soft mast) and deer populations that generally remain within their carrying capacity. Wildlife Biologists will analyze data from the combined 2005 deer seasons (i.e., buck, antlerless, archery and muzzleloader) for each of the state's 55 counties, before making appropriate recommendations for next year's deer season.

 

  The harvest of antlerless deer is the key to healthier, heavier, and more productive deer herds. This is because there are natural limits to the number of deer the land can support. When these natural limits are exceeded, deer body weights, reproductive rates, antler development, and herd health declines, including an increased likelihood that deer will die over winter. If deer exceed natural limits long enough, habitat quality is reduced which produces a long-term reduction in the natural limit of deer the land can support. Hunters and landowners can avoid these problems by participating and encouraging a reasonable antlerless deer harvest.

 

  Jezioro reminds hunters that the traditional six-day antlerless deer season in selected counties on both public and private land ends December 10. The Youth and Class Q antlerless season will open on Monday and Tuesday December 26 and 27 and be followed by a four-day reopening of antlerless deer season (December 28-31) on private land in 25 selected counties. Muzzleloader deer season begins December 12 and runs through December 17.

**DNR**

WEST VIRGINIA ANTLERED BUCK GUN HARVEST, 2001-05
County 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Barbour 1716 1816 1317 1311 1124
Brooke 568 537 543 538 467
Hancock 489 492 491 462 447
Harrison 2144 2340 1651 1650 1490
Marion 1641 1826 1346 1446 1112
Marshall 2193 2262 1778 1719 1578
Monongalia 2274 2399 1867 1808 1650
Ohio 840 786 675 527 475
Preston 3126 3658 2561 2041 2242
Taylor 980 1087 816 802 681
Tucker 1508 1617 932 626 743
Wetzel 2734 2706 2068 1952 1669
District I Subtotal 20213 21526 16045 14882 13678
Berkeley 1023 1100 984 836 769
Grant 2439 2344 1875 1352 1476
Hampshire 3843 3627 2726 2233 1964
Hardy 3338 3193 2565 2117 2037
Jefferson 631 616 630 685 601
Mineral 2100 1946 1598 1312 1258
Morgan 1153 1109 861 680 782
Pendleton 2591 2517 1808 1443 1495
Dist. II Subtotal 17118 16452 13047 10658 10382
Braxton 2847 2749 1796 1539 1230
Clay 864 816 660 472 370
Lewis 2766 2925 2044 1838 1485
Nicholas 1552 1718 1401 1091 999
Pocahontas 2717 2638 1570 1057 1163
Randolph 3582 3871 2023 1357 1444
Upshur 2046 2327 1461 1312 1181
Webster 1696 1669 1024 800 739
Dist. III Subtotal 18070 18713 11979 9466 8611
Fayette 1474 1532 1087 812 730
Greenbrier 3237 3277 2278 1840 1561
McDowell 0 0 0 0 0
Mercer 723 837 611 509 425
Monroe 2330 2684 1725 1472 1301
Raleigh 863 897 753 602 477
Summers 1707 1645 1042 807 735
Wyoming 0 0 0 0 0
Dist. IV Subtotal 10334 10872 7496 6042 5229
Boone 807 699 688 584 440
Cabell 1231 875 809 773 580
Kanawha 1864 1523 1336 1077 855
Lincoln 1600 1343 1005 944 592
Logan 0 0 0 0 0
Mason 2979 2295 2286 2295 2150
Mingo 0 0 0 0 0
Putnam 1851 1485 1267 1206 1010
Wayne 1534 1031 995 875 614
Dist. V Subtotal 11866 9251 8386 7754 6241
Calhoun 1642 1611 1212 1125 896
Doddridge 2210 2235 1667 1396 1031
Gilmer 2114 1883 1388 1229 964
Jackson 3148 2402 2178 2289 1983
Pleasants 799 688 580 574 464
Ritchie 3088 3056 2275 2000 1512
Roane 2659 2624 2020 1909 1675
Tyler 1944 1782 1540 1470 1149
Wirt 1756 1475 1299 1234 849
Wood 2414 1985 2016 1845 1683
Dist. VI Subtotal 21774 19741 16175 15071 12206
STATE TOTAL 99375 96555 73128 63873 56347

 




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