Deer Hunters in West Virginia Harvest 56,173 Bucks During the Buck Firearms Season

            SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Preliminary data collected from game checking stations across the state indicate deer hunters in West Virginia harvested 56,173 bucks during the two-week buck firearms season, which ran from November 19 through December 1, according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR).  The 2012 buck harvest was seven percent less than the 2011 harvest of 60,157.  The top 10 counties for buck harvest were as follows:  Preston (2,108), Greenbrier (1,907), Randolph (1,792), Mason (1,667), Jackson (1,662), Hampshire (1,570), Monroe (1,563), Ritchie (1,518), Wetzel (1,496) and Hardy (1,435).

            This year’s buck harvest is slightly less than last year, with decreases occurring in four of the six DNR districts. The largest percent decreases occurred in the western and central counties of the state. The harvest was 27^th among all recorded antlered buck firearm seasons. This year’s preliminary buck harvest remains seven percent below the previous five-year average of 60,236.

            Wildlife biologists and wildlife managers collected age-specific biological information at checking stations in 24 counties this year and preliminary analysis indicate antler development was good.  The dry weather was good for hunter participation this year but made moving in the woods noisy.  Deer densities that were more in balance with the habitat in many areas, combined with the better-than-average acorn crop that allowed deer to frequent open fields less frequently, made this year’s deer season challenging for many hunters.  Residual access problems associated with Hurricane Sandy, such as downed trees blocking forest roads, may have hindered the ability of some buck hunters to reach their favorite hunting spots, especially in some of the high mountain counties.

            Wildlife biologists will analyze data from the combined 2012 deer seasons (i.e., buck, antlerless, archery and muzzleloader) before making appropriate recommendations for next year’s deer hunting seasons. These recommendations will be available for public review at 12 regulations meetings scheduled for March 18 and 19, 2013.  (See page 5 of the current 2012 - 2013 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary or visit the DNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov for scheduled meeting locations.)

            Director Jezioro reminds hunters that several days of deer hunting opportunity still remain for 2012.  The traditional antlerless deer season in selected counties on both public and private land opens December 13 and runs through December 15.  The Youth, Class Q/QQ and Class XS deer season (antlerless deer only) will be open on December 26 - 27 in any county with a firearms deer season, and will be followed by the reopening of Class N/NN antlerless deer season on December 28 - 31 in 48 counties or portions of counties.  (See the 2012 - 2013 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary or visit the DNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov for county and area listings.)

**DNR*

West Virginia Antlered Deer Gun Harvest, 2008-2012
County	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Barbour	1413	1307	875	1372	1178
Brooke	427	377	337	413	407
Hancock	357	339	299	324	325
Harrison	1680	1730	1053	1494	1378
Marion	1489	1183	764	1249	1080
Marshall	1339	1321	1087	1407	1289
Monongalia	1927	1536	1116	1508	1286
Ohio	485	412	412	467	451
Preston	2618	2122	2034	2224	2108
Taylor	808	727	494	768	681
Tucker	951	874	743	738	635
Wetzel	2210	1474	958	1615	1496
Dist. 1 Subtotal	15,704	13,402	10,172	13,579	12,314
Berkeley	855	651	661	835	673
Grant	1531	1228	959	1266	1284
Hampshire	2153	1634	1271	1676	1570
Hardy	2046	1601	1315	1589	1435
Jefferson	605	461	482	447	522
Mineral	1383	1158	947	1286	1175
Morgan	806	573	457	601	601
Pendleton	1416	1257	893	1391	1379
Dist. 2 Subtotal	10,795	8,563	6,985	9,091	8,639
Braxton	1731	1891	986	1468	1403
Clay	540	552	353	519	557
Lewis	2027	2227	1130	1586	1353
Nicholas	1082	1176	846	1279	1198
Pocahontas	1223	1346	1100	1106	1150
Randolph	2126	1930	1858	2032	1792
Upshur	1536	1383	1088	1612	1284
Webster	887	901	807	1063	812
Dist. 3 Subtotal	11,152	11,406	8,168	10,665	9,549
Fayette	905	896	742	1005	980
Greenbrier	1925	1976	1367	1783	1907
McDowell	0	0	0	0	0
Mercer	537	604	362	647	682
Monroe	1431	1569	1002	1364	1563
Raleigh	577	706	446	739	735
Summers	932	931	536	865	1084
Wyoming	0	0	0	0	0
Dist. 4 Subtotal	6,307	6,682	4,455	6,403	6,951
Boone	577	628	471	653	882
Cabell	787	695	464	705	746
Kanawha	1259	1257	896	1275	1159
Lincoln	983	860	747	1146	1320
Logan	0	0	0	0	0
Mason	1892	2099	1298	1944	1667
Mingo	0	0	0	0	0
Putnam	1311	1065	794	1170	1168
Wayne	768	880	570	894	1043
Dist. 5 Subtotal	7,577	7,484	5,240	7,787	7,985
Calhoun	1252	1124	570	962	772
Doddridge	1605	1416	767	1000	855
Gilmer	1585	1398	701	1029	921
Jackson	1948	2504	1225	1962	1662
Pleasants	630	531	332	512	382
Ritchie	2369	2010	1195	1701	1518
Roane	2010	2112	1049	1694	1434
Tyler	1590	1210	833	1189	922
Wirt	1186	1265	659	944	870
Wood	1655	1879	1110	1639	1399
Dist. 6 Subtotal	15,830	15,449	8,441	12,632	10,735
State Total	67,365	62,986	43,461	60,157	56,173