First day out is safe, bountiful for hunters
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Area hunters have enjoyed a bountiful harvest in the first day of hunting season, according to several local game checking stations. Along with the excellent yield of deer, conservation officers are saying no accidents have been reported.
Penny Kelley, an employee at Bill's Place on Adolph Road, said the store checked in 20 deer by 3:30 p.m. Monday and the biggest was an eight-point.
"The rest of the evening will be busy," Kelley said. "It will pick up around dark when the hunters are leaving the woods."
The Par Mar store located on U.S. 33 east in Elkins checked in 50 deer by 3:30 p.m. Monday. Manager Elena Vandevandor said the biggest deer was an eight-point. Ruby Vance, owner of Ruby's Bait & Tackle in Whitmer, checked in 14 deer including an eight-point. Vance said the store has been busy and expects it to continue throughout the week.
Hunters in Barbour and Upshur counties have checked their prized bucks in at White Oak Ridge Farm in Philippi. White Oak Ridge employee Vicky Titchnell said the harvest has been steady, but most hunters haven't killed a huge buck.
"We've had several deer checked in and it has pretty much been a steady flow all day," Titchnell said. "I haven't seen anything bigger than an eight-point. That's the biggest that I've seen checked in here. Most hunters are just coming in and checking them in and not standing around BS'in."
Mark Carey from the Nestorville Service Center said most hunters don't think the deer are as plentiful as in the past.
"We've had about 40 deer checked in today," Carey said. "The biggest we've seen so far has been a 10-point. Most of the hunters said they don't think there are as many deer out there as there has been in years past."
Kim Allen, manager of Butch's Pub and Grub, said hunters in Barbour County have kept them busy.
"We had 47 deer checked in Monday," Allen said. "The biggest buck we've checked in so far has been an eight-point. We've seen a few four- and six-points, but it seems like a lot of spikes. I'm sure the stories will start flowing this evening, after the sun goes down."
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Capt. Mike Waugh said the field office in Randolph County had checked in two deer including a seven-point.
"We have had no accidents in District 3," Waugh said. "There can be a potential for accidents with so many people out in the woods. It appears it is going to be a successful day."
According to Waugh, District 3 consists of Randolph, Upshur, Lewis, Braxton, Clay, Nicholas and Pocahontas counties.
The hunters in Barbour County are also staying safe and playing by the rules, District 1 Conservation Officer Capt. Louis DellaMea said.
"There hasn't been any accidents that I am aware of, so things are going very well," DellaMea said. "There is just a normal amount of hunting pressure and it seems like they are killing a lot of deer because there are a lot of deer to be killed. Our officers are out there working. I haven't had any violations reported, so it seems like a normal hunting season."
Calder's Custom Game Cutting and Processing in St. George checked 15 deer during the first day of the season and processed more then 25 that day alone. This is a good start to the season, according to owner William E. Calder IV, whose business processed more than 4,000 pounds of game last year.
While a checking station, Calder's is also a complete processing facility as well. Calder and his team will skin and cut any deer, bear, elk, buffalo, caribou, moose or mule deer that hunters bring to the processing plant on state Route 72. Also, in his state health inspected facility, Calder will transform the hunters' take into a variety of sausages and other "delicious products."
Calder's is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. seven days a week during the season.
