At checking stations, deer kill numbers up for some, down for others
Staff ReportThe West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will not know until late next week the exact number of bucks killed during the first week of gun season, DNR Game Management Supervisor Gary Foster said Monday.
Last week's relatively warm, sunny weather typically increases hunter participation, which should equate to a good harvest of bucks, according to Foster. Prior to the start of the two-week buck gun season, he said the DNR projected approximately 70,000 bucks would be killed.
Area game checking stations had varying reports of last week's numbers. Many said they had more animals checked than last year while one said they had fewer.
Of the stations sampled, the largest number of deer checked in came from Butch's Pub and Grub in Philippi. Manager Kimberly Allen said 330 bucks were checked last week. This number, according to Allen, is about the same as that checked in the same location last year.
There were no reports of large or unusual animals checked in Philippi, but a 13-point buck was checked in at a station in Parsons. Bobby Ball, owner of T.J.'s Produce in Parsons, reported the large buck was brought in from the Pheasant Run area. Overall, however, Ball said the numbers were "a lot less" than last year's. Only 119 were checked in at his location.
"We've had over 200," owner of Belington Exxon Charlie George said. The largest animal checked in was a 10-point from the Midway area of Barbour County.
The number of bucks checked at Canaan Valley Store in Tucker County is "definitely up from last year," according to manager Christina Bible. Their numbers were 277 for this past week.
The largest increase from last year was at Valley Head County Store. According to owner Joseph Arbogast, "the kill is up." For last week, the store checked 167 bucks. Last year, over two weeks, there were about 20 fewer checked.
"By the first week we've checked more than last year for two weeks," Arbogast reported.
The biggest buck, an 11-point, brought to Valley Head Country Store came from Connely Run.
With another deer season well under way, harvests in Upshur County are down from 2008, according to county checking stations. So far a total of 1,417 deer have been checked in throughout the county.
The General Store on Route 20 south at Hinkleville reported around 530 deer have been checked in so far this year. That number is down from last year according to a store employee. The biggest deer checked in at the General Store was a 12-point buck.
Sayre's Store at Selbyville reported a total of 57 deer checked in which was down slightly from the 2008 season. The largest was a 10-point buck.
The LazyAcres Mart located in eastern Upshur County also reported the number of deer checked in was down from last year's totals. Employees checked in 130 deer with the largest being a 11-point buck.
The Mountaineer Mart on the Old Weston Road in Buckhannon also reported the deer kill being down from the 2008 season. The total number of deer checked in so far there is 500 with the biggest being a 10-point.
At the Arlington Mini-Mart located on Route 20 in southern Upshur County, 200 deer have been checked in. That number is down slightly from last year's season. The largest was a 10-point.
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ltlabner
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12-02-09 8:48 AM
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Poster below has a good point! I never put out "bait" or hunt over bait but in Mill Creek, they sell bags of corn to put out for $8.00 and then hunt over or around it? I thought it was illegal to do this? Again, the DNR is playing tiddley winks and drinkin coffee and riding the roads instead of watchin who is buying the corn or selling the corn or bait? I much rather plant a field of grain or grass and feed all the deer natural, harvest the field and allow wildlife to feed on what is left. Baiting is illegal and cannonball is right about his neighbor drawing bears thru his lands. That should be stopped.
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cannonball
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12-01-09 5:00 PM
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HUnting season is a good thing for the over popilation of deer, and saves many drops. What I object to is the ppl who cunningly coax the wildlife to thieir lands wioth feeders, and poaching is nothing short of a killer wasting our wildlife. something needs doen about ppl coaxing wildlife with foods llike feeders full of corn. Not only is this wrong it is very dangerous to humans esoecially children who are out playing unaware of the danger that lurks by because Daddy or unckle are coaxing bear close int o their homes. One that comes to mind is my neighbor in montrose who constantly feeds in this manner. It has made my home enangered becasue these animals wonder through my land to get to his feeders causing danger to me or my wife when we are outdoors. It has to stop now. Avide by the law that is set and let these animals fend offr them selved and not endanger families by coaxing them close to our homes.
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ltlabner
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12-01-09 10:54 AM
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rooms were rented out of 20. Does this remind us or you of what is happening. The MNF (national forest)has also failed to control its hunting pressure. The amount of lands here should be nothing but a wildlife haven. We need to come to grips with the mentality of what hunting pressure and lobbying is doing to our wildlife. I am not against hunting by no means but the way its being handled, seasons, limits, lack of enforcement reminds me of keystone cops. (No violations reported)...is a lame excuse that tells me DNR is asleep behind the wheel or was all in the woods hunting. If the DNR can't put a stop to the rogue poacher spotlighter this summer in Huttonsville (beckys creek) area that was doing it everynite, all summer long tells me something? But maybe we citizens are all wrong, don't see it, hear it, belive it because if nothing happens, (arrests) its not true? Well gentleman.. it happened!
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ltlabner
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12-01-09 10:46 AM
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When you read these post comments it makes me wonder the deer not checked in? The deer that was shot by a rogue up in Huttonsville this summer and piled up because he was mad at the DNR. No one thing was done about it! The poaching, exceeding, illegal kills (does), spotlighting, coyotes,bear hunter (bait). When it comes to taking deer in Randolph Co., the #'s reported are not even close. Those who report(check-in)are law abiding sportsmen. We have a bunch of hunters who have the "killer,all you can take or kill, its in-season now and I have to get "my" deer. Some of us have in two years hunting yet to get our safety off. In the last 5-years DNR/State of WV have failed miserable to understand the lack of wildlife. Wildlife is used as "revenue" and lic sales vs wildlife #'s are skewed inorder to sale lic. Only when hunters quit buying lic, supplies, eats, gasoline, and staples that also produce tax's does the State get the message. One motel reported that only 6
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