West Virginia Wildlife from Eyewitness News

Buck Season

The day buck hunters across the state wait for is right around the corner-gun season opens monday. There will be several hundred thousand hunters in the woods thanksgiving week. It should be a banner year for bucks.

November 16, 2005
Reporter: Patrick McMurtry
Videographer: Brad Rice

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Paul Johanson/DNR says:
"It's huge, absolutely huge here in West Virginia."

DNR Biologist Paul Johanson is talking about buck season which opens in West Virginia Monday.

Paul Johanson/DNR says:
"Our big hunting seqason traditionally in West Virginia is opening day of buck season, that's the season that many people look forward to, the sportsmen and women in the state largely await the opening of buck season. This year we'll open November 21st, it always opens the Monday of Thanksgiving."

People from all over come to the mountains of West Virginia Thanksgiving week looking to bag a big buck. It's a generational thing bringing together father and son, mother and daughter. Even those who don't hunt take advantage of getting out in the woods while others go after the bucks.

Paul Johanson/DNR says:
"We'll put somewhere between 300,000 and 350,000 hunters in the field. Huge story in terms of recreational opportunity and economic impact. It is the big season for us."

Deer hunting is West Virginia probably puts somewhere in the neighborhood of $248 million annually in terms of economic impact into the state's economy. A lot of that mondy flows into small rural areas.

And into small rural stores which need money from deer hunters to survive. Buck season also brings a lot of out of state money here. Johanson says mast conditions are good this year, meaning the deer have a lot of food and plenty of cover.

There are some big changes this year buck hunters need to be aware of.

Paul Johanson/DNR says:
"In regards to bucks, hunters need to be aware that we have a 3 buck limit in West Virginia. What that means is all across the various seasons, the archery season, the firearms season, buck seasons and muzzle loader seasons, all those seasons no more than 3 bucks can be taken in a calendar year-that's a significant change."

There are also changes in the anterless deer hunting regulations. Johanson says hunters should check with the DNR to get county by county limits. Hit the woods and good luck!

LEARN MORE

W. Va. DNR

MORE WILDLIFE NEWS

WCHS-TV8 Online brings you the current Fishing and Stream Conditions Report updated every week.

Hunting Report updated every week in season.

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