MasonsRidge

I agree "Antlergetter". (9) deer is entirely too many deer to take. In Pennsylvania, if a hunter kills a buck duing archery season he can't rifle hunt for a buck. PA also has antler restrictions, some counties are 3 to a side, and some 4-points to a side. I know and realize not every WV hunter gets all 9 deer he's allowed but how about the one who thinks he'll get away with killing a couple of does when he doesn't have a tag? It's called poaching and there is alot of it in West Virginia.

MasonsRidge

Whatever happened to West Virginia's "Buck Season"? It used to be BUCKS ONLY, now since the WVDNR established foolish regulations, it's now called "OPEN SEASON".
We Mountaineers definately need a change.

HANKFAN

Mason's Ridge, I have to agree with you to a point. When you let hunters hunt with rifles and muzzleloaders for 4 weeks straight and it's open season the deer simply don't stand a chance. However, the bucks are a totally different story. The buck population and size are down due the hunters not the DNR. Most all of the WV hunters I know will not let a one horn spike go as long as it's leal. Also if there is a small spike standing beside a doe most of our hunters will shoot the spike and let the doe go. Then wonder why they never see any big bucks??? No wonder they don't see any big bucks because they shoot all of them before they ever see their 2nd birthday much less mature.

This is why I said the heck with it and started hunting the bow hunting only counties. Yes, it's tough hunting and the deer population is low but I have the woods to myself and the bucks die of old age most of the time. I have killed 2 10 pointers the last 2 seasons there and I don't care if I ever pick my rifle back up. To me it's real hunting in those 4 counties. You, your bow, mature bucks and thousands of acres of public land to hunt. Can it get any better????

NHBuck

Last year I hunted in Lewis county at the old family farm. Old because when the wifes Grandmother died it was sold out of the family. The guy that owns it is still nice enough to let her uncle and Cousin hunt it each season and last year allowed me as well. Foolish to let it out of the family as it is a gorgeous piece of land. My cousin took a 4PT and I took a doe. My Uncle must have pointed out 3 or 4 spikes over the two days he hunted with me. I couldn't even see the spikes as they were all 75 yds or more away.( Got bi-focals when I got home!) This year my Uncle got a 5 point with a funky looking rack according to his Christmas call the other day. Now after the intro back to what I had to add to the topic.

I was in heaven from a comparison standpoint when it came to seeing deer. I know many folks here in NH that go several years without even seeing a deer . They do put in some time and are good hunters. You see our total deer pop is approx 75,000 and our total kill each year is around 10000 by all methods combined. In WV I videotaped segments each day and caught at least 60 deer in two days on tape. Sure some may have been repeats and the folks here at home were stunned at the amount of deer. I learned a great deal about their behavior and body movement/language etc.. I figured I saw around 200 deer in the 4 days total I was at the property. All running in groups of at least two sometimes as many as 8 nose to ass parading through the woods. Not one that I saw was a buck. Sure my Uncle said a few were spikes but even if they were, the spikes were so small, in open areas I could not see the spikes. Yes I got glasses when I got home but I only had one eye that was off the other one tested perfect.

The evening before my last day I went to Wally World and bought a doe permit. My Uncle who has hunted there his whole life never even knew you could buy a permit to use for does during opening week of rifle. Come to think of it when I mentioned it the night prior to the last day I was to hunt neither did my cousin. I was familiar because I read the DNR web site hunting regs several times. Got ribed for settling for the doe by my Uncle. Told him horn soup ain't to good but and horn steaks are tough on the teeth besides I had to take a doe so the rest of the deer can grow up good and strong and maybe when I come back there will be a fe with antlers.

So yes to wrap it up perhaps they should better educate folks on the availability of doe permits. Put in a 4 point or better antler restriction and shorten the buck season for 5 years to one week for firearms. Leave bow season as is. Make muzzleloader the same as rifle 4 pts or better. Have a 3 day doe season or have 3 consecutive Saturdays of doe only. Make it mandatory to check deer and when they are checked they need to be inspected. Then enforce this. Here in NH the deer needs to be checked and inspected. Most stations charge from 2 to 4 bucks to check your deer. If it is not checked you face a stiff fine and loss of hunting privelages for a few years. Just some suggestions. You know I was down there 4th of July weekend this year and saw a bunch of deer even in the middle of the day and none were bucks either. I love it down there and came close to buying some property in Ritchie county but decided to wait til the job transfers me..

bige1769

More does being killed is not the answer for the DNR. I live and hunt in Barbour Co and there are deer everywhere in certain places. Posted property. They do not allow people to hunt even if you ask. No matter how many deer the DNR allows you to kill those deer will remain where they are. As for me I kill 3 spikes all together this year. No a bragging year but I shot what bucks I saw with bow and rifle.
Where I hunt deer are few and far between because it is not posted over a 1000 acre area where I hunt. It is all neighbors who share there land with each other. I would love to see an antler restriction like PA. One bad year and then bucks everywhere.

royak

Here in Mercer Co in the palces that I hunt even the farmers are saying there are no deer. Not just bucks but also does.On one of them we usually see 50 or more deer daily and this year we havent saw a total of 20 period and no small ones at all. He thinks that the coyotes took a large amount of the young ones but the DNR has allowed too many doe tags in this country here. I hunt 4 different locations in this Co and all are private land and this by far is the worst year I have saw in over 10 years probably even longer. I did take a doe the week of bow season and that was the last chance I have had.

JoshKeller

According to what I hear, the eastern half of the state had GREAT mast, and the western halfs was lackluster. I've seen more deer this year that I've ever had before, and I promise you guys, it'll get better next year. Think of all those deer that arent being seen, which means they arent being shot, and just remember they will be a year older next year.

MasonsRidge

I've seen more deer this year that I've ever had before, and I promise you guys, it'll get better next year. Josh, I hate to break the bad news to you but I've talked to hunters in Marshall County, Roane, Hampshire, Preston, Raleigh, Monongalia, Logan and Randolph counties and no one saw much of anything, only a few does and little "scrub" racks. The West Virginia DNR is pathetic, they are definately doing more harm than good for our deer hunting in WV. I understand that the mast was bad in a few areas of the state as well as the ever-growing coyote herds killing deer but when the state DNR is handing out extra permits and letting you kill does for 3 weeks, something has to give. West Virginia needs a antler restriction as well as cutting doe hunting down. I also understand that in certain counties people are seeing alot of does on private land but most private is posted and only allow family and friends to hunt their propert, therefore they won't kill off the does like they would if the does were on public land and opened to alot more hunters. It's NOT going to get any better if something isn't changed within our states deer hunting regulations.

jetblast

I guess I'll repeat myself too!

MasonsRidge

"Jetbalst," Maybe the does need to be harvested in South Carolina but here in West Virginia they are slaughtering too many, therefore hurting our chances of having successful hunts in years to come.