RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

I still think that we need to get in the habit of not killing every deer that the DNR will sale us a tag for. I personally have decide that this year and until I can see a difference in the herd in the areas that I hunt I'll only take 2 deer. 1 buck and 1 doe.The article was in the Sunday Gazette on 6/12/05.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

Well, my son and I have both said that we are not buying any of the additional deer stamps this year. We as hunters have to try and make sure we keep our numbers up so we can be in the woods and see some deer. So I am not listening to the DNR anymore when it comes to their statistics.

Thanks for the date the article was in the paper.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

I read another post on here where about moving muzzleloader season. Well the problem with that is that I honestly don't think the DNR cares what we hunters think. I made comments in regards to the license fee increase, which I wasn't against, but did have some comments about the fees. Then I made comments to them about some of the regulation changes they were proposing. I never received the first email or letter letting me know that they received my comments or any reply to my comments.

I even contacted the DNR about the turkey survey and of this date haven't heard a word from them.

So what gives with the DNR? They pretty much do what they want to do no matter what we say.

I agree with the posts on here about our thinning deer heard and the very liberal doe season that they have initiated. Of course the DNR has seen their mistake and have closed doe seasons in several counties, have limited the number of does taken in certain counties and have even limited the number of bucks to three that can be taken annually. I just hope it isn't to little to late.

I also agree with the other fellow about how our regulations are. I have copies of the old regs from 1980's and 1990's before they went to the big book. It was a lot simpler years ago.

I have always felt that instead of increasing the number of deer that can be taken, extend some of the seasons. Like the fellow mentioned earlier about the archery season...why can't it go to Jan 31. Our deer season is over when some of the other states are still hunting.

We also needmore conservation officers to enforce the regulations we have and to catch poachers.

There is a lot that could be done, but don't know why the DNR don't do it. We as hunters need to band together, stand up and be heard.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

well said hunter129, there is ALOT that needs to be done!! I just hope these recent changes is a start for good things to come? I won't hold my breathe, but I will keep my fingers crossed.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

your 1st sentence answer is correct... the last sentence is oxymoron...refer to the 1st sentence,and remember ....that will never change...it IS the nature of the beast.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

I could not agree with you more on this topic. Where I live the poachers start hunting with guns the first week of Archery season and continue to do so till the spring weather gets warm. I work as a security officer and we have called the DNR several times on poachers, and it seems that they never have the anyone on duty to check it out.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

I actually know a DNR and he said "I would rather catch someone illegaly hunting turkey than deer because you can't shoot turkey at night. It's easier! If I get a call on someone poaching in the middle of the night, I've already worked my 8hrs, call someone else"

With all the backroads we have, we will never stop poaching. But with more enforcers of the law,they can help elminate some of the poaching.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

Where I am talking about it would be so easy to catch them. They do it almost every weekend. I have ran them out on several occasions. The poachers just shoot the bucks. I feel if someone is hungry and needs the food then go out in the day light and kill a deer and eat it in my opinion that is why GOD put them here is to feed us.Don't just do it to say you killed x number of bucks or deer.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

AR has nothing to do with shooting does.
Why are they not worried about the forest being destroyed like the lies being told up here in Pa. I have hunted in Preston county WV for years and there has always
been just as many deer there as in Pa.

RE: WV Antler Restriction
 

The only reason we ar not going to see statewide AR in WV is because the DNR is already poor and they make too much money off of the extra buck and extra bow tags. And most out of state hunters buy there extra buck tag for the gun season too. Until they cut way back on managers, biologists and game wardens or really increase the cost of the license and tags they are going to continue the multiple bucks per year.
Since they can't go one buck statewide they have to just do little areas like WMA's under different rules. We don't need or want AR in WV. We just need one buck per year. Down state areas maybe most people don't kill more than one buck per year legally but up here in the Northern panhandle it is nothing to kill 3,4 or 5 bucks a year. We have the best habitat up here, the most deer but the smallest. Its no fun when you go out that you know you can kill a deer but its going to be little. I would much rather go out knowing that I had a big buck in the area and wait for him.
Unfortuneatly I live to far from the bowhunting counties to drive there and hunt but luckily I live 15 minutes from Ohio. I saw more big bucks and killed a bigger buck thanI have ever killed in WV last year in Ohio in 13 days of bowhunting. It brought the excitement back into hunting for me last year knowing I was going to have to hunt and that there were big bucks around. Ohio only allows one buck a year and the difference between those two riverbanks is only a thousand feet but the deer management is worlds apart.