Any one on the board that has ever hunted Ritchie county. I have a relative that lives in burnsville an he keeps tellin me to come out if i want see what deer heaven looks like. The way he explains it sure does sound like heaven. Mother and older brother live in Boone county, But i think hunting time would be better spent in Ritchie county, from what im hearing. What do u WV folks think.I'M in DE

thru,

I was born and raised in Pennsboro (Ritchie Co). The area is a bowhunters dream for quantity of deer, not quality of size. I was up there bowhunting the week after gunseason (worst time of season)and watched 45 deer come out one afternoon. That doesn't count all the deer we saw grazing while driving to our hunt site. They were grazing mid-day in some parts. Other areas, they come out like clockwork about an hour or two before dark. Put some gas in the tank and drive on down. You won't be sorry. That's no lie. Remember me now!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Sounds like a huge difference from what i've been hunting. Public land here in delaware is all i have too hunt at this point.This is my secound year seriuosly hunting deer, so i have alot to learn.I must have had beginners luck last year,This year i have'nt had a shot opportunity yet an only have till 2/1/03.Been hunting since 9/2/02(season started). I work shiftwork, so sometimes i can get out 2 or more times a week during the week days and have stayed as consistent as i can. Have seen lots of deer, but almost all have been in thickets with no clear shot oppportunity(had alot of fun though).Im going to have to spend the money on the license an get myself out there,probably wont want to come back .Maybe i can learn somthing from him that will help me here,cant learn everything out of the books.I'll keep u in mind.Thanks for the info

good luck thru! When I went up, I took my best friend from Fl with me. He had always hunted FL and GA all his life. We went up to WV and he got to hunt in cold, snow, and hills for the 1st time. When I told him we'd setup on the edge of a meadow, he thought I was nuts! He's so use to hunting swamps and thickets. He changed his tune real quick. I hope to go bowhunting in McDowell Co next fall. Does your family in Boone have any suggestions? Thanks.

My cousin ,who lives in Ritchie county,lives in Auburn.Looks like where u grew up is pretty close. My mother an brother live in Whitesville (boone county).Strip mines all over the area and the coal companies own about 90% of that particular area(no hunting an they enforce it from what im told). Brother does'nt deer hunt unless someone is with him(can't handle the gutting process).So as u can imagine he does'nt hunt deer that much. The terrain looks trecherous as all heck,staight up and rocky.He tells me there are'nt deer,but i see them grazing along the r/r tracks not far away when im down in the summer.He was also telling me u need a 4 wheeler,supposedly they ride them around with loaded weapons,does'nt sound like hunting to me,but i'm not from around there and it seems like eveyone has them.I was the only one in my imediate family that didnt grow up in WV.When i talk to other people there,they go to other counties to hunt,i've never heard them mention Ritchie county though.I was checking census for the Auburn area and was surprised that there are only 305 residents,Might explain why the herd(quanity)is so good as compared to a 1000 people per square mile where i live. How did your buddy handle the cold weather,hope he brought enough layers.

thru,

McDowell is supposedly owned by everyone except residents. From what I've read in WV Fish and Game and message boards on other other sites is this: If it's not posted, go hunting. Goes against what I've known. It is rough country, very little quantity of deer, but there are huge racks taken each year. It's bow-only as is Logan, Mingo, and Wyoming counties. Ritchie has only maybe 10,000 folks in the whole county. But alot of outsiders come in from all over in and out of state. For the gun season, Ritchie is at or near the top 5 for deer killed. Have fun.....

I grew up in Doddridge County, next one east of Ritchie, and I can tell you that you won't be disappointed if you go down there to hunt. It was great over 30 years ago, when I left, and it has only gotten better.

It'll be a long 10 months.Checking all the licensing requirments now.Stil have to learn how to be sucessfull in the area i live,takes alot of time i guess.