West Viginia Deer Hunting?
 

Wondering if any WV hunters can tell me what kind of shape the deer herd is in? Is there a lot of public land to hunt? Can access to private land or leases be had? Was looking at District 1 as a possibility.

Thanks for any info . . . Rob

where is district 1? I live in hardy county, have access to 16,000 acres of private land, plus a lot of public land, the heard is good, too many deer, buck kill was up 60% this year due to lack of mast crop and any field would attract deer
RR

District 1 is in the northern part of the state. Preston county

I hunt not far from RR... one county over. We hunt the same general herd. Lots of deer, not alot of big bucks -its just the area we are in. But its good hunting, and plenty of meat for the table.

WV has a diverse population, depending on where you hunt...and the size can vary big time too - both in body and rack. Most of the northern part of the state seems to have a pretty good herd. I have friends in the NW part, they have alot of deer...we are in NE, lots of deer. But I don't know anything about Preston county...sorry.

The biggest bucks in WV are down south, in the bow only counties. Some giants down there, but the density is way lower than up north. New potential State Record came from down that way this year.

What is an average buck size of the ones you take? Things like dressed weight, # of points, gross score if you score them? Do you see multiple bucks in a weeks time?

Thanks again for any info!

We have too many deer and see alot of deer while hunting. Something you up north probably cannot relate to. My guess....hunting a place like WV will be very different from where you hunt.

Its nothing for me to have a day where I see 15-20 deer, and 5-7 of them bucks. Now that isn't every day by any means, but there is also not that many days where I don't have the opportunity to at least get a shot at a deer (doe or buck). We can shoot does every day.

Body size where I hunt...they are pretty small. Avg dressed buck is 90-120lbs, rack score...well if you get a 110" or better you are doing pretty well. It just is what it is. Most mature bucks will be 8pts at our place. We kill some 9pts, hardly any 10's. Years ago we had a no brow tine trait, but that has seemed to fade out. Most have brows now.

And at our camp we usually shoot at least 25-30 deer a year off our farm which is about 1000 acres, some years we have taken twice that amount. We used to weigh them all years ago just to keep records, now we only weigh them if they are bigger. We took a 118" 9pt this year, was pretty nice for our place. It had a split brow, was a basic 8.

I did not shoot a buck this year in WV... passed up about 20-25 if I had to guess. Just didn't seen any I wanted to shoot. Slick heads only for me. :)

I saw 41 thanksgiving day, few more years we will have them whittled down till you don't hafta push them out of the way to set down.
RR

The entire 16 day rifle season in Vermont I saw 13. That was a lot compared to many people.

My FL neighbor told me that he and his brother have 1000 acres in Wayne county and told me I would be welcome to go there and hunt. He tells me there are lot of deer on the property.
Maybe I'll take him up on it next year. But I have to see about the regs.

LOL RR. Sometimes its like that aint it. :s3:

I saw a pretty nice buck road kill on corridor H last week. Do you hunt near there? Some real pretty land between where I live and Moorefield.

I saw some Bear hunters over near my place last week right off 55. WV tags on the trucks with boxes... WAY into VA, a good 5 miles. I bet they were sweating trying to find their dogs - hoping they didn't bump into the warden or a pissed off landowner. Not sure where they were hunting that they could have gotten that far into VA.

Do you have a lot of ticks in WV?

usualy just during summer, they are worse this year I guess due to the El Nino effect, guy bear hunting with me last sat. found one crawling on his shirt, saw deer that had them this year for the first time in my memory during season.
RR

I set on the berm of the corridor the first cut east of the baker exit a lot, killed an 8 point at 587 yards, and a coyote at 275 the last day of season from there, many many wv guys bear hunt va, I did for years when I had my hounds mainly because there were more bear than bear hunters. I also had 5 weeks vacation to burn.
I think I saw the same buck on the right of the westbound lanes just before or just after the Clifford hollow bridge.
RR

Nice shooting RR. The good thing about hunting there... no traffic noise :D

I've never in my life seen such an awesome road with no cars on it. I was coming home from Ohio one night last summer...got on down by Mount Storm and I swear I only passed 3-4 oncoming cars all the way to Wardensville. Granted, it was like 11pm but geez...

I live only about 10 miles from Wardensville just off 55 in VA, so not too far from you at all. Maybe we'll bump into each other one day.

Where we hunt I would consider it typical for ticks I guess. Not everywhere, but you do find em now and then - more prevalent when its warm. I had one tiny one crawling on my neck last weekend.

Springtime, alot more obviously.

maybe so, if we do the beers on me, traveled 55 to strausburg for 23 years, now I don't stray much north of wardensville unless heading for the James River or the OBX
RR

Some of them boys hunt w/ us near Strasburg but not that many of them. I shot a nice boar yesterday not too far from there. Dogs ran the snot out of him for 5.5 hrs. before we were able to harvest him. Had 3 dogs running through downtown Strasburg earlier in the week after they swam the river after the bear.

I live in harrison county W.V. and frequently see deer walking down our city streets.