RE: WV rut?
 

im hunting wetzel county near new martinsville, any body hunt there? or have any info on the rut or deer activity?

RE: WV rut?
 

I hunt in the southern most tip... Mcdowell county, I have seen a few small rubs and scrapes, but little movement. I too have seen a major decline in deer movement the last few years. They are everywhere during the summer, but during fall and winter they're mostly nocturnal!! Mcdowell has had a 1 deer per yr. limit for a while, and recently made it 2 if one is a doe. It is only open to bow hunting and the land I hunt has very little hunting pressure. That said, I dont think its hunting pressure, I dont know what it is.

RE: WV rut?
 

Here in Berkeley County the rut is just beginning to get started. I've seen tons of deer, and the mast is amazing. Acorns are everywhere. No chasing yet, but the rubs and scrapes are being made alot. I have seen 60 does in the past 3 days of hunting and not a single buck with them. Bucks are still bedding by themselves.

RE: WV rut?
 

In Pocahontas county I am starting to see more deer now that it is getting colder. Have found a couple of scrape lines and accorns everywhere. I havent seen a lot of fawns. I think the deer are just laying down in the day and moving at night is why we are not seeing them.

RE: WV rut?
 

I'm sure some deer only move around at night, but if there were anywhere near the numbers I used to see, there would be a lot more deer sign than I am seeing.

RE: WV rut?
 

That's the concensus where I hunt too Doug.
Indian Springs WMA is about 5 minutes away from our ground and the head of the DNR there says that they only have a fraction of the deer that they had last year and prior. It just seems that the overall numbers are way down this year, and they will only get worse now with the astronomical bag limits that are in place now.

RE: WV rut?
 

My theory is that on top of the liberal bag limits, the bad acorn crops and winters of the last few years led to does who didn't have the nutrition to carry two fawns, and probably some didn't carry a single either. Result: fewer deer to replentish those lost to hunting and starvation.

RE: WV rut?
 

I think you may be right Doug. I live in Mercer Co and hunt two private farms on one between the farmer his wife myself and my soninlaw we have only saw 2 deer with young this year. I usually see as many as 15 a day there and so far this year I have only saw 3 deer period. The farmer drives a school bus and the other morning on his way to make his run which is way before daylight he saw 8 does in the field next to his house and no youngs ones at all.
One of my other places where I have taken at least one deer a year for the past 6 years I have hunted 3 times and have yet to even see a deer. I did see some horning and a small scrape on the way to the stand last week. I tried calling and grunting with no luck at all.

RE: WV rut?
 

Sounds like that assessment is pretty much the consensus. I talked to a yet another guy here at work who is saying the same thing, not near as many deer as in past years. The DNR needs to set limits/restrictions accordingly, and should be able to switch from one year to the next.