Hunters Visit Wildlife Management Areas for Buck Season - WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather

Hunters Visit Wildlife Management Areas for Buck Season

Posted: Updated:
By Rachel Wagner, General Assignment Reporter - email

  • Local News

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 5:51 AM EDT2013-05-22 09:51:12 GMT
    An electrical fire destroyed a home in Harrison County Tuesday night. The Harrison County 911 Center said it started just after 12:15 a.m. on Locust Street in Salem. It said the fire appears to be suspicious.
    Fire destroys a home in Salem just after 12:15 a.m. Tuesday night.

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 3:51 AM EDT2013-05-22 07:51:48 GMT
    Our warmest day of the next week pushes temperatures towards 90 degrees in some places. With the daytime heating, an afternoon/evening thunderstorm exists for the area. The cold front begins to push through
    Stormy Afternoon?

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 11:57 PM EDT2013-05-22 03:57:09 GMT
    Bob Huggins was in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening to speak at the 22nd Annual Stonewall Jackson Friends of Scouting Leadership Dinner.
    Bob Huggins was in Bridgeport on Tuesday evening to speak at the 22nd Annual Stonewall Jackson Friends of Scouting Leadership Dinner.
    •   

The "gun buck" season started Monday and Barbour County hunters are flocking to public wildlife management areas.

For many hunters in Barbour County, it's tradition to wake up early for the first day of the annual buck gun-hunting season. Most share a common goal.

"Getting that big buck on the first day, there's no feeling like it," said Philippi resident Daniel Martin.

To reach that goal, some hunt on private land, but others visit wildlife management areas maintained by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. One such WMA is at Pleasant Creek in Barbour County.

"It's public land," said Joshua Prickett, a natural resources police officer with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. "Anyone can come and hunt on the wildlife management areas throughout the state."

Johnny Sanson has been hunting for 20 years, but he said Monday was his first family trip to a WMA.

"We heard about this place, he talked to the DNR, my son did," said Sanson. "We have a good time all together, we just try to stay safe."

According to Prickett, the first few days give the hunter the best odds.

"The deer aren't as skittish the first day," said Prickett. "By the end of the week, they're more skittish and not seen as much. It just depends how much you want to work."

WMA's are open for buck gun-hunting until December 1.